In Depth 2015: St. Louis Rams

by Andy | Mar 22, 2015 | 2014 season, 2015 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

The NFC West is as competitive a division as the NFL has seen in years, but as the St. Louis Rams entered the 2014 season, hopes were high that a strong defense and a healthy Sam Bradford could bring the team closer to the postseason.

Then disaster struck. Bradford again tore his ACL, missing the entire season and sending the team on a slow tailspin. There were moments of hope – such as a big, dominant win over Denver – but the combo of Shaun Hill and Austin Davis didn’t have what it took to lead the team to the playoffs.

As 2015 approaches, Bradford is gone. Nick Foles is at the helm, at least for the time being. And a strong defense again gives St. Louis at least a glimmer of hope that this will be the year.

How close are the Rams? Blaine Grisak, editor of Ramblin’ Fan, shares his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: The 6-10 record in 2014 was actually a one game step back from 2013. What caused that and how would you assess the season? (more…)

In Depth 2015: New York Giants

by Andy | Mar 20, 2015 | 2014 season, 2015 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

There was very little middle ground for the streaky New York Giants in 2014. They opened the season with two double-digit losses, won three games in the same fashion, lost the next seven – four of which were blowouts – knocking themselves out of the playoffs and then finished winning three of four.

The end result, however, was a 6-10 record that, despite an aggressive free agency push toward improvement from a 7-9 mark in 2013 actually resulted in a one game regression.

That said, Eli Manning appeared to pick up the new offensive system as the year rolled on. And Odell Beckham showed signs during his rookie year that he could be one of the league’s top up and coming stars. So where does that leave the Giants going forward?

Ed Valentine, editor in chief of the Big Blue View, stopped by with some thoughts.

Zoneblitz: The Giants were as streaky as streaky gets in 2014, which ultimately resulted in a 6-10 mark. How would you assess the season? (more…)

In Depth 2015: Atlanta Falcons

by Andy | Mar 17, 2015 | 2014 season, 2015 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Matt Ryan and Julio Jones continued performing as one of the most entertaining QB-to-WR combos in the NFL last season, but the Falcons as a whole foundered through a 6-10 season, good for just third place in the bad NFC South.

While Tony Gonzalez and Steven Jackson are gone, there’s still plenty of offensive firepower on the roster to compete with anyone during a given week. But is there enough supporting cast to contend for the playoffs under new coach Dan Quinn in 2015?

Allen Strk, staff writer for The Falcoholic and co-host of the FalcFans podcast joined us to share some thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Atlanta went 6-10 last year and finished third in a bad NFC South – how would you assess the season and how it matched expectations? (more…)

In Depth 2015: Chicago Bears

by Andy | Mar 14, 2015 | 2014 season, 2015 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

There seemed to be a lot of hope heading into 2014 that Chicago would build off of the 8-8 season achieved during Marc Trestman’s first year on the job. But a lot of things went wrong, players started turning on each other and, in the end, instead of building on his first year of work, the team imploded, ensuring Trestman would not see a third season.

Now there’s a lot to be fixed. Brandon Marshall is gone, traded to the Jets. A long-proud defense has been decimated by age and injuries, producing the worst two points allowed totals in team history the last two seasons. And then there’s Jay Cutler – is the enigmatic QB the guy to take Chicago to the next level?

Jake Perper, founder and head writer for Bears Backer, shares his thoughts on what it will take to get Chicago back on top.

Zoneblitz: This team went from 8-8 to 5-11 in a season that started with some solid expectations. What went wrong? (more…)

In Depth 2015: New York Jets

by Andy | Mar 8, 2015 | 2014 season, 2015 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

After starting his tenure with two AFC Championship game appearances, Head Coach Rex Ryan’s hold on the New York Jets job slowly started eroding year by year. In 2014 it collapsed entirely, as the team slunk to a 4-12 mark.

So Ryan and GM John Idzik hit the road and a new era is beginning with Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan. And it’s not like the cupboard is entirely bare either. Last week’s trade for Brandon Marshall ensures that the Jets will have some firepower at the skill positions on offense, assuming they can find someone to throw him and Eric Decker the ball. And the defense has had several solid pieces for several years.

So can the Jets make a run in 2015? David Wyatt, a managing editor with Gang Green Nation, joined us to share his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Everything seemed to fall apart on the Rex Ryan era in 2014. How would you assess the season and the factors that led to 4-12? (more…)