Our NFL correspondent Ozz has been traveling all over the country visiting NFL OTA’s, interviewing coaches and players, and dissecting game tape. After going over all this information with a fine toothed comb he is finally ready to impart his knowledge on us. (Editors note: the above might not be entirely factual) Regardless, here is Ozz!
NBA and NHL seasons are winding down and we’re still a couple of months away from when the MLB starts to matter, so naturally now is the perfect time to look at football. Here’s one, very uninformed opinion on how NFL teams stack up post-draft.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: They’re the champs and they deserve to be here. However, don’t let the trophy distract you from a season that saw Ben Roethlisberger running for his life constantly. Big Ben’s numbers saw a huge drop off from 2007 to 2008. Although he threw for more yards last year, he threw 4 more interceptions and 15 fewer TDs on a career high 469 pass attempts. The D remains one of the best, but if the Steelers don’t improve up front on offense, a repeat might not be looking too good.
2. New England Patriots: Honestly, I can’t put together an early season power poll without the Pats on it. Apparently, it’s illegal. So here they are at #2. They get Brady back and it’s very questionable that he’ll be able to return to pre-injury form in a reasonable time. Still, a gimpy Brady is better than probably 24 of the league’s starting QB’s, including Matt Cassel. We got Brady, Moss, and Welker involved, so you know the passing attack should be potent.
The real question for the offense is if they can have a “go-to” back or will the coaching staff continue using their… six-headed monster? Really, I’ve never seen more disdain on the part of a coach towards the concept of starting running back than Bill Belichick. In an era where even those in a running-back-by-committee scenario find themselves rushing for north of 1000 yards, Bill Belichick still finds a way to limit his top rusher to 700 yards and some change. Message to Bill: Even Jamal Lewis found a way to crack the 1000 yard club wearing an ankle bracelet while Derek Anderson was cashing checks on the sideline.
3. New York Giants: The Giants like to believe they were one piece away from being a dominant team. Well, more dominant than their 12-4 season suggested anyway. Perhaps overshadowed by an abysmal performance in windy conditions in the playoffs and the constant Plaxico circus, Eli actually posted his best statistical season yet as a Giant and finally finding a way to limit his INTs. The problem for the Giants last year was the red zone. The Giants made their way into the red zone 69 times this year. Tops in the league and their best mark in a decade. However, their 51% TD conversion rate ranked them 20th overall in the NFL. This, the Giants hope, will be remedied by the addition of Hakeem Nicks (who possesses Chris Webber-like hands apparently) and Ramses Barden (who’s apparently really tall). The defensive unit should see a boost with the return of Osi Umenyiora. …
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