The Saints finished 7-9 in 2016 for the third season in a row. But it had a slightly different feel to it than the previous two non-playoff seasons.
The defense improved a bit. Young players, including exciting WR Michael Thomas, emerged. And Drew Brees continued defying age.
The offseason has also been entertaining. Speedster Brandin Cooks was traded to New England, giving New Orleans a second number one pick. The Saints brought in aging superstar Adrian Peterson. And the team filled many other holes in free agency.
So, is it enough, in a division of good and rising teams, to allow the Saints to be playing in January? Or does this team still have too many holes to fill?
Zoneblitz: The Saints felt more competitive in 2016 but the result was a third straight 7-9 record. What’s your assessment of the season?
Rose: A third straight 7-9 year was extremely frustrating, I realize, but 2016 had a much different feel to it. First of all, the team was ravaged by injury, particularly in the secondary. Despite often being shorthanded, the Saints were in every game. Seven of their 9 losses were by six points or less. Remember also how young this team is. Twenty-one players that received significant playing time last year were 26yrs old or younger, or had less than 4yrs of pro experience. Thirteen of them started at one point in the season. Factor in the draft picks that they’re about to add, and the fact that the free agents they signed are just entering their prime; this is a very young team. They basically rebuilt the team after the 2014 debacle, and it really looked like Sean Payton loved coaching this group last year. Player development is crucial, obviously, but this has the feel of something special.
Zoneblitz: Sean Payton brought New Orleans a Super Bowl title, but it’s been 11 years and there were, at least for a while, rumors of a potential split. What are your thoughts on his remaining as head coach?(more…)
When the Bills finished 9-7 and 2nd in the AFC East under Doug Marrone in 2014, it looked like the team might be on to something. But Marrone left the organization and was replaced by Rex Ryan, who led an 8-8 squad in 2015 and was in the midst of a 7-9 season when he was dismissed before it ended.
Ryan has been replaced by Sean McDermott, who becomes the eighth coach to try and restore this team’s powerhouse status. He’ll do so with a QB who hardly received a vote of confidence and a defense that got worse each of the last two seasons, despite being coached by a defensive-minded leader.
So just exactly where does this once proud franchise stand? Dennis Moody, a contributor with Buffalowdown and owner of his own blog, the Bills Blues, stopped by to share some thoughts.
Zoneblitz: At 7-9 last season and 8-8 the year before, the Bills have seemed on the brink of competing for the playoffs. Was firing Rex Ryan the right move?
Moody: This is a tough one for me to answer. Let me preface this by saying I would never have hired Rex in the first place. I live in Long Island, New York and saw first-hand the circus that Ryan brings to town. That being said, I believe every head coach deserves at least three years to prove themselves with a new team especially when they are switching the defense from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 multiple scheme. It takes time to get the right personnel on the roster. The only way I think a coach should be fired in under three years is if they prove completely inept or if they lose the locker room. Neither of those things happened so I would have given Rex one more year if I was Terry Pegula. All that being said, the Buffalo Bills fan in me is glad he is gone and I’m excited for the team to get back down to business now that the circus has left town. (more…)
Did the end of the 2015 season carry over into 2016? Or were injuries the cause of the team winning six fewer games?
And does the 2016 season leave Marvin Lewis on the hot seat, coaching for his job in 2017? With several off-season changes, including an offensive line that has incurred a 60 percent turnover, can he lead another winning team?
Anthony Cosenza, an editor with Cincy Jungle, joined us to share his insights.
Zoneblitz: The Bengals fell from 12-4 to 6-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. What went wrong?
Cosenza: It all depends on who you ask. Injuries to star players including Vontaze Burfict (plus a two-game suspension), A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert all played a role in the six-win drop-off. While I think that played a role, I think the Bengals’ frugal ways in free agency caught up to them last year, as did the lack of dividends in recent draft classes that once seemed promising.
Major turnover at the assistant coach ranks, including Hue Jackson (offensive coordinator) and secondary coach (Vance Joseph) also didn’t help matters, as the units often looked confused and/or stale — particularly at the end of the year. As far as on-field issues, the offensive line play may have been the most surprisingly egregious of any unit. That definitely caused problems for the offense.
However, while all of these factors contributed, I maintain the opinion that this team had a major problem getting over the heartbreaking playoff to the Steelers to end the 2015 season. After such an implosion, the team kept Marvin Lewis at the helm and one has to wonder if the message fell on deaf years after his 0-7 playoff record. (more…)
Cincinnati won the NFC North in 2015 and finished the season a heartbreaking couple minutes from advancing to the divisional playoffs. That fell apart in 2016, as injuries and inconsistency dropped the Bengals to 6-9-1.
That means after 14 seasons, Marvin Lewis has a solid winning percentage, but the team still has not advanced in the postseason under his leadership. Can the Bengals rebound and make another postseason run? And even if they do, what will it take to get the team’s first playoff victory in the 21st century?
Larry Spicer, a contributing writer for Stripe Hype, joined us to share some thoughts.
Zoneblitz: The Bengals fell from 12-4 to 6-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. What went wrong?
Spicer: The loss of Hue Jackson was a major one for the offense and cannot be understated. The offensive line struggled mightily last season. Although Brandon LaFell and Tyler Boyd did an admirable job, with the injuries of A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert, the offense lacked playmakers that opposing defenses really feared. Add to that inconsistency in the running game. I felt that though the defense struggled early, they really picked up as the year went on. (more…)
A few years ago, Colin Kaepernick was considered one of the league’s top young stars. He was leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl, and Ron Jaworski was raving about how he might be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game.
Things have slowly unraveled since then. He remained the Niners’ starter in 2013 and 2014, but then struggled in 2015, eventually getting benched for Blaine Gabbert of all people. And then he took a knee during the national anthem and all hell broke loose.
Does he deserve another shot to be an NFL starter? And is he still jobless because of his play on the field or because of his political opinions off of it?
John: I’ve always had mixed feelings about Colin Kaepernick. He’s not your prototypical NFL passer like an Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning, but he certainly can be dynamic when he’s on his game.
That stretch run in 2012 was extraordinary, and we saw some flashes of that old Kap after he got back into the starting lineup last year. He threw 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 12 games, while logging an impressive 90.7 passer rating. Plus, he again showed the ability to change a game with his legs, rushing for 113 yards in a game against Miami.
Is Kaepernick a strong NFL starter? No. Will he ever be? Probably not. But if Case Keenum and Matt Barkley were good enough to start multiple games in 2016, there’s certainly a place for Kap in this league.
A team like the Browns, Jets or 49ers could do a lot worse than signing Kaepernick to an incentive-laden contract a year or two while developing their quarterback of the future. And if you’re the Jags, why not take a flier on a guy like Kap to put a little pressure on a disappointing Blake Bortles?(more…)
We’re about three weeks into free agency, and yet Adrian Peterson hasn’t garnered so much as a whiff from any NFL team.
It’s hard to believe we’re talking about the same guy who rushed for 2,000 just a few years ago. A couple of years ago he would have been the most sought-after superstar on the market, but now…crickets.
Peterson is certainly the biggest name left on the market. But does he have anything left in the tank?
John: Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs I’ve ever watched play, and he’ll surely have a spot in Canton someday. So, as a Vikings fan, I felt lucky to be able to watch his unique combination of speed and power every Sunday.
But every star eventually fades, and the question now is whether AP has enough tread on the tires for a late-career encore with a different team. Honestly, it’s really hard to say at this point. After all, we’ve only seen him play 20 games in the last 3 years. And when we last watched him play, early in the 2016 season (disregard those few December carries), he was running behind one of the sorriest excuses for an offensive line I’ve ever seen.
Still, it’s hard to get excited about Adrian Peterson when he hasn’t really looked like Adrian Peterson since mid-2015. I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to rebound with another strong year or two in the right system, but I wouldn’t bet on it either (especially if the price is $8 million as some reports have indicated).(more…)
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