In 2012 New Orleans went 7-9 with one of the worst defensive performances in NFL history. A year later, Sean Payton returned and the team experienced a turnaround, winning 11 games in the regular season and a wild card playoff.
The Saints eventually fell to Super Bowl champ Seattle in the second round of the playoffs, but a rejuvenated squad left fans buzzing heading into 2014. There have been some big names brought in and some prominent vets that left the team in free agency and trades, as well. So is the 2014 version of the Saints primed for another run? Travis Dauro, a writer with Canal Street Chronicles, shares his thoughts on what has to happen for New Orleans to take that next jump.
Tellijohn: In the first year back at full strength with Sean Payton the Saints won the division and a playoff game. How do you assess 2013? (more…)
In 2012, Indianapolis had a new QB, a new coach and a cause. The Colts rallied around Chuck Pagano when he was diagnosed with leukemia and rode the emotion to an 11-5 record and a first round playoff game. Some doubted the team was really nine games better than the disastrous 2011 2-14 campaign, but Indy followed up in 2013 with another 11-5 season and an exciting playoff comeback win against Kansas City.
This team, however, is far from a finished product. When Reggie Wayne went down with a knee injury, Andrew Luck struggled to find his consistency. The switch from Bruce Arians to Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator proved at times a challenge. And there are holes on the offensive line and the defensive side of the ball that must be addressed.
Still, with some well placed pieces and some good fortune, Colts Authority Editor Kyle Rodriguez says the Colts aren’t far from joining the league’s elite teams in a deep playoff run.
Zoneblitz: What is your overall assessment of the 2013 Colts season that saw two playoff games and a division title? (more…)
At 4-6 and then 5-7 it looked like San Diego was headed toward another postseason watching on the Barcalounger. But something seemed to click the last quarter of the season and the Chargers rewarded Mike McCoy with four straight wins to close out the regular season – and a postseason upset of Cincinnati to boot.
San Diego’s luck ran out in the divisional round as Super Bowl-bound Denver ended the 2013 season. But the five-game win streak, during which the team never scored fewer than 26 points, had to leave Chargers fans and players optimistic about the future.
So can San Diego repeat its late-season success in 2014? And how far are the Chargers from making a run at the Super Bowl? Ernie Padaon, editor of Bolt Beat, shares some thoughts with Zoneblitz.
Zoneblitz: The Chargers came from an off year in 2012 to make the playoffs in 2013. How would you assess the season? (more…)
After a decade-plus long stretch of futility that covered the 1990s and early 2000s, one could forgive Cincinnati fans for simply feeling good about how the last few years have gone. The team has won 30 games in three seasons and made the playoffs four of the last five years.
That said, while Marvin Lewis has become the team’s all-time winningest coach, he has not been able to lead the team to a postseason victory in his 11 seasons on the job. Pressure may be mounting on him to take this team on a deeper run.
Is he capable? And how far is this team from making that kind of jump? Vance Meek, editor and lead writer at Stripe Hype, shares his thoughts here.
Zoneblitz: Cincy won 11 games in 2013 but got knocked out of the postseason right away. How do you assess 2013? (more…)
A couple years ago we decided to reach out to the team blogger community to help put together a mock draft. It’s been a great addition to the site with some insights coming from people who watch their respective teams on a daily basis.
On that note, we introduce our third annual Zoneblitz Team Blogger Mock Draft. We thank those who agreed to share their thoughts in advance for their time and consideration. So – here goes:
A year removed from a 2-14 disaster, discussing the playoffs in Kansas City might have been seen as a bit ludicrous. But there was definitely talent on the roster and when Chiefs jumped out of the gate 9-0 it looked like the team might redefine worst-to-first.
The team slumped a bit in the second half of the season but still managed to nail an 11 win campaign that concluded with an exciting-but-heartbreaking loss to Indianapolis.
A few starters, including left tackle Branden Albert, are gone off of the 2013 Chiefs, but Alex Smith and Co. return with a deeper run in mind. How viable is that? Ben Nielsen, editor of Arrowhead Addict, says the schedule will provide some challenges, but adds that this should still be a very good Chiefs team with a lot of potential in 2014 and beyond. Here’s what he had to say.
Zoneblitz: Kansas City has gone from 10 wins to seven to two to 11. Last season resulted in a postseason appearance, but a first-round wild card loss. How do you assess the season? (more…)
returned and the team experienced a turnaround, winning 11 games in the regular season and a wild card playoff.
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