I figured this could be an interesting way to start the week. Instead of focusing just on the Hawks, this segment will look at our rivals. Rate them on their threat to win the division (high, medium, or low) see whats good for them and not. I hope you like it.
Saint Louis 2-1
Last week: 31-27 win over Tennessee
Threat to win the division: High
Analysis: The Rams offense isn't as scoring as much, but its enough. The Rams can still move the ball and score in bunches, but the offense has been inconsistant. The early theme seems to be that Bulger will get hit hard and often. The only thing keeping teams from just teeing off is the running of Stephen Jackson.
The defense has been decent, but not great. This team has yet to play its best football.
Next week: at New York Giants
San Fransisco 49ers 1-2
Last week: 34-31 loss to Dallas
Threat to win the division: Medium
Stop me if you've heard this before. A team drafts a qb #1 overall, but keeps the incumbant starter for awhile. The talking heads say the college phenom should start in week 4. Incumbent exceeds all expectations.
If you said San Diego last season, correct. We also would have accepted San Fransisco this season. Tim rattay is playing very, very good and the 49ers in general are playing better than expected under Mike Nolan. The team should be 2-1, but the defense couldn't hold off the Cowboys.
The 49ers are good for at least three or four more wins this season. The Seahawks will have to be prepared.
Next week: vs Arizona, at Mexico City
Arizona Cardinals 0-3
Last week 37-12 loss to Seattle
Threat to win the division: Low
If you ever needed proof that the national media doesn't pay attention to anything west of Chicago, look no further than the trendy pick being Arizona to win the NFC West. There are so many things wrong with this team...the offense is inconsistent, the defense can't stop anybody, they play sloppy, they commit penalties, they turn over the ball...and so on.
If the national media hates Seattle for making them look bad a year ago, the Cardinals will never be popular again in Bristol.
Next weel: vs. San Fransisco, at Mexico City.
Hope you liked this idea. Looking forward to the feedback.
Very good idea Alan I like this alot!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing is I think that at the end of this season we will se that the Cards win at least as many if not more than the niners. Though I will say this, having lived in or near Minnesota most of my life, and having watched Denny Green for years, I can guarantee two things about the Tards, 1) they will always be overrated because for some unknown reason the media loves the guy, and 2) they will ALWAYS find ways to screw up and lose. Although they will probably start drafting fiarly well from now on and on paper will continue to get better every year until Denny gets fired and they hire someone who can actually coach they talent Denny will have assembled. That is what Green is all about, he is a terrific talent scout, he knows talent, (gotta give the doofus his due) but he is a terrible in game coach. He absolutely threw away a sure victory in the championship game against the Falcons a few years back with the Queens, because he was so afraid of losing that he played ultra conservative and lost. That's what he does. Green sucks, take it form a guy who has watched him for years.
ReplyDeleteNolan on the other hand may very well be the real deal, from everything I have seen of him, he may be just the right coach for the job in Than Franthithco, and within a few years, may turn them into contenders again.
In the end though, the Niners lack of talent will bite them in the rear, and the Cardinals,who actually do have some talent, will start playing better. I think they both finish right around 5-6 wins this season.
The rams are an 8-8 team again. Bulger is one of the most mistake prome QB's in the NFL, and he is overrated because of his value to fantasy football. Jackson on the other hand is a beast, he is a darn good RB and will give that offense the balance it needs to stay somewhat competitive. Their defense can still be run on, and points can be dropped on them easily as you saw this wekk against a lousy Titans offense. Martz's stupid decisions will cost them at least two games this year, and the defense will not be good enough to give their offense the help it needs, once teams realize that they can run almost at will against it. I say 8-8 maybe if they get lucky with the bounces and avoid serious injuries 9-7. Meanwhile it looks to me like we will be wining at least 10 if not more, and will win the division easily. Especially after we bear the Lambs twice.
Alan - that's got to be one of the top 10 posts here!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea and I loved your in depth and objective analysis. The only thing I thought was missing was your prediction for the result of the coming game, and of course, the analysis of the Seahawks.
Good job!
Posted by alba
gotta disagree with the Rams...
ReplyDeletethey weren't at their best against horrible teams...
SF, Ari, Ten...3 of the 5 worst NFL teams (GB and fill in the blank for the other two spots)
Their defense is already playing up to its best...take away Archuleta and they lose against Ten...they have horrible characters, distractions (Martz, Incognito, FO), and people are learning how to play against Jackson
granted, Bruce is out...and they havent hit all cylinders on offense yet...but their defense is what you see, thats what you get...more later
Love the idea alan, i actually like that you left the Hawks out, because there's no way any of us could be completely objective about Seattle.
ReplyDeletePosted by PaulieP
"SF, Ari, Ten...3 of the 5 worst NFL teams "
ReplyDeleteThere it is.
I would rate them:
Lambs - low threat
Tardinals - low threat
Whiners - low threat
The Lambs are sinking fast, bad coaching, bad lines (other than Pace) still good WRs, and a flake for a QB. The Tards are rising slow, bad coaching, bad lines (other than Berry) good young WRs, and a flake collage for QBs. The Whiners are a mess, there is no franchise, no consistency, and very little talent. Nolan may very well get them competitive, but not for a couple of years, and you cannot forget that works for the Yorks.
Barring our Hawks being very over-rated as far as mental toughness and character, there is no way we lose the division, because we aren't over-rated as far as talent. That said, I am glad we have a tough schedule, with enough patsy games in division to get a winning record, we'll need a couple against competition to keep perspective.
Posted by JoSCh
they need a poll: who will win the NFC West up again...
ReplyDeletelast time I remember the Rams/Seahawks right on top with the Cards close behind...
now that the Cards are exposed and 0-3, the fans will vote against them...
funny how fans listen to the media, then when the media is wrong they changes their minds with it...
and btw...I know GB is popular...but even with Javon Walker...they are among the 5 worst teams...that oline carried that offense...Farve is great...but he had to wait half an hour for the WRs to get open...now that there is no oline, he has to throw it to them while they're not even adjusted...another team exposed
it feels great to have the best oline in football...no worries at all...
and that is the only reason you need to say that the Cards, 49ers, and Rams arent going anywhere. The Rams are dangerous...but they are stupid...I saw that they put Coakley in on ST...hes old, and a key part of your pathetic defense...now you're risking injury...what a smart move...if you wanted to risk injury, throw Claiborne out there...he'll get injured eventually either way(knock on wood for us)
Archuleta is the reason their defense has done ANYTHING so far...they dont rush the passer very well right now...their LBs are overrated, and the only dangerous one is playin ST!!!...Archuleta cant keep this up for too long, and when he falters...the Rams will be in competition with pathetic teams to finish in the top 20...their offense is great, Bruce has been injured...but people are figuring out Steven Jackson already, and the Rams haven't executed too great (oline or Bulger's fault...one of them two)...too many distractions...
zero chance...our team wont make many mistakes like we did against the Jags...so we've already proven ourselves against 2 good teams and the Cardinals...the Rams haven't proven anything except who they can beat up on in Mediocrity Land...and I would like to note that the refs werent helping Ten at all in the last game
looks like John Clayton will have to do the next Rocky Horror Picture Modeling Show all by himself...wouldn't be any different then his lapdances he gives Sean Salisbury
Posted by adp
My 2 cents:
ReplyDeleteThe big problem for the Rams is that they've gotten older and haven't replaced their weapons with younger players of equal telent--the notable exception is Jackson. They're a passing team and their receiver corps just get older, slower and less talented. Martz's ego will never let him retool the playbook and build a run oriented offense around Jackson. He drank his own kool-aid and thinks HIS system can win with anybody playing. They're in a slow death spiral living on past glory. The only advantage they have in the division is the mental edge. Until the Hawks can overcome their mental lapses, the Rams will have an edge.
I don't know much about Nolan, but he seems like he knows what he's doing on the field. The problem the Niner's have is the front office. As long as the Yorks own the team, they're doomed. The Yorks will screw up their cap and try to "cheap out" whenever they can. All the young talent they find will leave at the first opportunity because the larger organization sucks. A tough but mediocre team.
I really like the post about how Dennis Green's team play--so much truth in that post. As a coach his biggest successes came in the college game, where the team with the most talent usually wins. In the NFL, the talent gap is no where near as big and so execution is critical. Green will continue to draft great talent, run good schemes, win a couple big games a year, and win the division some year, but his teams will be sloppy and fail to win in the end. They'll be a tough team while he's there, but inconsistent.
Posted by bokonon
Overall I agree with the consensus. As far as a head to head match up with the Seahawks the Rams are really the only one that scare me. Talentwise I think we have them beat, but they might have a mental edge on the 'hawks from the 3 games last year.
ReplyDeleteThe 49ers will probaby give them a tough game, and could beat them if the Seahawks play like they did agaist the Jags, but otherwise the Seahawks should handle them.
Same goes for the Cardinals. Even though we spanked them, without the turnovers and horrible play of their QB's they might have kept it closer.
So overall things look good for the hawks in this division this year.