In depth: Atlanta Falcons

by | Feb 26, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

Coach Mike Smith and General Manager Thomas Dimitroff have manufactured the longest stretch of winning regular seasons in the history of the Atlanta Falcons. But the team has struggled mightily in the postseason, losing in blowouts to Green Bay and the New York Giants in back-to-back seasons.

Still, the cupboard is overflowing, with quarterback Matt Ryan and two stud wideouts in Julio Jones and Roddy White being complemented by a solid corps of players on both sides of the ball. But tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Michael Turner are aging. And defensive end John Abraham and cornerback Brent Grimes are free agents. So where do the Falcons go from here and how do they take the next step toward becoming a Super Bowl contender?

Jamie Kelly, senior editor of Blogging Dirty, joined us to share his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: How would you assess Matt Ryan’s development? (more…)

In depth: Cincinnati Bengals

by | Feb 24, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

When Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco Johnson both moved on from Cincinnati heading into 2011 it looked like the Bengals could be in for another long season. But then a strange thing happened: Andy Dalton started finding AJ Green on a regular basis, the defense occasionally stepped up and suddenly this once-moribund franchise was being competitive every week.

There are still holes on this roster. But the Dalton-to-Green combination has Bengals fans and observers as optimistic as they’ve been in years. So how do the Bengals keep moving forward and avoid taking another step back? Josh Kirkendall, senior editor for the Cincy Jungle, gave us his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Will Andy Dalton and AJ Green repeat the success of their rookie years? (more…)

In depth: Tennessee Titans

by | Feb 22, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

It’d been 2008 since the Tennessee Titans had a winning record when Mike Munchak replaced Jeff fisher as head coach following the 2010 season. Expectations were low, but Tennessee produced nine wins despite the underperformance of running back Chris Johnson and some key injuries.

Also promising was the play of rookie quarterback Jake Locker. He sat most of the season behind Matt Hasselbeck, but came into several games in relief and looked like a potential star. So where do the Titans go from there?

Justin Stewart, editor of the blog Titan Sized, shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz.

Zoneblitz: What did you think of Mike Munchak’s first year as head coach? (more…)

In depth: Chicago Bears

by | Feb 20, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

The Chicago Bears were 7-3 and finishing up a five-game win streak when quarterback Jay Cutler went down for the season with an injury. Caleb Hanie proved an unworthy replacement and the Bears’ season spiraled in a five-game losing streak.

Cutler will be back and Lovie Smith returns as head coach. But there’s also a fair amount of change taking place in the Windy City. Mike Tice has replaced Mike Martz as offensive coordinator and Phil Emery is the new general manager, replacing Jerry Angelo.

And though this was a competitive team when full strength in 2011, there are question marks along the offensive line, at wide receiver and at several spots on a solid-but-aging defense. So what will 2012 bring? Jake Perper, owner and head writer at Bears Backer, shared his thoughts with Zoneblitz: Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: What do you think of the hiring of Emery as general manager?

(more…)

In depth: Oakland Raiders

by | Feb 18, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

After a rough decade, back-to-back .500 seasons made it look like the Oakland Raiders may have been heading toward a resurgence. But the death of Al Davis and the firing of Hue Jackson – who was the team’s fifth head coach in nine years – have Oakland heading in yet another new direction as the offseason gets underway.

Add in a new general manager, another new coach, big salary cap issues and a dearth of draft picks brought on by the Carson Palmer trade and other moves, and it spells an interesting offseason in Oakland.

Levi Damien, the lead writer for Silver and Black Pride and owner of Thoughts from the Dark Side, took some time to share his thoughts on where the team is headed. Here’s what he told Zoneblitz:

Zoneblitz: With the passing of Al Davis, 2012 represents a totally new era in Oakland. What do you think of the hires of head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie? (more…)

In depth: San Diego Chargers

by | Feb 16, 2012 | 2011 season, 2012 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

For the last several years the San Diego Chargers have had tantalizingly good talent, but they just haven’t been able to get it done in the playoffs.

I was a believer in 2011. But a rough stretch by Philip Rivers and injuries to Antonio Gates, several offensive linemen and others led to a six-game slide that scuttled a promising 4-1 start.

The lack of a playoff berth raised questions about Head Coach Norv Turner’s job security and about the overall direction of the organization. But despite the disappointing season and the inevitable turnover, Turner will be back in 2012 and so will a talented core of players.

So do the Chargers have what it takes to make a run in 2012? We contacted John Gennaro, who manages the blog Bolts From the Blue, to fill us in. Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: On paper this team looked good heading into 2011 and it had the second-highest scoring offense in the AFC. What happened to prevent the Chargers from making the playoffs? (more…)