TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2009 PREVIEW

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

You know who’s really running this Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise? Al Davis. Think about it: In 2002, the owner of the NFL’s west coast band of nautical villains basically shipped rising young head coach Jon Gruden to Malcolm Glazer (owner of the NFL’s east coast band of nautical villains), in exchange for a bounty of draft picks and cash. With his Tony Dungy-built team, Gruden immediately delivered a Super Bowl title, fully erasing this organization’s long-held shabby image.
But Davis’s impact doesn’t stop there. On October 1, 2008, the AFL pioneer held a rambling press conference in which he announced the firing of Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin. On November 28, it was reported that the University of Tennessee hired Kiffin to replace longtime head coach Phillip Fulmer. The Buccaneers were 8-3 at the time. Two days later, they improved to 9-3 after a hard-fought victory against New Orleans. But on that same day, rumors erupted that 13-year defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, a staple of the Bucs franchise, would be following his son to Tennessee.
Kiffin dismissed the rumors as mere “speculation”. But they weren’t. The distraction of losing the backbone to the team’s famed Tampa Two defense rocked the locker room––particularly its heart and soul, Derrick Brooks. Longtime Buc Warren Sapp, who still keeps in close contact with Brooks, said after the season, “Once I knew (Brooks) was upset, it had to filter down because that’s the way this place is always built.”
Filter down it did. The Bucs gave up 38, 13, 41 and 31 points in their final four games––all losses––and wound up missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record. This, one year after they had lost four of their final five games, including a Wild Card bout at home, to finish with a disappointing mark of 9-8.
The consequence? A massive rebuilding project––the type that starts with wrecking balls and dynamite. Gruden was fired. So was GM Bruce Allen. On January 18, Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer promoted secondary coach/interim defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to the head position. It was a hasty move, though one the Bucs figured had to be made, given the buzz that was stirring around the 32-year-old (now 33) Mike Tomlin-protégé. Also, 37-year-old director of pro personnel, Mark Domenik, was promoted to GM.
This was only the beginning. Jeff Jagodzinski, the former Packers offensive coordinator who spent two years as the head coach at Boston College, was brought in to direct the offense. This verified the end of Gruden’s pass-happy West Coast era and marked the commencement of a run-heavy zone system. More startling are the defensive changes. Out is the Tampa Two that, for the last dozen years, had been the hallmark of this franchise. In its place is the antithetical “run contain” system, which centers around defensive tackles occupying blockers and cornerbacks playing bump-and-run coverage.
Morris and Domenik made no bones about wanting to begin this new era with a younger and, ostensibly more impressionable, roster. Thus, they released the iconic future First Ballot Hall of Famer Brooks. They also said goodbye to elder statesmen Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Kevin Carter and Ike Hilliard.
In February, the Bucs had a reported $61 million in salary cap space. Yet, they made only modest noise on the veteran market. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth rejected the club’s nine-figure offer. A complicated trade for Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler fell through twice. In the end, Tampa Bay’s biggest move was sending an ’09 second-round pick and ’10 fifth-rounder to Cleveland for tight end Kellen Winslow. Other moves included inking Giants running back Derrick Ward to a bargain five-year, $14 million contract, franchise-tagging star receiver Antonio Bryant, signing journeyman passer Byron Leftwich for two years at $7.5 million and drafting Kansas State 21-year-old quarterback Josh Freeman with the 17th overall pick.
The Bucs now enter 2009 with no designated quarterback, a defensive lineup in utter flux and a head coach who relates well to players and vows to toughen things up but, at the same time, is learning a lot on the fly. But hey, it could be worse. Al Davis really could be running this franchise.
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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2009 PREVIEW

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

If a man in a New Orleans Saints shirt ever passed a man wearing a Phoenix Suns hat on a street somewhere, you can bet the two would briefly lock eyes and exchange looks of empathy. For, the man in the Suns hat knows what the man in the Saints shirt is going through. The Suns fan has spent the better part of the last five years rooting for a juggernaut offense to carry his favorite team to a title. Sadly, the old saying Defense Wins Championships isn’t just a way to coax focus in young athletes during the boring drills at practice––it actually has merit. So, for the Suns fan, each postseason has proven to be nothing more than emotionally-expensive foreplay, outfitted with “We Believe” signs, thundersticks and homecrowd-unifying T-shirts.
The Saints fan hasn’t even gotten to taste that much of the playoffs. After exploding for a magical post-Katrina 2006 season that saw first-year head coach Sean Payton and new quarterback Drew Brees carry the club to the NFC title game, the Saints have become a beacon of disappointment (7-9 in ’07, 8-8 in ’08). None of the blame can be dumped on Payton or Brees. This offense ranked first in scoring and yardage last season, despite being without top receiving options Marques Colston, Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey, and despite having an utterly putrid rushing attack.
If Saints fans are frustrated seeing the team’s high-octane offense go to waste, imagine how general manager Mickey Loomis must feel. Since shrewdly signing Brees––who, you may recall, was originally a risky free agent investment after major shoulder surgery––and striking gold in the ’06 draft with Bush (first round), Colston (seventh round) and outstanding right guard Jahri Evans (fourth round), Loomis has wisely focused on constructing a formidable defense.
He locked former first-round star pass-rushers Charles Grant and Will Smith into long-term deals. Last year, he brought in ascending speed-rusher Bobby McCray and spent the No. 7 overall pick on defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. He also traded for Jonathan Vilma, a productive 27-year-old middle linebacker who played well enough to earn a new five-year, $34 million contract. Loomis hasn’t ignored the secondary, either. Jason David was signed to a rich free agent contract prior to ’07. When the zone-based corner floundered, Loomis tried again, bringing in Randall Gay in ’08. He also drafted Tracy Porter in the second round.
But nothing worked. The Saints defense finished 23rd in yards and 26th in points allowed last season, thanks in large part to a penchant for surrendering big plays (33 pass plays of 25 yards or more, just one less than they gave up in 2007). Injuries continued to be a factor, but not as much as general ineptitude.
So what did Loomis do? He tried even harder. This past offseason, longtime Jaguar defensive end Paul Spicer was brought in to provide depth up front (Spicer may also have to start four games depending on the outcome in the StarCaps steroid case that Grant and Smith, along with Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams, have headlined). Identifying the secondary as this defense’s prime area of weakness, Loomis paid $10 million in guarantees to underrated Bills corner Jabari Greer, assured 33-year-old free safety Darren Sharper of a starting job if he came aboard and drafted Ohio State corner/safety Malcolm Jenkins in the first round.
All these moves give New Orleans a defense that, in terms of strict talent, is in the top half of the NFL. But it’s not Loomis’s player personnel changes that have the Bayou buzzing––it’s the change that Payton made. Facing the tough reality that his team’s defensive scheme was overly-cautious and just plain futile, Payton fired close friend Gary Gibbs after three seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator. Then he hired renowned attacker Gregg Williams.
The former Redskins D-coordinator is almost the antithesis of Gibbs. Williams preaches turnovers and aims to dictate tempo and tone. Is he a savior? Well, actually…maybe. A closer look at this roster reveals very few weak spots.

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ATLANTA FALCONS 2009 PREVIEW

ATLANTA FALCONS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Dear Michael Vick,
Consider this letter your official “Welcome Back” to society. A lot happened while you were away. America proudly elected its first black president. China wowed the world with a culturally-shifting Olympics Opening ceremonies. John Edwards became the most noteworthy politician since Bill Clinton to get busted for cheating on his wife, while Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens and Manny Ramirez became the latest baseball superstars to get busted for cheating on the game. ER went off the air, something called Twitter took over the internet and the world’s economy pretty much went to pot. In fact, your filing for bankruptcy now seems more chic than disgraceful.
But what I’m really writing to tell you about, Michael, is your former team. There’s no easy way to say this, but the Atlanta Falcons got good right after you went behind bars. Like, really good. You may recall that when the judge sentenced you to 23 months back in December ’07, the Falcons were 3-10 and had just been abandoned by a clown of a coach named Bobby Petrino. It was a disaster. America had never pitied a billionaire like they did Arthur Blank.
But right after the ’07 season mercifully expired, Atlanta’s fortunes changed. Team president Rich McKay relinquished player personnel duties to newly-hired GM Thomas Dimitroff, a product of the Patriots front office. Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith was hired as the new head coach. With Blank’s blessing, Dimitroff and Smith paired up and reshaped the roster.
A lot of your friends were let go, and some unlikely veterans stepped up in their place. You remember how in 2001 the Chargers didn’t think they could sign you, so they traded away the No. 1 pick and drafted LaDainian Tomlinson at No. 5? Well, the guy who backed up Tomlinson for a few years––Michael Turner is his name––wound up coming to Atlanta. Turns out, Turner’s a star. With the power of T.J. Duckett and vision of Warrick Dunn, the man rushed for 1,699 yards last season.
It wasn’t just Turner, though. The west coast offense was scrapped––I know! After all that hoopla and scrutiny about you and that system!––by the team’s shrewd new play-caller, Mike Mularkey. The young offensive line gelled. Wide receivers Roddy White and Michael Jenkins finally learned to catch. White, in fact, is probably one of the five best receivers in the game now.
The defense still ranked 24th in yards, though it gave up the 11th fewest points. In the end, this Falcons teams went 11-5 and reached the postseason. Everyone was so pleasantly surprised that hardly a peep of disparagement was uttered when the Falcons laid an egg in the Wild Card round at Arizona.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking, Michael. You’re probably thinking, That’s nice, but our ’04 Falcons team went 11-5 and actually reached the NFC Championship. That’s true, and no one will deny that 2004 was an entertaining season for this club. But that team also won just eight games the following year. Many are convinced that this current Falcons group will be the one that erases this franchise’s dubious blot of having never posted consecutive winning records. It’s plausible––after all, this team, on paper, is even better than a year ago. Many of the key contributors are just now reaching their prime. Dimitroff traded a second-round pick to acquire future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. He drafted at least three, and likely four, soon-to-be starters on defense: tackle Jerry Peria (first round), safety William Moore (second), cornerback Chris Owens (third) and end Lawrence Sidbury (fourth). Given how this club erupted last year, it’s even possible the words “Super” and “Bowl” will be tossed around in ’09.
Anyway, just thought you’d like to know what went on while you were away. Best of luck with getting back into football. And good luck with the protestors! I’m sure prison wasn’t fun, but I can’t think of a worse hell than having to kiss PETA’s butt. Just grin and bear it! Take care, Michael.
Sincerely,
Your old pal.

P.S. I need to be completely honest with you…I had put this letter in the mailbox before guilt compelled me to retrieve it. I didn’t have the heart to tell you, Michael, but there’s another reason your former team got better after you left: The Falcons found a franchise quarterback. His name’s Matt Ryan and, I’m not going to lie: he’s special.
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CAROLINA PANTHERS 2009 PREVIEW

CAROLINA PANTHERS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Your view of the Carolina Panthers depends on your interpretation of their disastrous 33-13 home Divisional Round loss to the Arizona Cardinals last January. If you are in the camp that believes America witnessed merely a 12-4 team being struck down by quarterback Jack Delhomme’s ill-timed career lowlight (in which he completed 22 of his 34 passes, but five of them to the wrong team), then you see this club as the favorite in the NFC South. After all, the Panther return all 11 starters from their seventh-ranked scoring offense, and 10 starters on a defense that, if not for a late season letdown, would have easily finished in the league’s Top 10.
But if you’re in the camp that believes what happened in the playoffs was not an aberration but, rather, a culmination of that second half letdown, then you think John Fox’s club will continue its trend of mediocrity between postseason appearances. (The Panthers, under Fox, have never won more than eight games the season after reaching the playoffs.)
Clearly, GM Marty Hurney and owner Jerry Richardson (who, thankfully, is recovering well from a February heart transplant) are in the first camp. They are pleased with how the team’s powerful, ascending offensive line enables young star running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to employ the tempo-controlling rushing attack that Fox and offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson prefer. They like how the defense is headlined by a shimmering star middle linebacker in Jon Beason, and supported by a solid, underrated secondary. They’re excited about new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks, a Cover 2 connoisseur who was hired after Mike Trgovac chose to leave.
Wanting to keep the skeleton intact, the Panthers eschewed the free agent market in favor of retaining their own bones. Much to his chagrin, super athlete Julius Peppers was slapped with a $16.683 million franchise tag. Top-echelon left tackle Jordan Gross received a new six-year, $60 million contract. The man Gross protects, Delhomme, was extended for five years and $20 million guaranteed.
It’s this last move that leaves the second campers even more incredulous. Never mind that Delhomme is 34. The issue here is that Carolina invested in someone who is not a Super Bowl quality quarterback. Delhomme’s charismatic mojo too often tailspins into demoralizing panic when the going gets tough (like in that playoff loss). His solid accuracy can often be trumped by a weak arm that becomes exposed when defenses get inside his head.
But the ultra conservative Fox has never thought his team needed a star quarterback in order to succeed. Fox views quarterbacks as only a moderately significant piece to his power-oriented offensive puzzle. But critics can lament that the Panthers really aren’t that powerful on the ground. Yes, Williams and Stewart headlined a rushing attack that set a franchise record with 2,437 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. But their numbers were inflated by 60 runs of 10 yards or more. When it came to consistently moving the chains and controlling the tempo, Carolina was average (evidenced in their 18th-ranked third down offense).
This criticism of smoke and mirrors has also been applied to the defense. If not for the insane athleticism of Peppers, the pass-rush wouldn’t exist. Even with Peppers, the Panthers enjoy only outbursts of dominance up front. The hope is that second-round rookie Everette Brown (defensive end) and third-rounder Corvey Irvin (defensive tackle) can change that. (Hurney sacrificed the team’s 2010 first-round pick just to move up to the middle of the second round and nab Brown.) Some experts grumble that these Panther linebackers and defensive backs are young and gifted but also alarmingly reactionary (which is why this unit ranked in the low teens in just about every major statistical category last season).
The issue is not whether the Panthers can change in 2009, but whether their formula can work. As long as Fox is calling the shots, Carolina will be a conservative team. Is conservativeness compatible with today’s NFL?

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TENNESSEE TITANS 2009 PREVIEW

TENNESSEE TITANS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

The Tennessee Titans seem to almost be taking a hands-off approach to the 2009 season. Perhaps that’s to be expected from a franchise that’s employed the same head coach for 16 years. Owner Bud Adams––who’s so hands-off that he still makes his home in Houston, some 785 miles from Nashville––believes Jeff Fisher and his Titans, who were an AFC-best 13-3 last season, have enough weapons to capture the Lombardi Trophy that has eluded this otherwise successful organization.
Only two new starters were brought in over the offseason, both to fill spots vacated by departed free agents: wide receiver Nate Washington steps in for Brandon Jones (now a 49er) and defensive tackle Jovan Haye replaces Albert Haynesworth (now a Redskin). The Washington acquisition is nothing new, really. The Titans have been infusing their mundane passing attack with middle-tier free agent receivers for years, each time investing a little more hope in the chance at striking gold. They did this with Yancey Thigpen in 1998. Then Carl Pickens in 2000. Then David Givens in 2006, and Eric Moulds in 2007. None worked out. Washington could buck this trend if he adjusts to this precision-passing offense. Or, he could represent a fruitless six-year, $27 million expenditure. In the end, the Titans will still be a run-first offense either way.
As scrutinized as it has been, the Haynesworth loss is also nothing new. After all, in 2007 Fisher and GM Mike Reinfeldt saw defensive linemen Antwan Odom, Travis LaBoy and Randy Starks break out and immediately leave for greener (as in money) pastures in free agency. None of the three did much in their respective new homes in ’08, while the Titans, on the other hand, actually got better.
Given that Tennessee never budged on its low-ball, incentives-laden offer to Haynesworth (the $20 million in guarantees they proposed were less than half of the guarantee money he received from the Redskins). It’s apparent the Titans believe they had maxed out their return on the star defensive tackle and can thrive with defensive line coach extraordinaire Jim Washburn developing a new wave of players. Smart thinking––Washburn’s defensive lines, while decent in talent but by no means mesmerizing, have been the biggest reason why this unassuming club has gone to the playoffs each of the past two years. With Washburn’s wisdom, the Titans ostensibly can carry on even with longtime defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz now serving as the head coach in Detroit. (Secondary coach Chuck Cecil assumes Schwartz’s old job.)
The franchise’s recent stability helps this cause. Tennessee’s roster management has been superb since Reinfeldt arrived in 2007. Under his guidance, the Titans have aced two first-round draft choices (safety Michael Griffin in ’07, running back Chris Johnson in ’08), plugged holes with solid, cost-effective veteran acquisitions (see guard Jake Scott, defensive end Jevon Kearse, safety Chris Hope) and reaped the rewards of a steadfast commitment to developing talent from within (see left tackle Michael Roos, tight end Bo Scaife, linebacker Stephen Tulloch and cornerback Cortland Finnegan).
The topic of developing talent from within versus signing mid-major veteran free agents brings us to the quarterback situation. In the most positive of signs, there is no quarterback situation. Thirty-six-year-old journeyman Kerry Collins (who re-signed for two years, $15 million) is the starter, and 26-year-old enigma Vince Young (whom Bud Adams ostensibly compelled his staff to draft No. 3 overall in 2006) is the backup. Those who need to be told why haven’t been watching pro football the past 12 months.
So Collins and 19 other starters are back. But are they forming the team that started 10-0 last season, or the one that finished 3-4? Depends how you look at it. Some see a reliable, ball-control offense. Others see a lack of firepower. Some see veteran leadership in players like Collins, center Kevin Mawae and linebacker Keith Bulluck. Others see declining old-timers who are likely gone after the season (Mawae and Bulluck are both in contract years). Optimists crow that this is a fairly deep club. Pessimists quip “not anymore”, as a slew of players that includes Mawae, defensive tackle Tony Brown, defensive lineman Dave Ball and cornerback Nick Harper spent the offseason recovering from various surgeries.
The Titans are not a pretty team, which leaves their image up to the eye of the beholder. So, let’s take a closer look.
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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 2009 PREVIEW

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Looking at the Jacksonville Jaguars right now is not unlike walking in on someone who is cleaning up after a major basement flood. It’s a mess. And not the type of mess that makes you say Here, let me help; more the type that makes you say I’ll come back later. Jacksonville’s cleanup efforts, daunting as they may be, are completely necessary. This was a Super Bowl-hopeful club that stumbled to an ugly 5-11 record last season. Injuries played a huge part––the Jags had an interior offensive line that some high school JV coaches wouldn’t have settled for––but only because this team lacked the character and chemistry to cope with adversity.
Owner Wayne Weaver noticed this and, instead of canning head coach Jack Del Rio, he canned VP of Player Personnel Gene “Shack” Harris. Then he appointed longtime scout Gene Smith to the role of GM and instructed him to can just about everyone else. One of Smith’s first orders of business was saying goodbye to franchise icon Fred Taylor. That move was soon followed with a rally behind Taylor’s understudy, Maurice Jones-Drew. Smith signed the third-year pro to a four-year, $31 million contract, making the explosive bowling ball of a runner one of the five highest paid tailbacks in the game.
The rest of the personnel moves were dedicated to eliminating some of the low-character underachievers who had come to plague this team. This included releasing drug-using former first-round receivers Matt Jones and Reggie Williams, and not re-signing sloppy former second-round left tackle Khalif Barnes or mediocre safety Gerald Sensabaugh. Underachievers with clean police records but personality conflicts like ’08 free agent bust Jerry Porter or veteran linebacker Mike Peterson were also let go. And so were non-achievers like ’08 free agent bust 2.0 Drayton Florence, and grossly-overpaid backup quarterback Cleo Lemon. Consider these moves to be the immediate recovery efforts from the basement flood––pumping out the water and pulling up the carpet, if you will.
The ensuing restoration process commenced with the signing of two former Pro Bowl free agents: left tackle Tra Thomas and wide receiver Torry Holt. Both well-worn mid-30-year-olds were available only because their best years were long behind them. The Jaguars themselves recognized this. On Draft Day they selected two players at Thomas and Holt’s respective positions: offensive tackles Eugene Monroe (first round) and Ebon Britton (second round) and wide receivers Mike Thomas (fourth round) and Jarett Dillard (fifth round).
In a somewhat ominous sign for 2009, these four rookies, along with third-round picks Derek Cox (cornerback) and Terrance Knighton (defensive tackle), all enter training camp with a very legitimate chance at capturing a starting job. Monroe will push Thomas at left tackle. Britton should be able to surpass right tackle Tony Pashos. (Pashos, in turn, could steal staring right guard Maurice Williams’s spot.) The receivers, Thomas and Dillard, are both undersized but speedy, high-leaping, big-play weapons. One of them could capture the No. 2 position across from Holt. Knighton is destined to replace defensive tackle Rob Meier, who was overwhelmed in Marcus Stroud’s old role last year. And Cox, an expensive third-round pick whom some thought, coming out of tiny William & Mary, might actually go undrafted, has a chance to start ahead of cornerback Brian Williams.
Starting job competitions in training camp are like Omega-3 fats: healthy, but only in moderation. A stable NFL team would never have six starting positions available to rookies. Even without the rookies, this Jaguars lineup is in serious flux. On the offensive line, no one knows if guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams can rebound from major ’08 injuries. On the defensive line, only tackle John Henderson’s starting position is set in stone. At linebacker, Justin Durant and Daryl Smith are being shuffled around. And questions abound at cornerback and strong safety.
It all comes down to coaching. Del Rio will fully impress his hardnosed persona on this team. He’s also taking a more active role in the defense––his area of expertise––in hopes of mollifying the confusion that could stem from Mel Tucker being the unit’s third different coordinator in three years. If Del Rio succeeds, he could have this club on the brink of recapturing its playoff status of two years ago. If he fails, he could be fired.
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HOUSTON TEXANS 2009 PREVIEW

HOUSTON TEXANS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

“Houston Texans” will be the answer to the most frequently asked NFL question this summer. This is the team that everyone will pick to break out in 2009. This is “The Sleeper”. You’re going to hear about this team during all those sponsored television segments where football experts dilute their credibility by issuing opinionated 15-second soundbits. Here’s an example of what’s to come:
The Houston Texans are this year’s sleeper team because…
**They rebounded from an 0-4 start and went 8-4 last year.
**Quarterback Matt Schaub is entering his third season in Gary Kubiak’s system. If he can stay healthy, he can be a star. (Some experts might also add something along the lines of “Schaub must take care of the football.”)
**Running back Steve Slaton led all rookies with 1,282 yards rushing last season and should be even better considering he’s a perfect fit for this zone-blocking system. (Yes, and he’s a factor in the passing game, too.)
**Receiver Andre Johnson is unstoppable. (Good point.)
**This young offensive line, headlined by second-year left tackle Duane Brown, is getting better. (In reality, Brown is probably the only true youngster up front, but the general idea is that this line is ascending.)
**The defense will be better. Mario Williams is a beast and DeMeco Ryans is a stud. (Analysts love to bunch these two fourth-year stars together. Indeed, Williams is arguably the best defensive end in the NFL. But Ryans is coming off a down year. He’ll benefit from improved players around him, but since few television analysts have enough time––or, in some cases, knowledge––to breakdown such intricate details, we’ll save this part for later, after this introduction’s metaphor peters out).
On top of these obvious points, you’ll also hear some of the lazier talking heads (who survive with interns and assistants feeding them rudimentary information) mention how “Houston will emerge because Gary Kubiak, with two years left on his contract, is fighting to keep his job.” (As if Kubiak hasn’t been giving it his all during these past three seasons.) Or some will mention how the Texans will break out because “owner Bob McNair and GM Rick Smith are no longer running an expansion team; Houston has had two 8-8 seasons and it’s just their year!”
Empty as these soundbits are, they’re not unfounded. Of course, not all Texans analysis will be cheap. Those who really know the game––like a Peter King or a Brian Baldinger, for example––will point out that Houston replenished its defensive coaching staff after the unit ranked 27th in points allowed last year. Coordinator Richard Smith was fired and replaced in-house by senior defensive assistant Frank Bush. Defensive line coach Jethro Franklin was let go, as was secondary coach Jon Hoke. In their respective places are prickly Bill Kollar and instructive David Gibbs. These changes should reinforce a young defense that, thanks to natural maturation and a few key additions––like end Antonio Smith and first-round strongside linebacker Brian Cushing––has gotten better at all three levels,.
But by no means does being the NFL’s Sleeper Team ensure progress. Just ask last year’s Cleveland Browns. Or 2007’s San Francisco 49ers. Or every year’s Jacksonville Jaguars. As obvious as Houston’s breakout potential is in 2009, their Achilles heal is equally as glaring: depth.
The Texans have terrible depth. If Schaub goes down, there’s no Sage Rosenfels to fill in (and keep games close until a fourth quarter meltdown). Diminutive Steve Slaton is backed by fragile Chris Brown, making the run game shallow enough for “No Diving” signs. Andre Johnson isn’t the only viable receiver on the roster––Kevin Walter is a good No. 2 and Owen Daniels is a praiseworthy tight end––but the former Hurricane is the only one worth double-teaming. If Johnson’s gone, so is the passing game. The front five is equally as thin, and the defense, which has ranked 21st or lower in each of the last four years, isn’t much better.
This says nothing for the fact that Houston must deal with the rock-steady Colts and defending AFC South champion Titans. Yes, the Texans have gotten better. But just staying healthy isn’t enough. Plus, its borderline impossible. Thus, in order to shake their mediocrity and actually be the breakout team of 2009, the Texans must make a quantum leap. While a great deal of this responsibility rests with the defense, plenty of it falls on the son of an unemployed Super Bowl head coach and the former backup of a convicted dogfighter.
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 2009 PREVIEW

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Change? You call this change? Ha! This ain’t change! Change is going from a Republican white president to a Democratic black one. Change is landline phones to cell phones. Or cell phones to PDA’s. It’s going from fat 1980s Oprah to sleek 2000s Oprah (minus this past year, apparently). Or, on the flip side, going from 1980s Kirstie Alley to current day Kirstie Alley. Now that’s change.
What’s happening with the Indianapolis Colts is not change. At most, it’s some form of multifaceted tweak. Like a Peyton Manning audible, if you will. Now, granted, for perhaps 31 other NFL teams, replacing a Hall of Fame-worthy head coach like Tony Dungy with a former quarterbacks coach who has zero head coaching experience like Jim Caldwell would constitute change. And so would temporarily replacing your offensive coordinator (Tom Moore on hold, Clyde Christensen filling in), defensive coordinator (goodbye Ron Meeks, hello Larry Coyer) and special teams coordinator (Russ Purnell out, Ray Rychelski in). But not for this franchise. Not as long as Jim Irsay is the owner, Bill Polian the president and Peyton Manning the quarterback.
The Colts are still operating within the same general premise of their unshakable system. It’s a system that first focuses on having the right skill position players offensively––something Polian aims to do with first-round investments (see Manning, running back Joseph Addai, wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez and tight end Dallas Clark). Polian has never once in his 12-year tenure whiffed on a first-round offensive player. (Fantasy geeks take note, first-round rookie running back Donald Brown could be a sleeper!) Part of this is due to the fact that his first one in ’98, the aforementioned non-Ryan Leaf quarterback, was a bull’s-eye.
As long as Manning is under center, the Colts offense will be proficient. Of course, there’s still areas to improve in ’09. As Irsay said over the offseason, “Our ability to rush the football was completely unacceptable last year. It was more of a miracle that we were able to disguise the problem so much and go so far and do so much with it being such a problem.” He’s exactly right. The Colts run offense ranked 31st and averaged a wretched 3.4 yards per carry. This offense needs balance (if for no other reason than a strong ground game fosters the lethal play action pass). The selection of Brown, a highly productive, versatile all-around tailback from Connecticut, should provide the necessary rushing boost (as well as a fertile trickle-down effect).
We can elaborate in greater detail later––the general point is that the Colts will have a Super Bowl-caliber offense again in 2009. This is especially true considering that Tom Moore, while technically no longer the offensive coordinator, will return in an influential consultant role (he had to retire, on paper, in order to protect his pension). Same goes for venerated offensive line coach Howard Mudd.
Defensively, Indy will present a slightly different look under Larry Coyer, though not one glaring enough to make spectators squint. Coyer will spice up Dungy’s vanilla Tampa Two scheme with a few more blitzes and a greater emphasis on stopping the run. Polian supported these changes by drafting a 300-pound defensive tackle for the first time in his tenure. In fact, he did it twice: Fili Moala in Round Two and Terrance Taylor in Round Four. But in the big picture these are still minor changes; scrutinizing them is not unlike studying the modicum of difference between the Colts’ throwback uniforms and current digs. Overall, this will still be a speedy, finesse zone defense.
So given that change has not really hit the Colts, it’s fair to ask the same questions that have been asked for years. Like, is this team tough enough to win in January? Can the offense handle the wrath of physical 3-4 defenses like those found in Pittsburgh, San Diego, Baltimore, New England and New York? Can the defense stop the run when it counts?
As most remember, the answer to all these questions in 2006 was Yes. But that leads to another question: was Indy’s Super Bowl title merely a case of the stars aligning; or was it only the first piece of hardware for one of this era’s elite organizations? For the longest time, a question like this would have been decided by your opinion of Number 18. But the Lombardi trophy and NFL record-tying three MVP awards have cemented the 33-year-old’s Canton-bound legacy. So now, we apply the skeptical questions to the men blocking for Number 18.
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WASHINGTON REDSKINS 2009 PREVIEW

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: A powerful public figure in Washington feels some heat from his constituents after another year of mediocrity and underperformance. Needing to instill optimism, said public figure goes out and identifies a problem that’s just relevant enough to distract people from the more complicated (and much larger) problem. In a brilliant ploy at producing immediate short-term prosperity, the public figure throws wads of money at the small the problem, then talks publicly about the large problem in terms vague enough to make everyone forget about it a few weeks later. Ladies and gentlemen…the Washington Redskins!
In this particular story, the powerful public figure is team owner Dan Snyder. The stewing constituents are the fans. The small problem is the Redskin defense; the large problem is the Redskin offense. The wads of money amounted to $100 million over seven years, with the beneficiary being one Albert Haynesworth. Let’s make him the prism through which to evaluate the rest of this middle-tier Redskins franchise.
The Redskins once again showed their true colors when they signed the prized 28-year-old defensive tackle. Under Snyder, their general modus operandi has been to sacrifice long-term investments (see draft picks) for expensive short-term payouts (see free agents). Has it worked? Not really. Washington is 76-84 since Snyder took over in 1999, with no season yielding more than 10 wins. (But to their credit, they’ve been one of the most affluent businesses in the NFL.)
Haynesworth has a rare ability to dictate an entire NFL game. The earth-shattering plays he makes and double teams he demands can ruin an offensive game plan. The caveat is that Haynesworth, a former first-round pick, never played like this until he reached back-to-back contract years as a Titan. For much of his career, descriptions of Haynesworth included words like volatile, languid, streaky and but (as in “he’s gifted, but…).
In the weeks leading up to his free agency, Haynesworth strongly indicated that, like a morose investment banker or jaded happy-hour stripper, he’s just interested in the money. The Redskins sure interested him. League-leading attendance figures, steady merchandise sales and substantial corporate partnerships enabled Snyder’s club to award the two-time Pro Bowler with a record $41 million signing bonus. Whether Haynesworth will stay motivated after cashing monolithic checks is beside the point (for the record, the prediction here is that he absolutely will not). The bigger issue is that it’s just not smart football to tie up such hefty funds in a non-quarterback (especially when you have a defense that already ranked fourth in yards and sixth in points allowed last season, and an offense that ranked nineteenth in yards and twenty-eighth in points).
In fairness to Snyder, he and his trusted sidekick, VP of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato, tried to find a top-dollar quarterback. Washington made a serious run at Jay Cutler and later attempted to trade up in the draft for Mark Sanchez. In the end, not only did they fail to land a new signalcaller, they wound up alienating the one they already had. Jason Campbell handled the situation with utmost class, but how does the 27-year-old finally blossom as a leader if he’s a publicly-acknowledged fallback option? (Exacerbating matters is that Campbell received zero calls from team officials about extending his contract, which expires after the season.)
Head coach Jim Zorn is a quarterback guru who has diligently ushered Campbell through his first experience in a West Coast offense. Problem is, Zorn was one of the driving forces behind the Cutler pursuit. In a private meeting, Zorn, admirably, leveled with his quarterback. But you wonder if somewhere in the conversation, he said to Campbell, “Hey, don’t feel bad if the team doesn’t want you––I’m not sure I’m wanted here either.” Indeed, Washington’s 4-1 start last year preceded a 4-7 finish, prompting whispers about whether Zorn might be let go. Remember, he was originally brought in to be this team’s offensive coordinator; the head coaching title came about only after Bill Cowher said no thanks.
The Redskins are a lot like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge: strong overall, but weak in the wrong places. You can’t win in the NFL when your chemistry and leadership is disjointed. That’s been the case here, best illustrated in Clinton Portis, who is chummy with the owner and has enough political capital to publicly criticize the coach and question the game plan. Running backs aren’t supposed to rule the locker room and huddle.
Of course, there’s still hope. A mountain of chips is stacked against Campbell and Zorn, but they still have a chance to come out, light the brutal NFC East on fire and redirect this franchise in 2009. To do so, they need each other.

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2009 PREVIEW

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

The Philadelphia Eagles front office should get an award. A major award. Like a Nobel Prize-type award. Any front office that can shut up the cantankerous Philadelphia fan base deserves to be canonized. Eagle fans were ready to foam at the mouth this past spring. Their team had just gone to its fifth conference championship game in head coach Andy Reid’s decade-long tenure and, for the fifth time, come away without a Super Bowl ring. For most fan bases, the sting of their team’s fourth conference championship defeat may have been ameliorated by the fact that the 9-6-1 Eagles had made an improbable run to even get as far as they did, and by the fact that the next door neighbor Phillies, three months before, had brought a World Series to the title-parched City of Brotherly Love. But these are Eagle fans we’re talking about. The most fervid, impatient and unreasonable bunch in sports.
Heading into this offseason, these fans were ready to bark. The personnel moves Philadelphia needed to make were obvious. Three beloved veterans were to become unrestricted free agents: safety Brian Dawkins, left tackle Tra Thomas and right tackle Jon Runyan. Running back Brian Westbrook would be 30 in September and battling a degenerative knee and bad ankle. The star wide receiver that had been eluding this offense since the breakup with Terrell Owens had just shown up in the form of electrifying rookie DeSean Jackson, yet, for some reason, Philly fans were adamant that their club still needed to trade for a veteran like Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards.
Say this about Eagle fans: honorary as they are, they’re not completely ignorant. All of their concerns were shared by Andy Reid, GM Tom Heckert and team president Joe Banner. We know they were because before the fans could scream about their team’s problems, these men fixed them.
It’s no accident that the offseason in which Philly had its biggest rebuilding necessities happened to come in the same year that the team had two first-round draft picks and some $40 million in salary cap space. This is the finest-managed organization in the NFC.
Just as fans started to carp about losing Thomas and Runyan, the Eagles shipped the No. 28 overall pick to Buffalo in exchange for gilded 27-year-old left tackle Jason Peters (whom the Eagles also made the highest-paid offensive lineman in league history). This came shortly after the signing of versatile ex-Bengal Stacey Andrews. Besides upgrading the offensive line himself, Andrews brings stability to the life of his younger brother, Shawn Andrews, Philly’s All-World power-blocker who missed virtually the entire ’08 season with a back injury and depression. Shawn Andrews now moves to his natural right tackle position (replacing Runyan), forming a remarkable bookend with Peters (who, by the way, was Andrews’s roommate at Arkansas). In short, the Eagles now might have the best O-line in football.
The loss of Dawkins hurt, but Philly coaches pointed out that soon-to-be 29-year-old strong safety Quintin Mikell is a burgeoning star and second-year free safety Quintin Demps has an uncommon blend of size and speed. Plus ex-Brown Sean Jones and former Patriot Ellis Hobbs give the secondary fantastic depth. Overall, the defensive backfield is better than it was last season.
As for the ball handlers…the decline of Brian Westbrook was mitigated with the second-round selection of Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy. McCoy is good enough to immediately lighten Westbrook’s load, and he’s versatile enough to one day replace him outright. The first-round pick the Eagles didn’t give up for Peters was spent on Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin. This is a move that basically says, “If one DeSean Jackson isn’t enough for you, how about two DeSean Jacksons?”
The only person happier than the Eagle fans about Maclin’s arrival is Donovan McNabb. But the subject of McNabb is where the music stops. He and Reid are entering their 11th year together––the longest current quarterback/coach partnership in pro football. Yet the quarterback remains as enigmatic to his coach as he is to the rest of the world. Last season’s remarkable playoff run was portrayed as a comeback story about a star signalcaller inspired by his shocking Week 12 benching. But Reid’s decision to bench McNabb wasn’t a brilliant motivational ploy. Had Kevin Kolbe not stunk up the joint in the 36-7 loss at Baltimore, McNabb would have never stepped back on the field. The fact that McNabb played masterfully after the benching was mere serendipity––as if Reid had mistakenly said “hit me” on 17, then got dealt a Four of Clubs.
McNabb was angrier about the benching than people realized, and his relationship with Reid ostensibly suffered a blow. Wanting an extension to the final two years of his contract this past offseason, the Eagles were only willing to give him a raise (he’s now slated to make about $19 million). His future with the team is no less murky than it was last December. Of course, as we just learned, maybe that’s a good thing.

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DALLAS COWBOYS 2009 PREVIEW

DALLAS COWBOYS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Albert Einstein said, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Someone needs to tell Jerry Jones.
For a team with legitimate Super Bowl talent and unmatched buying power, the Dallas Cowboys sure have a lot of unsolved problems. An extreme but legitimate snapshot of this organization is found in last season’s Week 17 disaster at Philadelphia. In a de facto playoff situation, the “win and you’re in” Cowboys put on a performance that even the Washington Generals would have found pathetic. Five turnovers led to a 44-6 drubbing in which the star quarterback (Tony Romo) looked timorous, the head coach (Wade Phillips) clueless, the hotshot coordinator (Jason Garrett) brainless, the brash defense porous and the club, as a whole, heartless.
The only thing sadder than the fact that Dallas’s airball surprised absolutely no one is the fact that the last criticism––the one about being heartless––is justified. The Cowboys, America’s Team, have no heart. They’re a franchise still coasting on popularity that stems from the dynasty that Jimmy Johnson built two decades ago.
The last time the Cowboys won a playoff game was 1996. Since then, they have cycled through myriad head coaches and quarterbacks, brought in bundles of talented draft classes and signed scores of top-dollar free agents. They annually appear on national television the maximum six times (including Thanksgiving) and their blue star is found not just everywhere in Texas, but everywhere in the United States. But really, the Cowboys are just football’s version of Paris Hilton: famous for being famous.
The one constant during this dreadful bout of mediocrity has been Jerry Jones. Arguably the shrewdest businessman in pro football, Jones has kept his club in the NFL’s brightest spotlight. Indeed, the infatuation with the Cowboys will only escalate in 2009, as they open Cowboys Stadium, the NFL’s first $1 billion arena. Building a modern day Coliseum might be the only way Jones can regain relevance during Super Bowl week (Dallas will host the big game in 2011). His aptitude in the boardroom is matched only by his ineptitude in the locker room.
The story with Jones’s team this year is whether Tony Romo can become a leader. The 29-year-old has come to embody the Cowboys. He has movie star good looks, scintillating talent and a penchant for melting down late. Romo’s career record in September, October and November is 22-4. In December, it’s 5-8.
The weight of the world is on Romo’s shoulders this season. Just as he did in hiring Bill Parcells a few years ago, Jerry Jones flashed rare humility by acquiescing to the in-house suggestion box that was overflowing with index cards saying “Dump Terrell Owens!” But releasing T.O. is not the solution to Dallas’s problems––their problems are much deeper than that. After all, this team suffered from poor chemistry and late-season collapses long before “The Player” arrived. But maybe, just maybe, the release of Owens is a sign that those deeper problems are finally being fixed.
But probably not. Head coach Wade Phillips is still here and, in the final year of his contract, somehow an even lamer duck than last season. Had wunderkind offensive coordinator Jason Garrett done a better job in ’08, he’d likely have Phillips’s job now. But shoddy game-planning and questionable play-calling dimmed Garrett’s star (after declining the Ravens and Falcons head coaching jobs last year, Garrett wasn’t even offered the Rams head coaching job this past offseason). Now, Jones is likely eyeing a star-studded 2010 head coaching market that should include Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick and Bill Cowher. These men have combined for six Super Bowl rings during Dallas’s playoff drought.
Of course, should the Cowboys go out and, you know, actually live up to their potential in 2009, Jones may have no choice but to retain Phillips. In hopes of that, Phillips has taken over full command of the defense (his area of expertise) and has vowed to pull an anti-Coughlin by changing his style to something tougher. For example, Phillips will now fine players the NFL maximum $453 for every pound exceeding their weight target in training camp. Of course, those same players are still cashing millions of dollars worth of checks from Phillips’s boss.

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NEW YORK GIANTS 2009 PREVIEW

NEW YORK GIANTS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said it: “If we had Plax on our team, we go 15-1 and we win the Super Bowl.” Jacobs was referring to New York’s disappointing 2008 season, in which they began the year 11-1, only to lose star receiver Plaxico Burress and four of their final five games after that (including a home Divisional Round playoff contest to the hated Philadelphia Eagles). Ignore the part about 15-1 and a second Super Bowl title––those debatable details really aren’t relevant. What is relevant is Jacobs’s general message: the Giants were a weaker team without Burress. That is absolutely true.
What’s awkward is that Burress flies in the face of everything that Tom Coughlin and the Mara and Tisch families stand for. He is selfish and notoriously unpunctual. His work ethic would be snickered at even in France. Off the field, Burress is a menace who relies on deep pockets to overcome society’s rigorous demands of common decency. His on-field character can be equally as deplorable when he doesn’t get the ball early in games. And yet, the Giants need him. Or, someone like him.
Burress’s 1,000-yard type production is not what makes him valuable. Rather, like an armed security guard, it’s his mere presence that’s important. Burress is by no means the game’s best wideout. But because he’s 6’5”, 232, lanky as a giraffe and strong as an ox, he has an uncanny blend of skills that makes him impossible to contain one-on-one. Defenses must play Burress underneath and over the top.
The trickle down effect of this is staggering. For starters, double Burress compromises a defense’s ability to be deceptive. This enables quarterback Eli Manning and all his receivers to easily diagnose coverages. Two men on Burress also means, most likely, just one man on everyone else. In a spread offense, this creates huge throwing lanes. Furthermore, the second defender on Burress often would have been the eighth defender in the box. Unable to sneak a safety down, defenses become limited in their blitz packages and overmatched by New York’s three-headed rushing attack (which ranked No. 1 in the league last year). This makes life simpler on Giants the offensive line. All these factors combine to give the Giants enough offensive firepower to build leads that allow their defense to pin its ears back and attack. And there’s your trickle-down effect.
It seems overly simplistic to say that New York just needs another Burress-like receiving weapon in order to recapture its Super Bowl contender status. But it might be true. Every other caveat with this team was nullified by what Michael Strahan called the Ten Table Ring. The erratic Eli Manning became a leader and star under pressure. The volatile Tom Coughlin became a player-friendly disciplinarian. The makeshift offensive line became the game’s most cohesive five-man unit. The defensive front seven was recognized as the best in football. The inexperienced secondary became a bright young secondary. Untried GM Jerry Reese became one of the league’s shrewdest front office execs. It’s amazing how diamond rings can change an image.
This year, every potential dimple of cellulite in the Giants’ firm, golden thigh has been obfuscated. Running back Derrick Ward, who gained 1,025 yards backing up 1,089-yard starter Brandon Jacobs, left in free agency but was replaced by shifty third-year pro Ahmad Bradshaw. Ingenious defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo took the head coaching job in St. Louis, but most observers are confident in his understudy, former linebackers coach Bill Sheridan.
It helps that Sheridan will have a more mature secondary––with third-year corner Aaron Ross ready to fully sprout and second-year safety Kenny Phillips ready to erupt––and a more athletic linebacking core featuring agile ex-Falcon Michael Boley and second-round rookie Clint Sintim. Oh, and did we mention that Jerry Reese reloaded what was already a dynamic front four? Pro Bowl end Osi Umenyiora returns from ACL surgery and will play alongside free agent pickups Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty, two powerful 300-plus-pounders who have enough quickness to consistently fire through gaps.
Every issue is covered. Except the one about replacing Burress. Reese probably could have filled the gaping hole at wide receiver by trading for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin or Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards. But instead of paying a premium for sure-things, he rolled the dice on Draft Day, selecting North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks at the end of Round One and Cal-Poly’s Ramses Barden in Round Three. It’s a questionable risk for a team that’s ready to win now. But Reese has that glittering ring. So instead of saying what?!, we can only say hmmmm…..

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS 2009 PREVIEW

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

To truly understand the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers is to understand the importance of all the peripheral details. Take, for example, inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons. In the big scope, we see Timmons, a 6’1”, 234-pounder who plays with an upright posture that makes him look 6’4”. Speedy agility and fervid tackling suggest that the 23-year-old could one day be a star. But look closer; 2009 will be Timmons’s debut as a starter. The significance here is symbolic; Timmons was a first-round draft pick in ’07. By spending his first two seasons as a nickel linebacker, he became Pittsburgh’s only first-round draft pick since 1996 to not regularly start by at least his second season.
Think about this for a moment. The league-wide success rate for first-round draft picks is somewhere around fifty percent. Since ’99, the Steelers have basically batted 1.000.
Timmons is replacing veteran Larry Foote in the lineup. Foote is one of just two starters from last year’s Super Bowl squad not returning. The other is cornerback Bryant McFadden. McFadden, like Foote, was replaced from within (third-year cornerback William Gay will now start).
Timmons will be flanked by third-year stud LaMarr Woodley and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, forming the best outside linebacking duo in football. Like Timmons, Woodley and Harrison both began their Steeler careers as backups.
Pittsburgh’s trend of in-house replacements is even more startling along the offensive line. Left tackle Max Starks, once a backup to Marvel Smith, just signed a four-year, $26.3 million contract. Next to Starks is left guard Chris Kemoeatu who, for his first three years, backed up Pro Bowler Alan Faneca. Kemoeatu inherited the starting job last season and played well enough to receive a five-year, $20 million contract. His counterpart, right guard Darnell Stapleton, spent a year on the bench before taking over for injured veteran Kendall Simmons last season. The undrafted Stapleton is heading towards a long-term contract himself in the near future. And should he, for whatever reason, tail off, third-round rookie Kraig Urbik will be primed to start.
Are you seeing the point here? The NFL is all about change. The Steelers, by grooming their own backups into starters, always remain one step ahead of the curve. They don’t endure change––they embrace it. The Patriots and Colts are the same way. This is what wins Super Bowls. Yes, having superstar quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger helps. But there are also superstar quarterbacks on teams that fight change instead of welcome it; those quarterbacks become Pro Bowlers, not Champions.
The Steelers have obviously been the Reigning Champs before. Just four years ago, in fact. They defended the Lombardi Trophy with a pathetic 8-8 season in which, by their own admittance, complacency set in. So what will be different this time?
Coaching, for one. Bill Cowher was on his way out in ’06. Mike Tomlin, who, at 36, became the youngest Super Bowl winning coach in history, is only in his third season. Amazingly, all of Tomlin’s original staff is still intact. This includes offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Hall of Fame-worthy defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. When the Rooney Family hired Tomlin, a Tampa 2 defensive specialist, NFL pundits assumed it meant the eventual dismissal of LeBeau, the father of the 3-4 zone blitz scheme. But what is known about Tomlin now that wasn’t known at the time is that his unabashed confidence is safely weighted down by a noble sense of humility. While other coaches would have been busy proving themselves and stamping their mark on their new team, Tomlin was busy doing what was needed to win. With a plethora of 3-4 personnel, that meant retaining LeBeau. Last year, under LeBeau’s ingenious direction, Pittsburgh’s defense ranked first in yards and points allowed, first against the pass, first on third down, second against the run, second in sacks per play and first in Super Bowl victories. Give Tomlin credit for being hands-off.
The Steelers are in an unusual spot. Pretty much everyone is back. Most, if not all, of the key contributors are in their prime. Offseason distractions and controversy have been non-existent (thanks in large part to Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert, who re-signed veterans Hines Ward, James Harrison and most of the offensive line). Perhaps no defending Super Bowl champion in the salary cap era has been in a better position to repeat. And that could be Pittsburgh’s greatest obstacle.

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CLEVELAND BROWNS 2009 PREVIEW

CLEVELAND BROWNS 2009 PREVIEW
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Cleveland Browns fans are fed up. Their team is like that guy who always has a hot new business idea but can never keep an actual job. Change for the sake of change is the theme in Cleveland these days. Really, it’s been the theme since the franchise’s resurrection in 1999. With head coaches serving more like one-term senators (Chris Palmer ’99-’00, Butch Davis ’01-’04, Romeo Crennel ’05-’08), the Browns have averaged roughly a 5-11 annual record in their second act.
Perhaps this last change––the firing of Crennel––was necessary. Yes, the former Patriot defensive coordinator got this promising young team to 10-6 in ’07. But last year’s 4-12 disaster revealed an unsettling softness permeating throughout the club. The Browns were being guided by a grandfather figure when, what they needed, was an ironfisted patriarch. Insert Eric Mangini. Owner Randy Lerner interviewed the 38-year-old just one day after he was suddenly fired by the Jets.
The prompt hiring of Mangini was met in Ohio with stone silence. That’s because the new ironfisted patriarch has a reputation for being more like a mysterious uncle: cold and distant. The media abhors Mangini’s obfuscation of all information. The Jets locker room these days, now under the direction of affable head coach Rex Ryan, has the milieu of a liberated nation. And now life has become very business-like for the Browns. A popular story this past offseason was how the new head coach asked all the rookies to “volunteer” to bus 10 hours to his football camp in Connecticut in between what many suspect have been illicitly-long OTA’s. Mangini, by the way, flew to Connecticut (though he bussed back).
Mangini’s “screw you, I’m in charge” attitude––mastered by tutor Bill Belichick––is an attitude that works for head coaches with winning pedigrees. But not for coaches with a 23-26 career record. (Belichick, who coached this franchise from ’91-’95, learned this when he himself was fired by the Browns after a 36-42 record here.)
More discerning to Cleveland fans than Mangini’s attitude is the fact that he may not actually bring much change anyway. After all, he is a former Patriots defensive coordinator, replacing Crennel, another former Patriots defensive coordinator. And Mangini’s partner in power, new GM George Kokinis is also a repeat of his respected predecessor, Phil Savage (Kokinis worked with him in Baltimore). Nameplates have changed, but the modus operandi, perhaps, has not.
Then again, Mangini and Kokinis have wasted no time reshaping the club in their own distinct image. It’s expected that 13 new veterans will be on the roster in Week 1, as well as at least six of the eight members of this year’s draft class. But why aren’t people impressed?
For one, fans are deeply skeptical after last year’s disappointment. Believing in the Browns feels a lot like believing in the American auto industry right now. For two, none of Cleveland’s moves have actually been that impressive. The Browns had two overriding weaknesses to address this past offseason: a declining rushing attack (ranked 26th a year ago and headed by 30-year-old Jamal Lewis, whose production plummeted in ’08) and their non-existent pass-rush (17 sacks last season, tied for the second fewest in the NFL). Even in all their changes, the Browns literally did nothing in these two areas over the offseason.
Instead, Mangini stockpiled former Jets: defensive ends Kenyon Coleman and C.J. Mosley, outside linebacker David Bowens (a tepid pass-rusher, at best), inside linebacker Eric Barton, safety Abram Elam and cornerback Hank Poteat. With the exception of Coleman and Mosley, all are middle-tier fillers replacing slightly better middle-tier fillers (Bowens replaces retired Willie McGinest, Barton replaces Andra Davis, Elam replaces Sean Jones, Poteat replaces Davin Holly/Terry Cousin.) Those of you still reading this paragraph are asking the same question most Browns fans have been asking: who cares?
But it would be smug for anyone to impulsively scorn Mangini and his staff. After all, you don’t think they realize their team needs a pass-rusher? You don’t think they didn’t carefully evaluate every prospect in this year’s draft? They did, and their decision was to lay the foundation for the passing game instead. After several trades down, the Browns drafted center Alex Mack in the first round. They then snatched a pair of receivers in Round Two: Brian Robiskie of Ohio State and Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia. This might not be a bad move considering prospective franchise quarterback Brady Quinn and cornerstone left tackle Joe Thomas are both entering their third season.
Of course, until positive results show up, the long-term potential of Cleveland’s passing attack still classifies as just another hot new business idea. And that’s something Browns fans aren’t listening to anymore.

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Cincinnati Bengals 2009 Preview

Cincinnati Bengals 2009 Preview
By Andy Benoit, http://www.nfltouchdown.com/

Even Barack Obama would describe the Cincinnati Bengals as Change You Can’t Believe In. Since their breakout AFC North division title in 2005, Cincy has posted records of 8-8 (’06), 7-9 (’07) and 4-11-1 (’08). Marvin Lewis arrived in 2003 and pulled this team out of the gutter, but instead of marching down the street, the Bengals have wound up sitting on the curb. America wouldn’t mind if it weren’t for the amount of talent being wasted here.
Fans saw potential in the Bengals, started to care and, like close family of someone with an addiction problem, they have been repeatedly disappointed. The Bengals, like any addict, have become well-versed in saying all the right things and cajoling people into believing in them. But now people are getting wise. Just for fun, let’s personify the Bengals and a fictitious NFL fan (call him Marty). Here’s how a conversation between the two might go:

Bengal: Marty, buddy, we feel real good about where we’re at right now. Lot of excitement around here. You should beat the crowd to the bandwagon.
Marty: Why? You guys won four games last year.
Bengal: Yeah, but we finished on a three-game win streak.
Marty: Two of those games were against the Browns and Chiefs.
Bengal: Hey, wins are wins. And besides, we weren’t ourselves last season. Our defense was banged up. Our O-line had injuries. And our star quarterback sat with a sore elbow.
Marty: How is Carson Palmer’s elbow, by the way?
Bengals: Oh it’s great––Carson’s elbow is great! He skipped Tommy John surgery, let it heal naturally. Says its 100 percent now.
Marty: That’s good.
Bengal: Yeah, yeah––it is good. You know, I’ll admit, between you and me, we really have no shot without him.
Marty: I don’t think that’s much of a secret, Bengal.
Bengal: I know, but….Hey, did you hear what Carson said a while back? Said this was by far the best offseason the team has had since he’s been here.
Marty: Every player says that.
Bengal: Yeah, but this time it’s true. This has been our best offseason! Our offensive coordinator, Bob Bratkowski, has rewritten virtually the entire playbook. Wants to get back to being a run-first club––you know, like we were with Rudi Johnson. That’s why we re-signed Cedric Benson.
Marty: Yeah?
Bengal: Yeah! Benson’s finally playing like a No. 4 overall draft pick, too. And we’ve reshaped our offensive line. Four spots up front will have a new starter in 2009. You won’t see us surrendering 51 sacks again.
Marty: Oh come on, Bengal. You and I both know those sacks last year were mostly from Ryan Fitzpatrick’s indecisiveness in the pocket. You guys had one of the best lines in football just a few years ago, but you couldn’t keep it together. Now you’re telling me you’re excited because you have all new players? Please. Look at your left tackle. Andrew Whitworth? Guys that slow should be guards. (Or backups.) Or what about your left guard. Nate Livings? Are you kidding me?
Bengal: Livings shows promise.
Marty: He was undrafted in ’06! His career consists of six meaningless starts late last year. Of course, I guess he’s better than your new center. Wasn’t he also undrafted? Like in’07? What’s his name again?
Bengal: Kyle Cook. We think he’ll provide more power than Eric Ghiaciuc.
Marty: Ha!
Bengal: Look, whatever. I’m just saying, our line will be better. You watch, we haven’t even talked about our first-round draft pick.
Marty: Oh, that’s right, Andre Smith, No. 6 overall. Hmm…that’s funny.
Bengal: Why’s that funny?
Marty: Oh, no reason.
Bengal: No, tell me. Why?
Marty: Well, it’s just that you’re sitting here trumpeting how much better things are, how you’re finally turning it around. You haven’t mentioned Chad Ochocinco’s playoff prediction yet, but I’d imagine you agree with him. Yet I look at the personnel decisions that Marvin Lewis––or is owner Mike Brown calling the shots? Oh gosh, it’s Brown, isn’t it? Jeeze. Either way––I look at these personnel decisions and I see you guys doing the exact same crap you did during all those disappointing 8-8 seasons.
Bengal: Like what?
Marty: Like drafting Smith. Great player, sure, but isn’t he the same player whom Alabama suspended for the Sugar Bowl? And isn’t he the same player who showed up to the Scouting Combine out of shape before going home early?
Bengal: The guy just needs to mature a little. He’s a good kid, Marty.
Marty: Maybe he is. But who has ever come to this dysfunctional team and actually matured? Odell Thurman? Chad Ochocinco? Chris Henry?
Bengal: Hey, Henry walked a straight line this offseason. He’s been around virtually every day working with Laveranues Coles.
Marty: Fine, that’s not the point. What I’m saying is, if Mike Brown’s really interested in improving this team’s character, like he’s said, he would have never brought back Henry to begin with. And he wouldn’t have signed Tank Johnson. Or even Cedric Benson. I realize these guys fit the systems––Johnson can play in Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 and Benson can be a workhorse. And I get that they stayed out of trouble last year. But goodness, Bengal, we’ve seen this before and it never ends well for you. After once having 10 players arrested in a 14-month span, and a locker room always full of discontent, how have you not learned by now to stay away from trouble-making underachievers?
Bengal: (silence)
Marty: Look, Bengal, sorry to come down like this. But I can’t keep listening to you sing the same old tired song. I just can’t. You guys have been to the playoffs once in 18 years, Bengal! Once! How can you say that what you’re doing is working?
Bengal: (quietly) I’m not saying that what we’ve done has worked in the past. I’m saying we’ve made some positive changes this year––
Marty: But you haven’t! You haven’t, Bengal! You haven’t! Chad Ochocinco is still here. Still running his mouth and demanding trades and skipping workouts and whatnot. What have you won with him? Why is he still the face of this franchise? Or your draft! Good lord, Bengal, look at your draft!
Bengal: What do you mean? We had a great draft.
Marty: You got some talented guys, sure. But linebacker Rey Maualuga fell to you in Round Two because teams worried about his maturity and inconsistency. Third-round defensive end Michael Johnson was supposed to be a first-rounder but scouts realized during his senior year that he coasted on talent. Think that will translate well to the pros? What about the third-round tight end, Chase Coffman? Also gifted, but also injury prone. You don’t think you guys have enough injury prone players already?
Bengal: Hey, these are all high-ceiling players.
Marty: Right. And if this were any other team, I’d say great gamble! But not your team, Bengal. Not with your track record.
Bengal: Fine Marty! What do you want us to do? If you’re so smart, how would you fix the Cincinnati Bengals?
Marty: You mean right now?
Bengal: Yeah! You seem to have all the answers! So go ahead, genius. Let’s hear it. How would you fix the Bengals?
Marty: You know, that’s really not my job, Bengal. But I’ll say this: if you ever get serious about turning things around, you’ll have to do something about your owner. He’s calling all the shots and, frankly, he has a habit of missing. Get him a GM or something. But look, I gotta run. I wish you all the best––I really do. People like you, Bengal. People want to see you succeed. But you have to be willing to change. Good luck. Take care of yourself.

Offense
Remolding the playbook and starting four new offensive linemen is fine, but any meaningful changes to this Bengals offense––which ranked dead last for the first time in franchise history last season––will derive from quarterback Carson Palmer. The 29-year-old can be one of the few genuine superstar passers in the game. Palmer is accurate, intelligent and absolutely lethal going deep. The problem, of course, is that he hasn’t been healthy.
The popular thing to say before the draft was that Cincy needed to find a noteworthy left tackle who could help keep their star quarterback upright. Apparently, the Bengals agreed. They gambled on Alabama’s Andre Smith. Feet as light as his are rare for a man with such strength, and it’s that strength that convinced respected offensive line coach Paul Alexander that Smith, if properly nurtured, can be a domineering run-blocker. But to the surprise of many, the Bengals are playing Smith on the right side, where he’s never been before. This could be because, with Smith firing his agent right before the draft, Cincy’s front office is anticipating that messy contract negotiations will keep him out of training camp. Better to have chaos at right tackle than left.
Smith at right tackle means utility lineman Andrew Whitworth will start on the left. This is a mistake. The 330-pound Whitworth simply moves too slow. He’ll need the laudable blocking assistance of tight end Reggie Kelly when facing most speed rushers. The fact that Whitworth is starting tells you the Bengals realize that last year’s fourth-round pick, Anthony Collins, doesn’t yet have strong feet in pass protection.
If Whitworth weren’t 6’7”, he’d make sense at guard. Instead, Nate Livings, who had trouble holding his ground in his six starts last year, will start on the left side. Next to him will be untested center Kyle Cook, whom Cincinnati hopes can generate more movement in the ground game. Right guard Bobbie Williams, a solid but passive 10th-year veteran, is the only incumbent up front.
Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski is determined to have a more powerful rushing attack in 2009. He may actually have the right guy to lean in on Cedric Benson. A bust and off-field drinking menace in Chicago, Benson seemed to find his identity in stripes last season. He started 10 of the 12 games he played in and rushed for 747 yards. He has an unassuming burst and can be elusive at the second level. Benson’s running style is a good fit behind the Bengals lead-blocking approach (which, considering longtime fullback Jeremi Johnson can’t stay in shape, will likely be headlined by converted tight end Daniel Coats). Benson should also be inspired by the fact that he’s finally a clear-cut featured back.
The men vying for backup carries will be ex-Ram Brian Leonard, a versatile third-down option, and Kenny Watson, an eighth-year pro who gained 763 yards in 2007. None of these runners have elite speed, however, which is why fast sixth-round rookie Bernard Scott could see spot duty.
Benson’s 3.5 yards per carry average should increase this year as long as it’s Palmer orchestrating the aerial attack and not journeyman backup J.T. O’Sullivan. Obviously, the passing game centers around Chad Ochocinco. Distracting personality and disastrous 540-yard ’08 season aside, the 31-year-old Ochocinco can still be a Top 5 wideout. Palmer has the arm to sling the ball in tight windows 20 yards downfield, where Ochocinco excels. But Ochocinco needs to run his routes harder than he did last year.
Laveranues Coles is essentially the same possession receiver as T.J. Houshmandzadeh, only less selfish. The insanely-talented Chris Henry has had his best offseason as a pro and should be a factor as a third receiver. A lanky 6’4”, Henry is ideal for the slot in the red zone, and he’s big enough to also operate outside the numbers. Last year’s second-round pick, Jerome Simpson, continues to grow but is still very raw. Fellow second-year pro Andre Caldwell has shown improvements and runs much better routes than Henry. He could push for reps in the slot. Finally, former Colt Ben Utecht hasn’t become the pass-receiving tight end Cincy hoped for, so third-round rookie Chase Coffman will get a look. Coffman, however, missed almost the entire offseason with a turf toe injury.

Defense
Coordinator Mike Zimmer must continue to be an über-aggressive blitzer if the Bengals are to have any hope of pressuring the quarterback in 2009. They’ve invested over $60 million in starting defensive ends Robert Geathers and Antwan Odom, but both players became futile pass-rushers after signing big contracts. The fact of the matter is, both should be third-down specialists. Geathers is likely to disappear considering he’s still recovering from offseason microfracture surgery. Odom gained 30 pounds over the offseason––he’s up to 288, seven below his college weight––in order to be more effective against the run. But considering he tied for the team lead with a paltry three sacks in ’08, you have to wonder what the thinking is here. Cincy needs Odom for speed-rushing.
With Geathers on the mend, Frostee Rucker, a decent run-defending end who will be much better if he can learn to read the field, will likely start. Jonathan Fanene is not bad at crashing inside, but he’s more equipped to compete with third-round rookie Michael Johnson for backup duties.
The hope is that the addition of gifted but risky Tank Johnson, and the development of last year’s third-round pick, Pat Sims, will fortify the defensive tackle position. Both players have good quickness for their size, but both will only succeed if 325-pound Domata Peko can be halfway effective against double teams. He wasn’t last year.
Peko’s ability to occupy blockers could determine the immediate fate of Rey Maualuga. The swift running, high-impact second-round gem is expected to forge a vibrant long-term partnership with fellow ex-Trojan Keith Rivers. Though for Maualuga to join the brawny yet remarkably agile Rivers in the starting lineup, he’ll have to prove he can make consistent reads and not miss tackles. Failure to do so will keep super reliable veteran Dhani Jones in the middle. At strongside linebacker, chiseled Rashad Jeanty needs to play with better instincts and stop getting caught up in blocks. If he can’t, Brandon Johnson, who last year finished third on the team in tackles filling in at weakside linebacker after Rivers broke his jaw in Week 7, will get a look. Dhani Jones also played the Sam position during his many years in the NFC East and could start there if Maualuga takes the middle.
You just hope a hapless pass-rush doesn’t tarnish what could be an outstanding secondary. Former first-round cornerbacks Leon Hall (third year) and Johnathan Joseph (fourth year) are mildly inconsistent but, overall, up to the challenge of fulfilling Zimmer’s intense man-coverage demands. Hall is physical and better underneath, while Joseph is agile and thrives over the top. Depth is a mild issue, as middling nickelback David Jones is the only experienced reserve.
Spicing things up is the ascension of third-year strong safety Chinedum Ndukwe. A foot injury hampered the seventh-round pick late last year, but when healthy, Ndukwe flashes radiant star potential. He’s one of those uncommon athletes who can do everything, and do it fast. Another third-year safety, Marvin White, also shows enticing potential. His overall playmaking prowess seems to be a cut below Ndukwe’s, but he’s every bit as capable of flourishing in the box. White, however, is coming off a torn ACL, and he’s competing for playing time with two hard-hitting safeties from Zimmer’s previous stops: Chris Crocker (Atlanta) and Roy Williams (Dallas). Crocker’s reliability in coverage makes him especially well-liked.

Special Teams
It’s simple: kicker Shayne Graham rarely misses, so the Bengals used their franchise tag to keep him. With the improvements on offense, Graham should attempt more than just 15 PAT’s in ’09. Fifth-round rookie Kevin Huber was given the punting job. The Cincinnati native led the nation with a 41.8 net average as a Cincinnati Bearcat last year. (This was while his Bengal predecessor, Kyle Larson, was netting an NFL-worst 34.5 yards per punt.)
Antonio Chatman can only make the roster as a return specialist. He’s anxious to show that he’s fully recovered from the frightening cervical injury that ended his season last November. If Chatman struggles, Andre Caldwell would likely assume the return duties.

Bottom Line
The return of Carson Palmer should resuscitate Cincy’s offense, though you can’t help but worry about the inexperienced blockers up front. Not a single starting lineman is worthy of anyone’s confidence heading into training camp. Defensively, it doesn’t appear that any lightning in a bottle will be caught along the meek front four, which means this otherwise-talented unit will be on its heals too often in ’09.
Predicted record: 7-9

Baltimore Ravens 2009 Preview

Baltimore Ravens 2009 Preview
By Andy Benoit, http://www.nfltouchdown.com/

This one’s for Vince Lombardi, John Madden, Dick Butkus, Mean Joe Greene, Jim Brown, Bronco Nagurski, Dick “Night Train” Lane, Ronnie Lott, Ray Nitschke and every other old-school football purist who ever walked the Earth. In an era dominated by spread offenses and speedy, fleet-footed finesse playmakers, the Baltimore Ravens are a refreshing relic. They’re a team that will line up and hit you in the mouth. As you’re wiping off the blood, they’ll hit you again. And should you gather enough courage to return a blow, they’ll take it on the chin, laugh a little, and strike you even harder.
How well does this formula work? Well enough for last year’s Ravens to go from 5-11 to the AFC Championship under the guidance of a first-year head coach (John Harbaugh), a rookie quarterback from Division 1-AA Delaware (Joe Flacco) and an offense that had exactly zero preeminent playmakers. The simple purity of Baltimore’s smashmouth style is almost as intriguing as the very success it produces. While teams were referring to the shotgun formation in record numbers last season, the Raven offense, under new coordinator Cam Cameron, lined up in a jumbo formation––which is to say, they replaced a wide receiver with a third offensive tackle––roughly 30 percent of the time. The jumbo formation is the equivalent of the stare-down in boxing. There’s nothing discreet or subtle about it. It’s a simple declaration of your intentions to ram the ball down your opponent’s throat. The Ravens rammed the ball a league-high 592 times.
Of course, let’s be fair: it isn’t the offense that makes this Ravens team go. It’s that vaunted defense. Baltimore’s offense might hit you in the mouth, but their defense will be what puts teeth in your throat. And, unlike with the offense, you’ll have no idea where the punch is coming from. The hybrid 3-4 defense is as deceptive as the offense is straightforward. The Ravens D registered a fairly average 34 sacks last season. But it regularly rattled opposing quarterbacks by destroying the pocket with only four––and you could never predict which four––rushers. This is what led to Baltimore’s league-best 26 interceptions.
Given the way it dictates field position, you could say that the Ravens defense is this team’s offense. Future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis is the quarterback. Front seven bruisers Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs are the workhorses. Luminous star safety Ed Reed is the playmaker. These guys are as smart as they are mean. And they’re as mean as they are gifted. And they’re all pretty damn gifted.
But it hasn’t been enough. Nasty as this team is, the evidence suggests that, right now, the Steelers are nastier. The AFC North foe, with its own throwback offense and aggressive, byzantine 3-4 defense, defeated this Baltimore team three teams last season. All three games––including the 23-14 AFC championship––had the disposition of Roman gladiator games. The intense vitriol of the one-sided rivalry has made Pittsburgh the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons to Baltimore’s Chicago Bulls. If the Ravens are to claim their second Lombardi Trophy, they must cross the three rivers.
Doing so could be even tougher in 2009. Three significant pieces in the Ravens D––inside linebacker Bart Scott, safety Jim Leonhard and coordinator Rex Ryan––joined the Jets over the offseason. In a test of the mettle and depth of GM Ozzie Newsome’s roster construction, Baltimore will fill all three holes with soldiers from within its own army. Second-year pro Tavares Gooden takes over for Scott at inside linebacker. Dawan Landry, back from the spinal contusion that ended his ’08 campaign in Week 3, reclaims his safety job. And Greg Mattison, the linebacker coach who came to this staff from the University of Florida just one year ago, assumes Ryan’s duties.
Of the three, Mattison is most critical. Few realize just how brilliant his predecessor was. The defense Ryan coached during last year’s playoff run was a battered unit contrived of nearly 50 percent backups. Of course, it helped having Lewis and Reed on the field. If Mattison is to match the excellent working relationship that Ryan had with his men, he must get on the same page as his two superstars from The U.
Continued defensive domination is not the key for getting over the hump, though. It’s merely the key for returning to the top of the hump. The Ravens had a superb defense last season and still fell short to a team with a slightly more superb defense. Thus, in order to climax their climb with an AFC title, Harbaugh’s club must become more electric offensively. The burden falls on the 24-year-old quarterback.

Offense
Let’s get one thing clear: Joe Flacco had a fine rookie season. Not fine as in “He did just fine”––fine as in he was a fine player. Not expected to sniff the field for at least a year or two, Flacco transitioned immediately from 1-AA Delaware to the NFL. He showed typical rookie flaws early on––shaky pocket awareness, limited in his progressions, careless with the ball at times––but earned a looser leash each week. But still, it was a leash. And if Ben Roethlisberger’s performance late in Super Bowl XLIII taught us anything, it’s that titles are won when a team can unleash its quarterback.
But quarterbacks are like puppies: unleash them too soon and they run all over and give you headaches. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti is the ultimate master of Flacco’s leash, and he’s smart enough to entrust that power in John Harbaugh. In turn, Harbaugh, a special teams guru, is smart enough to entrust that power in Cam Cameron. The offensive coordinator has the most influence over Flacco, and given how elaborate Cameron’s system was in San Diego, it’s clear he’s nowhere close to letting his 6’6”, 230-pound quarterback run free right now.
But he’s getting there. Expect Cameron to expand Flacco’s post-snap responsibilities in 2009. What this means is, Flacco may not have unchecked freedom to audible, but he’ll have more opportunities to execute five-step drops and work through complex reads. And, he’ll probably throw on more running downs. Flacco, strong-armed and mobile both in and out of the pocket, has all the physical tools to excel. But he needs players to step up around him.
Perhaps no Raven is more important that wide receiver Derrick Mason. The 35-year-old remains one of the premier possession receivers in the game today. His age and health concerns have not yet hindered his output––he’s had over 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past two seasons––though, coming off scapula and labrum surgery, being productive in 2009 could be a challenge.
Mason, like No. 2 and 3 receivers Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams, is in the final year of his contract. Ozzie Newsome hasn’t felt compelled to lock up any of the wideouts long-term, which means Flacco––or, heaven forbid, backup Troy Smith…or, heaven really forbid, John Beck––could be dealing with a host of anxious targets this season. Perhaps a little angst will finally spur Clayton to get open on a regular basis. His starting job is safe ahead of the lithe but unaccomplished Williams, though it’s Clayton who sits when Baltimore brings in swing tackle Adam Terry for the jumbo formation.
Considering that tight ends Todd Heap, L.J. Smith and Quinn Sypniewski are all injury magnets, the Ravens may have to refer to their jumbo formation more often in 2009. As important as Flacco’s maturation is, the Ravens will still be a run-first team (not unlike the Steelers are when Willie Parker is healthy). Baltimore’s rushing attack is more about the front five than the actual ballcarriers. That bodes well for this season, as monstrous 23-year-old left tackle Jared Gaither and mobile 25-year-old left guard Ben Grubbs should both break out. Both have been a tad inconsistent––Gaither in terms of exerting a regular domineering presence and Grubbs in terms of winning fist fights in phone booths––but both have survived their initial lumps as youthful starters.
At center, the loss of rising power-blocker Jason Brown was offset with the addition of noble six-time Pro Bowler Matt Birk. Brown was a leader, but not one with Birk’s veteran pedigree. Stability at center is vital because the right guard position is up in the air. The Ravens would like to see Marshal Yanda reclaim this spot, but he’s coming off a brutal knee injury. If he’s unable to go, agile backup center Chris Chester would be given the nod. Even more uncertain than the right guard spot could be right tackle. Twenty-third-overall pick Michael Oher is expected to be the long-term solution here, but some question whether the preternaturally gifted Ole Miss product is mentally ready for the NFL. If he’s not, then Adam Terry, a man who epitomizes mediocrity and struggles in pass protection, will start.
Running behind this nascent line will be Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and LeRon McClain. McGahee is the all-around featured back, but part of what makes him “all around” is the fact that he doesn’t do one thing particularly well. He’s not fast or quick and, because of poor conditioning in past years, he hasn’t been particularly powerful. He stuck around the Ravens facility this past offseason (for a change) but still fought injuries off and on.
Rice, unlike McGahee, has the ability to create his own space. He’s a fleet-footed third-down back (Rice played somewhat sparingly but led all Ravens tailbacks with 33 receptions last year) but, at 5’8”, 205, he’s not a workhorse. Baltimore’s hope is that McGahee and Rice play well enough for 260-pound Le’Ron McClain to confound his carries to short-yardage situations and settle into a fulltime lead-blocking role. If necessary, McClain can always carry the load. He led the team with 902 yards last season, showing surprising (yet not great) lateral mobility.

Defense
There’s no reason new coordinator Greg Mattison won’t continue the tradition of aggression and subterfuge that defines this hybrid 3-4. The players on the field are all innately familiar with the system, no doubt in part because of Ray Lewis’s leadership. At 34, Lewis’s decline is perceptible only to those watching for it closely. He’s still a demonic sideline-to-sideline thumper, and his prodigious film study gives him––and whoever listens to him––a noticeable mental edge.
Lewis, who signed a new contract over the offseason that should keep him hear for three more years, does benefit from rarely having to take on blockers. Defensive end Haloti Ngata headlines a three-man front that, through power and gyration, controls the trenches. In his fourth season, Ngata has become an object of requisite double teams. When he’s fresh, Trevor Pryce can be the same way. But in order to keep the edge on the 13th-year-pro, Baltimore must make frequent use of backups Dwan Edwards and Justin Bannan.
Bannan actually did a splendid job filling in for an injured Kelly Gregg at nose tackle last season. If Gregg struggles in bouncing back from microfracture surgery, the Ravens could feel secure in once again calling on their eighth-year veteran backup. In addition to Bannan, coaches are also pleased with wide-bodied (though heavy-footed) fifth-year pro Brandon McKinney.
With Lewis and the commanding defensive line on his side, second-year pro Tavares Gooden should be able to replace Bart Scott. If he can’t, special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo could get a shot. Of course, it’s doubtful that whoever fills in will show Scott’s combination of instinct and burst, which is why outside linebackers Terrell Suggs and Jarrett Johnson may have to carry more weight in run defense. That won’t be a problem for Suggs. He’s a pass-rushing dynamo who’s much fiercer than his eight sacks last season suggest, but perhaps the main reason Baltimore has slapped him with an expensive franchise tag the last two years is that he’s arguably the best run-defending 3-4 outside linebacker in football.
Johnson can pressure the quarterback, though often this scheme asks him to cover the flats. With reserve linebacker Antwan Barnes being unable to penetrate in congested areas, the Ravens used a second-round pick on Utah defensive end (now a linebacker) Paul Kruger. He’ll likely see immediate action in passing situations.
Honestly, it’s not hard to be a defensive back in this scheme. If you’re a Raven defensive back, most of your coverages are zone-based, and so often, opposing quarterbacks are focusing on your front seven teammates instead of you. Also, it can’t be understated how helpful it is to work alongside Ed Reed. Reed’s range and awareness in coverage are simply stunning. The eighth-year veteran––by the way, eight years! Can you believe he’s 30 already?––has a preternatural nose for the football. Turnovers seem to find him. Last season, Reed, the NFL’s only unanimous All-Pro, led the league with nine picks, averaging 29.3 yards per return. (He added two more interceptions against Miami in the playoffs, where he also scored his fourth touchdown on the year.)
Cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington will both have opportunities to be aggressive on-ball defenders. Of the two, Foxworth is the better run defender though Washington, on one of his sharp days, is the more disruptive cover man. Neither is a veritable No. 1, but neither has to be. The nickel back is an important position in this scheme, and it’s doubtful that aging yet still viable veteran Samari Rolle has the wheels to perform the task. Should Rolle beat out diminutive but improving ex-Titan Chris Carr for nickel, he’ll likely flip spots with Washington and defend the outside.
Great as Ed Reed is in coverage, he’s only a pedestrian, drag-down tackler against the run. That’s okay, as long as strong safety Dawan Landry, a frequent run-stopper in the box, is fully recovered from the spinal contusion that ended his ’08 season in Week 3. Prior to the injury, Landry was one of the best kept secrets in football. If he doesn’t regain his form, Baltimore will have to call on special teams standout Tom Zbikowski.

Special Teams
Matt Stover is the only kicker this franchise has ever known, which is why it will be weird seeing either Steven Hauschka or Graham Gano lining up in 2009. Hauschka was the kickoff specialist a year ago, while Gano was winning the Lou Groza award as college football’s best kicker. Only the most compulsive of gamblers should wager on a winner in this competition. (A clever bet might be on Stover suddenly returning.)
Punter Sam Koch netted 39.9 yards per boot last year, thanks in part to having the NFL’s sixth-ranked cover unit. Chris Carr is likely to handle all returns. He’s good in this capacity though offers little breakaway speed. The hope was that former third-round pick Yamon Figurs would capture this role, but injuries––the latest requiring a surgical screw in a separated foot bone––have been an issue.

Bottom Line
This team is mildly less talented than a year ago, but they also could be better in the right places. The drop in talent stems from losing Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard on defense. Both players will be missed, but both can be replaced. The possible improvements are at quarterback, where Joe Flacco is a year wiser, and running back, where Ray Rice has matured and where Willis McGahee can’t be much worse than he was in ’08. Also, if rookie right tackle Michael Oher quickly adjusts to the pro game, this can be a bourgeoning front line. The gravest threat to John Harbaugh’s club is jumbled chemistry. Unlike last season, this is a club with high expectations. There are several players needing to prove themselves in 2009, something that can work for or against a team.