Here’s a brief summary of the highlights and lowlights of Strat-O-Matic’s new football ratings:

 

BALTIMORE

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         A versatile, powerful running attack led by FB/HB McLain, with help from HBs McGahee and Rice… C Jason Brown (7/6)

Oh No!            Flacco’s lackluster Short Pass columns

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Five 6s, including 3 at LB … The automatic INT on roll 11 on Long Pass in addition to 2-8, 11, 12 on roll 7

Oh No!            The Excellent run D doesn’t force many fumbles

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Koch’s punting … +4 on penalties

Oh No!            Long Gain on kickoff coverage

 

BUFFALO

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         SE Evans is a big-time deep threat … Elite LT Peters (7/6) is the only competent blocker

Oh No!            Drive stoppers: QB Edwards’ Flat Pass misses and RB Lynch’s weak Wrong columns

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         6-rated DLT Stroud, two 5-rated LBs

Oh No!            Few INTs + few sacks (top pass rusher is a 5) = bad pass defense

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         KR and PR TDs … Moorman’s punting

Oh No!            punt coverage is shaky, but no major weaknesses

 

 

CINCINNATI

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         WR Houshmandzadeh’s possession receiving

Oh No!            You can fool the defense by having QB Fitzpatrick throw downfield

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Twin 5s at CB

Oh No!            Well, you can guess run without having to worry about losing sacks

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         +5 penalties

Oh No!            Blocked punt, Long Gain on punt coverage

 

CLEVELAND

Offense:         

Oh Yeah!         No RB fumbles … WR Edwards’ Long Gains … LT Thomas (7/6)

Oh No!            Wide-open is supposed to be good … But it’s not when it describes the blank spaces on all three QB passing cards. Peyton Manning has more                       completions on Long Pass than Anderson and Quinn have on Flat Pass

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Automatic INT on roll 11 for Long Pass … 6-rated NT Rogers

Oh No!            Poor run defense generously gives much more than it takes (few fumbles)

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Zastudill’s punting (still 50 yd at #5, 40 yd at #10) and Dawson’s long-range kicking (2-6 from 33-39 yd line) … Cribbs’ kickoff-return TD

Oh No!            Long Gain on kickoff coverage

 

DENVER

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         Seriously good passing, with QB Cutler, plentiful targets and four 7-rated pass blockers

Oh No!            High RB fumbles and no feature back

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         LCB Bailey is a 6

Oh No!            Everything else – the Poor run D and Very Poor pass D can’t stop anything and can’t force turnovers

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Kern’s distance punting (still 50 yds at roll #6) and Prater’s distance FGs (2-6,11, 12 from 33 to 39 yd line)

Oh No!            Long Gains on both kickoff and punt coverage

 

HOUSTON

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         RB Slaton’s breakaways, a deadly Flat Pass attack, All-Pro WR Johnson and an offense where the TE and RB can catch the bomb

Oh No!            Will the OL come through? All 4s except one 5 as run blockers, and all 5s – but no 7 – on pass protection

 

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         RDE Williams is a 6, with (1*)12 sacks … MLB Ryans is a 6

Oh No!            The Very Poor pass D yields Long Gain at #4 on Short Pass 3 Men and at #s2-5 and 12 on Long Pass 0 Men … And both safeties are 0s

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Jones’ punt-return TD at roll #3

Oh No!            Long Gain on punt coverage

 

INDIANAPOLIS

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         QB Manning’s Wrong columns will wow you

Oh No!            With this running game, will Manning ever pass Wrong?

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         RDE Freeney is a 6 with 12 pass rush

Oh No!            Short Gain at roll #7 on LB and ER 0 LB

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Smith’s punting will help the defense

Oh No!            Weak kickoff and punt return won’t help field position

 

JACKSONVILLE

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         RB Jones-Drew will keep opponents from guessing Pass too often

Oh No!            Interior OL is no help on run (both G are 0, others are 4) orpass

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         New starting RLB Durant is a 5

Oh No!            Run D causes no fumbles … Very Poor pass D is prone to Long Gains

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Kickoffs, punts and coverage all strong

Oh No!            FG good only 2-7, 12 from 13 to 22 yd line

 

KANSAS CITY

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         TE Gonzalez and WRs Bowe and Bradley are a nice mix of targets

Oh No!            Four 0-rated run blockers on interior OL

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         We’re still researching this; might take awhile

Oh No!            Poor run D (Short Gains at #7 0 Men) and Poor pass D … No 6s or 5s

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Colquitt’s punting

Oh No!            Very weak FG … Long Gain on kickoff coverage

 

MIAMI

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         No RB fumbles … Pennington is a bit more than a Flat Pass QB now

Oh No!            Receivers will have a lot of drops

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         ROLB Porter is a 6 with (12*) 12 sacks

Oh No!            Off Tackle card doesn’t fit Good to Excellent run D description

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Fields’ punting

Oh No!            Long Gain on punt coverage … Poor kickoff-return men

 

NEW ENGLAND

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         FL Moss still deadly in Pats’ versatile pass attack. Three Short Gain-rich RBs will make defenses pay for guessing Pass

Oh No!            The OL can’t pass protect and it doesn’t have a 6 run-blocker

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Two 6s and a 5 up front in the 3-4, and rookie LILB Mayo is a 6

Oh No!            Too many yards and too few turnovers … Pass D will be torched

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         +4 penalties … Hobbs’ KO return TD … Hanson’s punting

Oh No!            Long Gain on kickoff coverage … punt coverage is lousy

 

NEW YORK JETS

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         QB Favre’s strong completions at all ranges – even his INT # has plus yardage on Flat Pass Wrong … Three 6-rated run blockers

Oh No!            Favre’s INTs: e.g. 2-8, 12 on roll #8 Long Pass Right … RBs are not as impressive as their per-carry stats, but will flourish Wrong

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Excellent run D forces fumbles, stuffs linebucks and sweeps

Oh No!            Only blank spot on Short Pass 3 Men is roll #12 – Ouch!

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Washington’s kickoff-return TD, solid punt-return yardage

Oh No!            Punts can be blocked

 

OAKLAND

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         TE Miller has a star’s receiving card … rookie RBs McFadden, Bush show explosive potential

Oh No!            Russell might be the worst Flat Passer ever among starting QBs … Both OTs are 0 run blockers

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         LCB Asomugha may be surest 6 in the NFL, supports Good pass D

Oh No!            Poor run D gives up big plays but doesn’t make them. Three 0s in front four just makes things worse

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Deadly return game: Higgins’ PR TD and Miller’s KR TD both on roll #3 … Lechler’s awesome punting (50 yds at roll #7) … Janikowski’s 11              touchback chances

Oh No!            The -6 penalty-chance disadvantage is among the worst ever … Janikowski misses extra points and half his FG chances from 23-32 yd line

 

PITTSBURGH

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         Versatile receiving options will help Big Ben make big plays

Oh No!            Interior OL is weak on run (two 0s, three 4s), worse on pass

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Excellent run and pass D supported by five 6s and six 5s

Oh No!            Not much to complain about, but nothing special forcing turnovers

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Superb kickoff and punt coverage

Oh No!            Return men are nondescript

 

 

 

SAN DIEGO

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         QB Rivers is deadly at all ranges … FL Jackson is a constant threat to take it to the house (LG chances or better Wrong: 5 Flat Pass, 8 Short Pass, 12 Long Pass)

Oh No!            Though HB Tomlinson still gets tough yards, he’s not enough threat Wrong to deter defenses from guessing Pass a lot

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         This 3-4 run D can be stout with LB support

Oh No!            Poor pass D gives up too many completions and rarely intercepts

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Scrifres’ punting + team’s excellent punt coverage … Sproles’ KO return TD

Oh No!            PK Kaeding’s weak leg: 2-5,11, 12 on FG from 23-32 yd line; only two touchback chances

 

TENNESSEE

Offense:

Oh Yeah!         Rookie HB Johnson strikes fear with 14 chances Short Gain or better Wrong Off Tackle and 13 chances End Run … 15-TD HB White gets the              tough yards … Both OTs and C Mawae are rated 7/6

Oh No!            Lackluster QB Collins and receivers (except big-play FL Gage)

 

Defense:

Oh Yeah!         Good to Excellent vs. run and pass … Three 6s and a 5 in the secondary

Oh No!            DT Haynesworth (10) is the only formidable pass rusher. LBs won’t help.

 

Special teams:

Oh Yeah!         Bironas’ all-round place-kicking           

Oh No!            -3 penalties, no kick-return TDs