NFL Retroactive Season Preview- Part 2- The Mediocre

Now if you want to know the musical analogies for the individual divisions go to my post here. This article deals with the teams that will most likely be in the bottom half this year. I wrote them up before the start of the season but couldn't edit them fast enough as I was travelling in the weekend. I therefore decided to wait until all the Week 1 games were over and look back retroactively to how my preview looks. You can't over react from the results from one game but you can get a good idea of how teams will go.

Linkin Park Division

One of the worst franchises of the past decade, a organisation with a culture of losing and mediocrity. The team was recently sold so this will inevitably bring even more change, which means more indecision in the short term. Last year the team itself had a Top 5 defence in points allowed (19.3 ppg) but one of the worst scoring offences in the league (13.3 ppg).  Their lack of talent in the skilled positions (QB,RB,WR) was clearly evident and they targeted these positions early in the draft. With the 3^rd overall pick they selected the best running back prospect in Trent Richardson. Then with the 22^nd Pick they selected their new QB of the future, Brandon Weeden, a 28 year old rookie who played professional baseball before playing college football.

However, question marks are forming regarding their top two draft picks before the regular season has even begun.  Richardson has already under gone two knee surgeries this offseason and Weeden has struggled in preseason practise, throwing to perhaps the most inexperienced wide receiver group in the NFL.  When you add some key injuries on their defensive line and the fact they play in the tough AFC North division, I hold out little hope that they can improve from last year’s 4-12 record.

Beast players (Top 5 players in their respective positions, game changers)- Joe Haden CB, Joe Thomas LT, Alex Mack C.

Great players (Top 15 in their respective positions, can be pro bowlers)- D'Qwell Jackson MLB.

Bust out players (Players who can breakout and become Beasts or Great players this year)- Trent Richardson RB

Retroactive Look after Week 1:The Browns lost to the fancied Eagles by just one point. The defence was very good as usual, intercepting Mike Vick 4 times and recovering several fumbles. Their offence though was just as bad though. Weeden was the worst QB of the entire week- throwing 4 interceptions and looking totally out of place. Too make matters worse, their best defensive player, CB Joe Haden is about to serve a four match ban for banned substances which will have a serious effect on their ability to shut down opposition wide receivers.  The Browns are unfortunately looking at a substandard year and a high pick in next years draft. Rookie RB Trent Richardson at least looked comfortable, producing this highlight reel.

At least the Browns got a little bit better in the offseason.  The Miami Dolphins, on the other hand, being run by the worst general manager in the NFL, Jeff Ireland, did not.  They had the worst offseason in the NFL, by far, trading their most talented players, not getting any players of worth in free agency and reaching for the inexperienced QB Ryan Tannehill who started playing wide receiver in college.  There are already warning signs that he may not be the leader that Miami needs.  Not to mention that they have a new head coach, Joe Philbin from Green Bay, who is implementing a new system.  

The rookie Tannehill will start the year ahead of the veteran Matt Moore who helped the Dolphins win six of their last nine games last year. I don’t think it matters who will start though as they are throwing to the worst bunch of wide receivers in the NFL. The defence, the one strength of the team last year, will struggle with the new  system, switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3. In short, this team is going to do worse than last year and that’s saying something considering they finished 6-10.

Beast player- Jake Long LT.

Great players- Reggie Bush RB, Cameron Wake DE/OLB, Paul Soliai DT.

Bust out player- Mike Pouncey C.

Retroactive Look after Week 1: Well already after a dismal performance against the Houston Texans in week 1 rumours are going around that Jeff Ireland is on the hot seat. Why wasn't this done sooner I ask as he destroyed any semblance of the team competing this year with his off season moves. Tannehill looks terrible and the wide receivers can't get open. I think this team will be the worst team in football and it won't be close.

The two most important positions in the NFL right now are the Quarterback and the Offensive line. Arizona are terrible in both positions which is unfortunate because they are talented elsewhere in their team. They have maybe the best wide receiver in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and they have a solid defence which helped them get to 8-8 last year. The QB and OL positions have been neglected for so long by the organisation that they are going to pay the price in 2012. With the first pick in the this year’s draft for instance, rather than choose an OL, they selected another WR, which is already their strongest position. Last year they traded for Philadelphia backup QB Kevin Kolb to a $63 million dollar contract in exchange for a pro bowl CB and a 2^nd round draft pick. Kolb is looking like a complete bust who is unable to stay healthy and can't even beat out John Skelton, a 2010 5th round draft pick.

With the tough schedule they have this year I can’t see the Cardinals getting close to .500. At least if they suck they can pick a top-3 QB and start again. I think everybody wants to see Larry Fitzgerald like this again.

Beast players- Larry Fitzgerald WR, Patrick Peterson KR, Darnell Dockett DT.

Great players- Adrian Wilson S, Calais Campbell DE.

Bust out player- Ryan Williams RB.

Retroactive Look after Week 1: Well that was a surprise! The Arizona Cardinals bet the fancied Seahawks in game 1 thanks to the late game heroics of Kevin Kolb after Skelton got injured. The defence carried on where they left last year and dominated Russell Wilson. I'm still not convinced that the Cardinals are for real. They should come back down to earth this week as they play at New England. Kolb is just too inconsistent to make this team competitive.

Jack Johnson Division

A playoff team with a top 5 defence and the best RB in the NFL a couple of years ago the Vikings have fallen on hard times. Handing over the reins to rookie QB Christian Ponder, the team struggled  on both sides of the ball finishing a dismal 3-13. To make matters worse their best player Adrian Peterson blew out his knee in the meaningless final game of the season. Less than a year on Peterson is set to at least play Week 1, remarkable considering he tore his ACL. Ponder showed enough promise last year to think that they should improve this season. 

With the 3^rd overall pick they selected the best Left Tackle in the draft Matt Kalil, he will help shore up one of the worst OL units of last season. Their defence is still a work in progress and their record will probably stay around 4-6 wins but the team should be more competitive with Ponder under centre for another year. Building up for next season when Peterson should be fully healthy and Ponder having a full season as QB is the key.

Beast player- Jared Allen DE

Great players- Percy Harvin WR, Adrian Peterson RB, Kevin Williams DT

Bust out player- Kyle Rudolph TE.

Retroactive Look after Week 1: Winning in overtime against the Jaguars at home the Vikings should be pleased with the way they played. Certainly nobody expected Peterson being this productive- 87 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ponder also looked capable if not spectacular. I still think the defence is going to struggle to hold up against good offences. I still think this team won't win many games but they will be competitive.

Jacksonville is another team who started a rookie QB last year but that was even more disastrous. Blaine Gabbert had the worst rookie season you could ever hope for- no offseason due to the player lockout, the worst wide receiver unit in the NFL who couldn’t get open and an OL which couldn’t protect him. Even though RB Maurice Jones Drew had a career year and won the rushing title the Jaguars still finished 5-11. Having a offseason to practice will help Gabbert along with the addition of rookie Justin Blackmon and Laurent Robinson at the WR position. 

The Jaguars have a top 10 defence so the offence doesn’t need to be outstanding for the team to be competitive. However the Jaguars have a new Owner and Head Coach which will probably result in aches in pains throughout the season. A 8-8 season would be seen as a very successful season but I can’t see them getting to the playoffs this year.

Beast player- Maurice Jones Drew RB

Great player- Daryl Smith LB,

Bust out player- Justin Blackmon WR

Retroactive Look after Week 1: Even though they lost to the Vikings they will be happy with the performance of Blaine Gabbert who threw for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns. All this despite his OL not playing well. This weeks game vs the vaunted Texans defence should be a better indication on how Gabbert is doing. I still don't like Maurice Jones-Drew despite a solid day. Historically RB's who don't participate in training camp and then start week 1 are no where near optimum shape and are prone to injury. If MJD breaks down then this team will have to solely rely on Gabbert which is not what they want.

No team in the NFL had such a horrific run of injuries last season. They couldn’t score points, couldn’t  defend the run and they ended the season at 2-14. The Rams have pressed the reset button this off season.  They hired a new general manager and head coach as well as signing a drive of free agents and rookies to increase the lack of  talent. In fact they kept 15 rookies at the final cut of the team, a obscenely large number. Coach Jeff Fisher, previously in Tennessee, has a reputation of producing aggressive and physical defences combined with a conservative offensive game as well as growing a awesome moustache. This will make the team more competitive  but they will be some growing pains with such a young team.

There were too many holes to fix in one offseason so the Rams focused on defence mostly. This will probably mean another average year for QB Sam Bradford as they focused on improving the defence through the draft and free agency. The No. 1 pick in the 2010 Draft struggled behind a terrible OL and throwing to no standout WR’s. He does get his favourite target back from injury in Danny Amendola and RB Steven Jackson is always there to relieve pressure but another weapon needs to emerge and the OL has got to give Bradford more time to throw. 

The good thing is that the long term future is good. They have a gold mine of high draft picks for the next couple of years after trading the 2012 No. 2 overall pick to the Redskins and their defence will be much improved this season. A six win season would be a good result for a team that can only go up.

Beast player- Chris Long DE.

Great players- Steven Jackson RB, Courtland Finnegan CB, Scott Wells C.

Bust out player- Robert Quinn DE.

Retroactive Look after Week 1: The Rams were leading the Lions with 2 min to go last week but couldn't hold on losing 23-27. Defensively they looked strong creating a lot of turnovers. Offensively they looked much improved from last year with WR's getting open for Bradford. Unfortunately the suspect OL has already taken a massive hit with injuries to starting left tackle Rodger Saffold and Center Scott Wells. If they can't pass protect for Bradford for even a few seconds then this team is heading for another bad season. At least the defence should keep them in more games.

The Oakland Raiders for decades, under the guidance of their owner Al Davis, were known to do things their way and if you didn’t like it, tough! His autocratic style meant constant coach changes and a focus on drafting the fastest and strongest athletes who weren’t necessarily good football players. It helped them win Super Bowls in the 1970’s but the increasingly eccentric Davis ended up turning the organisation into the laughing stock of the NFL, in fact they haven’t been in the playoffs since 2002! Davis passed away during last season and now his family have decided to use some common sense and get some experienced NFL management in. 

This team has a lot of fast and exciting talent but has injury concerns and depth issues in all areas. It also was the most penalised and undisciplined team in the history of the NFL which costs them field position and points. That should improve under the no nonsense approach of new head coach Dennis Allen, formerly the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.

Oakland have a chance to win the AFC West but a lot of ‘ifs’ are needed for that to happen. RB Darren McFadden has to stay healthy, the WR’s have to stay healthy, QB Carson Palmer has to stop turning over the ball like he has been since he was traded from the Bengals last season. The defence has to stop giving away dumb penalties. They will probably do worse than their 8-8 record last year but they will at least be on their way to righting a losing, undisciplined culture.

Beast players- Darren McFadden RB (IF healthy), Richard Seymour DT, Shane Lechler P.

Great players- None

Bust out player- Darius Heyward Bay WR.

Retroactive Look after Week 1: Well the Raiders were looking competitive vs the Chargers on Monday Night Football until there long snapper got injured. Then this happened. This effectively changed the game and the Raiders couldn't recover. It really shows how important it is to have your reserves practice more in case of injury. In all fairness to the reserve long snapper though, the offences inability to move the chains on 3rd down were too blame for the punting team to be in this predicament. Despite Carson Palmer not throwing an interception he wasn't that effective. The defence did hold the Phillip Rivers to one touchdown which was encouraging. The Raiders could pull off some upsets this year but they are just going to be too inconsistent to make the playoffs.