Here is the long
awaited 2004-05 NFL Football Season Preview. We go in depth
on every NFC team. We review the team, and then grade the
team. Where does your team stack up?
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Here For AFC Previews
NFL
Seattle
Seahawks preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
West: First
Coach: Mike Holmgren,
sixth season (41-39), 12th season overall
(116-76).
2003: 10-6 (second in NFC West). Lost
to Green Bay 33-27 (OT) in NFC wild-card
game.
Key additions: S Michael
Boulware, CB Bobby Taylor, DT Marcus
Tubbs, DE Grant Wistrom.
Key losses: LB Randall
Godfrey, DT Norman Hand, DE Lamar King,
DT John Randle, CB Shawn Springs, S
Reggie Tongue.
Pre-snap read: The
Seahawks made the playoffs last season
for the first time since 1999 because
they had the league's sixth-ranked offense.
If they want to win a playoff game for
the first time in 20 years, they will
need a better defense. In its second
year under Ray Rhodes, the unit is a
youthful work in progress. Three young
players are vying for time at MLB; four
young players — including top
pick Tubbs — will rotate at DT;
and Boulware will try to switch from
college LB to NFL strong safety. The
defense will be without OLB Chad Brown
(broken leg) for at least a month and
his backup, D.D. Lewis, for the season.
On the ends, Wistrom (7.5 sacks in 2003)
and Chike Okeafor (8) will have to find
ways to get to the QB. The offense is
led by Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck and
Pro Bowl RB Shaun Alexander. Despite
a lot of dropped passes, WR Darrell
Jackson had his best season in 2003,
earning a contract extension. But WR
Koren Robinson was disappointing in
his third year. The team would like
more production from TE Jerramy Stevens,
who has been a disappointment since
being picked in the first round in 2002.
What to expect: The
offense will continue to compensate
for the shortcomings of a youthful defense,
and the Hawks will make a strong run
at their first Super Bowl appearance.
The line on the line:
Pro Bowl LT Walter Jones and All-Pro
LG Steve Hutchinson create one of the
league's top left-side tandems, and
the rest of the unit is not bad, either
(although they did give up 43 sacks
in 2003). Grade: B+
NFL
NFC
West: St. Louis
Rams preview
Predicted order of finish in NFC West:
Second
Coach: Mike Martz,
fifth season (43-21).
2003: 12-4 (first in NFC West). Lost
29-23 (2 OT) to Carolina in NFC divisional
playoffs.
Key additions: S Zack
Bronson, QB Chris Chandler, RB Steven
Jackson.
Key losses: LB Jamie
Duncan, S Kim Herring, QB Kurt Warner,
DE Grant Wistrom, DT Brian Young.
Pre-snap read: After
a slump in 2002, the Rams' offense returned
to its high-scoring ways last season
with Marc Bulger at quarterback. Bulger
replaced Warner in the first game and
went on to a Pro Bowl season, completing
63.2 percent for 3,845 yards and 22
TDs. The three-year veteran was rewarded
in the offseason with a multi-year contract,
and he will have the usual targets in
WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, as well
as Dane Looker, a former Washington
Husky from Puyallup. The team bit the
financial bullet and let Warner go,
bringing in the 38-year-old Chandler
as Bulger's backup. RB Marshall Faulk's
health has been of greater concern in
recent years, and the Rams drafted Jackson
No. 1 because of it. Faulk, 31, has
not played a full season since 1999
and missed five games last season because
of knee and wrist injuries. Rumors had
him ready to retire, but the former
All-Pro will merely take a lessened
workload. The Rams have even more questions
on defense. They lost their top two
linemen — Wistrom to the division
rival Seahawks — and are not sure
whether they will have DE Leonard Little
for the full season (he faces a felony
DUI charge). DTs Damione Lewis and Ryan
Pickett are being counted on heavily,
especially with Jimmy Kennedy out for
most of the season.
What to expect: The
Rams' problems on both lines will hurt
them against good teams, and their inability
to hold on to the ball and stop the
run will prevent them from winning the
division and will perhaps keep them
out of the playoffs.
The line on the line:
This has quickly gone from one of the
better units in the league to a huge
question mark. C Dave Wohlabaugh (hip)
was cut, RT Kyle Turley (back) is out
for the season and franchise LT Orlando
Pace (contract) missed camp. Grade:
C-
NFL
NFC
West: San Francisco
49ers preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
West: Third
Coach: Dennis Erickson,
second season (7-9), sixth season overall
(38-42).
2003: 7-9 (third in NFC West). Lost
four of their final six after climbing
out of a 1-3 start.
Key additions: WR Curtis
Conway, OG Justin Smiley, DE Brandon
Whiting, WR Rashaun Woods.
Key losses: S Zack
Bronson, OT Derrick Deese, QB Jeff Garcia,
RB Garrison Hearst, WR Terrell Owens,
WR Tai Streets, WR Ron Stone, CB Jason
Webster.
Pre-snap read: The
offense, which ranked fifth in the NFL
last season, will have six new starters.
QB Tim Rattay, who started three games
in 2003, had groin surgery early in
the offseason and struggled with a sore
arm in camp. But he's the best the 49ers
have. Fourth-year RB Kevan Barlow, who
received a big contract in the offseason,
has the No. 1 job after sharing with
Hearst the past three seasons. Barlow
bulked up in the offseason to handle
the load. With Owens and Streets gone,
the 49ers need to find playmakers at
receiver. The candidates are youngsters
Cedrick Wilson and Brandon Lloyd, who
have a combined five career starts;
12-year veteran Conway; and first-round
pick Woods. Franchise LB Julian Peterson,
their best defender, returned late to
camp and will be a key player in new
coordinator Willy Robinson's 3-4 alignment.
What to expect: The
49ers are in a revamp mode for the second
time in five seasons and won't be a
playoff contender.
The line on the line:
C Jeremy Newberry and RT Scott Gragg
are the rocks of this unit, which produced
one of the top five rushing attacks
in 2003. Last year's No. 1 pick, Kwame
Harris, takes over at LT. Grade:
B
NFL
NFC
West: Arizona
Cardinals preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
West: Fourth
Coach: Dennis Green,
first season, 11th season overall (97-62).
2003: 4-12 (fourth in NFC West). Dave
McGinnis was fired after a 16-32 record
over three seasons.
Key additions: DE Bertrand
Berry, WR Larry Fitzgerald, LB Karlos
Dansby, DL Darnell Dockett, RB Troy
Hambrick, CB David Macklin, C Alex Stepanovich.
Key losses: CB David
Barrett, QB Jeff Blake, K Bill Gramatica,
C Pete Kendall.
Pre-snap read: Green,
who took the Vikings to the playoffs
eight times with seven QBs, believes
he can do it with QB Josh McCown, a
third-year player who started three
games last season. Green plans to use
a three-receiver offense that features
last season's rookie phenom, Anquan
Boldin; last year's No. 1 pick, Bryant
Johnson; and this year's No. 1 pick,
Larry Fitzgerald. However, Boldin is
out until October with leg injuries,
and the two others missed large parts
of camp as well. The Cardinals will
have to hope 35-year-old RB Emmitt Smith,
the NFL's career rushing leader, can
hold up because promising Marcel Shipp
is out at least three months with a
broken leg and dislocated ankle. The
offense won't go anywhere, however,
if the overhauled line isn't better
than last year (29th in rushing and
30th in sacks). As questionable as the
offense appears to be, there is no question
the defense is bad. It ranked 26th at
344 yards allowed per game in 2003 and
needs more playmakers. Berry (11.5 sacks
for Denver last season) was signed to
pump up a pass rush that produced just
21 sacks in 2003. The Cardinals are
hoping for healthy seasons out of DE
Kyle Vanden Bosch and CB Duane Starks,
who missed 2003 with injuries.
What to expect: The
desert sun won't shine on this team
this season. Green has too much work
to do and not enough players with whom
to do it. But give him a year ...
The line on the line:
The line is as much a mess as any part
of the team. Green demoted LT L.J. Shelton
and moved former first-rounder Leonard
Davis from RG to LT, then the coach
cut Kendall and put a rookie at center.
Grade: C-
NFL
Philadelphia Eagles preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
East: First
Coach: Andy Reid, sixth
season (51-29).
2003: 12-4 (first in NFC East). Beat
Green Bay 20-17 (OT) in NFC divisional
playoff; lost to Carolina 14-3 in NFC
title game.
Key additions: OG Shawn
Andrews, QB Jeff Blake, DE Hugh Douglas,
LB Dhani Jones, DE Jevon Kearse, WR
Terrell Owens, LB Jeremiah Trotter.
Key losses: DE Marco
Coleman, LB Carlos Emmons, RB Duce Staley,
CB Bobby Taylor, WR James Thrash, CB
Troy Vincent, OG John Welbourn, DT Brandon
Whiting, OG Bobbie Williams.
Pre-snap read: After
a third straight loss in the NFC title
game, the Eagles decided to address
their weakness once and for all. Owens,
obtained from San Francisco after convoluted
negotiations, figures to be the No.
1 receiver QB Donovan McNabb has not
had in his five NFL seasons. The Eagles'
receivers combined for one catch in
the NFC title game, a big reason the
team went after the mercurial Owens.
The rushing game will depend greatly
on the health of Brian Westbrook after
the team declined to re-sign Staley
and lost Correll Buckhalter to a knee
injury. Kearse, who had 47.5 sacks in
five years with the Tennessee Titans,
is expected to upgrade an inconsistent
pass rush and a pass defense that was
in the middle of the pack. The defense
is relying on young CBs Lito Sheppard
and Sheldon Brown, who got experience
last season because of injuries to Vincent
and Taylor. The team brought back Trotter
and Douglas, who replaces injured DE
N.D. Kalu.
What to expect: The
Eagles are a good bet to get to the
NFC title game for a fourth straight
season — and just as good a bet
to have the season end there for a fourth
straight season.
The line on the line:
First-rounder Shawn Andrews joins a
foursome — LT Tra Thomas, LG Jermane
Mayberry, C Hank Fraley, RT Jon Runyan
— that has been together since
2000. It's a good run-blocking unit,
average protecting for the pass. Grade:
B
NFL
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
East: Second
Coach: Bill Parcells,
second season (10-6), 17th season overall
(148-106-1).
2003: 10-6 (second in NFC East). Lost
to Carolina 29-10 in NFC wild-card playoff.
Key additions: RB Eddie
George, QB Drew Henson, WR Keyshawn
Johnson, RB Julius Jones, OT Jacob Rogers,
QB Vinny Testaverde, WR Dedric Ward,
DE Marcellus Wiley.
Key losses: QB Quincy
Carter, CB Mario Edwards, DE Ebenezer
Ekuban, WR Joey Galloway, RB Troy Hambrick,
OL Ryan Young.
Pre-snap read: These
are beginning to look like the Dallas
Jets. This offseason, Parcells brought
in Testaverde, Johnson and Ward —
who join FB Richie Anderson for a reunion
of former Jets. Six years ago, Testaverde
and Johnson were Pro Bowl players as
Parcells' Jets went 12-4. Parcells is
counting on them to step in as his newest
team's top QB and WR. Testaverde replaces
Carter, who was cut just a few days
after camp started. Johnson was traded
for Galloway and will team with WRs
Terry Glenn (another two-time Parcells
player) and Antonio Bryant. Testaverde,
who turns 41 in November, will have
to stay healthy, or Dallas will likely
have to rely on first-year player Henson,
the former baseball prospect who was
obtained in a trade with Houston this
year. The Cowboys also added George,
the Tennessee Titans' career rushing
leader. He will help Jones, the team's
second-round pick, ease into the role
of featured back. Parcells and offensive
coordinator Maurice Carthon will have
to hope their venerable QB and RB can
hold up and provide enough points for
Mike Zimmer's defense, which was ranked
No. 1 last season.
What to expect: The
Cowboys will run the ball and try to
keep defenses off Testaverde. Parcells
can probably milk enough from the offense
to help the defense compete for a playoff
spot. But the Cowboys are likely to
come up short this season.
The line on the line:
Other than LT Flozell Adams, this unit
is likely to be a work in progress.
The right side could be especially troublesome
for a team that averaged just 3.9 yards
per rush in 2003. Grade: C+
NFL
NFC East: Washington Redskins preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
East: Third
Coach: Joe Gibbs, first
season, 13th season overall (124-60).
2003: 5-11 (third in NFC East). Steve
Spurrier quit after going 12-20 in two
seasons.
Key additions: LB Michael
Barrow, QB Mark Brunell, DE Phillip
Daniels, DT Cornelius Griffin, CB Walt
Harris, RB Clinton Portis, TE Walter
Rasby, C Cory Raymer, CB Shawn Springs,
S Sean Taylor, WR James Thrash, LB Marcus
Washington.
Key losses: LB Jessie
Armstead, CB Champ Bailey, RB Trung
Canidate, DT Lional Dalton, OG Dave
Fiore, TE Zeron Flemister, DL Bernard
Holsey, FB Bryan Johnson, OL Larry Moore,
DE Bruce Smith, LB Jeremiah Trotter,
DE Regan Upshaw.
Pre-snap read: Gibbs
returns after 12 years away from the
NFL — Dan Snyder's fourth coach
in five years as owner of the team.
In his first stint with the team, Gibbs
had just one losing season and won three
Super Bowls. For his return, he brought
many of his old assistants with him,
as well as some new ones, like defensive
coordinator Gregg Williams. Snyder paid
out $50 million in signing bonuses for
veterans and traded for a new backfield
of Brunell and Portis. The Redskins
figure to have seven new starters on
each side of the ball in an effort to
boost an offense that was 23rd in 2003
and a defense that was 25th.
What to expect: It
took Dick Vermeil three years to create
a competitive team when he returned
from a 15-year hiatus in 1997. With
new coaches, new players and a new system,
the same will probably be true for Gibbs
and his crew.
The line on the line:
Joe Bugel, who coached Washington's
Hogs of the 1980s, has brought stability
to a unit that had no direction under
Spurrier. There are three new starters
after RT Jon Jansen was lost for the
season with an Achilles injury. Grade:
C
NFL
NFC East: New York Giants preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
East: Fourth
Coach: Tom Coughlin,
first season, ninth season overall (68-60).
2003: 4-12 (fourth in NFC East). The
Giants lost their final eight games,
leading to the dismissal of coach Jim
Fassel (58-53-1) after seven seasons.
Key additions: S Brent
Alexander, CB Terry Cousin, LB Carlos
Emmons, LB Barrett Green, DT Norman
Hand, QB Eli Manning, WR James McKnight,
OL Shaun O'Hara, DT Fred Robbins, OG
Chris Snee, OL Barry Stokes, QB Kurt
Warner, OG Jason Whittle.
Key losses: LB Michael
Barrow, QB Kerry Collins, DT Cornelius
Griffin, K Mike Hollis, LB Dhani Jones,
RB Dorsey Levens, RB Brian Mitchell,
LB Brandon Short.
Pre-snap read: Coughlin's
first task as he takes control of the
Giants was to pick a starting quarterback,
and he went with the former NFL MVP
(Warner) over the No. 1 NFL draft pick
(Manning). Coughlin, the former Jacksonville
Jaguars coach, also must blend 20-plus
new players into the Giants' holdovers.
The offense will have three new starters
on the line, and that doesn't count
Stokes, a free agent who will miss the
season with a back injury. If the line
miraculously comes together and manages
to keep Warner upright, the Giants have
the playmakers — RB Tiki Barber,
TE Jeremy Shockey and WRs Amani Toomer
and Ike Hilliard — to be successful.
They need to cut down on turnovers after
tying for second in the league with
38 last year. The team's minus-16 turnover
ratio was tied for the worst. The defense
will have five new starters, including
DTs Hand and Robbins and LBs Emmons
and Green. They were brought in to improve
a unit that surrendered the fourth-most
points last season.
What to expect: Manning
will be starting by midseason, which
means the season will be over for the
Giants by that time.
The line on the line:
Injuries and inexperience doomed this
line last season, and it could be more
of the same in 2004. There are three
new starters, and LT Luke Petitgout
is the only sure thing — if his
back stays healthy. Grade: D
NFL
Minnesota Vikings preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
North: First
Coach: Mike Tice, third
season (15-18).
2003: 9-7 (second in NFC North). The
Vikings started 6-0 but missed the playoffs
when they surrendered a TD pass to Arizona
on fourth-and-24 on the final play of
the final game.
Key additions: P Darren
Bennett, DT Steve Martin, WR Marcus
Robinson, DE Darrion Scott, LB Dontarrious
Thomas, DE Kenechi Udeze, TE Jermaine
Wiggins, CB Antoine Winfield.
Key losses: WR D'Wayne
Bates, LB Greg Biekert, LB Henri Crockett,
TE Hunter Goodwin, CB Eric Kelly, DT
Fred Robbins, CB Denard Walker.
Pre-snap read: The
Vikings went from 6-10 in Tice's first
year to 9-7 last season, so the next
step would appear to be 12-4. And it's
possible, considering the additions
the team has made on defense and the
incredible depth on offense. The schedule,
which features eight games against rebuilding
teams, also seems conducive to a division
title. The offensive depth will be tested
early, with starting RB Michael Bennett
sidelined for the opener with a sprained
knee and RB Onterrio Smith suspended
for the first four games for violating
the league's drug policy. Moe Williams
will run the ball behind Pro Bowl QB
Daunte Culpepper, who will throw to
superstar WR Randy Moss, Robinson and
Nate Burleson, a graduate of Seattle's
O'Dea High School. Ted Cottrell is the
third defensive coordinator in Tice's
three seasons; he will be counted on
to improve a unit that has been one
of the league's worst since 1998. To
fix a poor pass defense, the team drafted
Udeze, a pass rusher, in the first round
and signed Winfield. Tice is in the
final year of his contract and will
need to make the playoffs to entice
owner Red McCombs or a prospective new
owner to keep him around.
What to expect: The
Vikings should be one of the top teams
in the NFC and advance deep into the
playoffs. The Super Bowl is quite possible.
The line on the line:
Pro Bowl C Matt Birk and LT Bryant McKinnie
lead one of the league's most effective
lines. They — along with OGs Chris
Liwienski and David Dixon and RT Mike
Rosenthal — keyed the top offense
in 2003. Grade: A-
NFL
NFC North: Green Bay Packers preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
North: Second
Coach: Mike Sherman,
fifth season (43-21).
2003: 10-6 (first in NFC North). Beat
Seattle 33-27 (OT) in NFC wild-card
playoff; lost to Philadelphia 20-17
(OT) in a divisional playoff.
Key additions: CB Ahmad
Carroll, S Mark Roman, P B.J. Sander,
CB Joey Thomas, DE R-Kal Truluck.
Key losses: P Josh
Bidwell, S Antuan Edwards, DE Joe Johnson,
DE Jamal Reynolds, DT Larry Smith, DT
Rod Walker, CB Bryant Westbrook.
Pre-snap read: Sherman,
a one-time Seahawks assistant, has not
had a losing season in four years as
Packers coach. But three straight postseason
appearances have ended short of the
NFC title game. The Packers are still
loaded on offense, beginning with RB
Ahman Green, who rushed for a team-record
1,883 yards. QB Brett Favre has started
189 consecutive games, a record for
an NFL quarterback. He led the league
with 32 TD passes last season. The passing
game could get even better with the
emergence of WRs Javon Walker, the team's
top pick in 2002, and Robert Ferguson.
New defensive coordinator Bob Slowik
likely won't have holdout CB Mike McKenzie
and will rely on draft picks Carroll
and Thomas. The team re-signed DT Grady
Jackson, who helped anchor the NFL's
No. 10 run defense in 2003, and it traded
for Truluck in an effort to boost the
pass rush. Second-year MLB Nick Barnett
is a rising star.
What to expect: The
Packers should battle the Vikings for
the division and make the playoffs for
a fourth straight year.
The line on the line:
LT Chad Clifton, LG Mike Wahle, C Mike
Flanagan, RG Marco Rivera and RT Mark
Tauscher have been together since 2001
and are perhaps the NFL's best line
(No. 2 in fewest sacks and No. 3 in
rush yards in 2003). Grade:
A
NFL
NFC North: Detroit Lions preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
North: Third
Coach: Steve Mariucci,
second season (5-11), seventh season
overall (62-50).
2003: 5-11 (fourth in NFC North). Started
1-6, but a strong finish gave them hope
for 2004.
Key additions: TE Stephen
Alexander, CB Fernando Bryant, RB Kevin
Jones, LB Teddy Lehman, S Brock Marion,
WR Tai Streets, WR Roy Williams, OG
Damien Woody.
Key losses: OG Eric
Beverly, DT Luther Elliss, LB Barrett
Green, S Corey Harris, TE Mikhael Ricks,
WR Bill Schroeder, RB James Stewart.
Pre-snap read: The
Lions feel they can compete for the
NFC North title, but to fulfill that
expectation they need their young offense
to mature quickly and their defense
to improve against the pass. QB Joey
Harrington, the No. 3 overall draft
pick in 2002, is expected to take a
big step forward in his second year
under Mariucci. The offense was the
worst in the league last season, so
the Lions drafted Williams and Jones
in the first round and added Streets
and Alexander. They and second-year
WR Charles Rogers, who missed the last
11 games of 2003 with a broken collarbone,
give Harrington the targets he was missing
in his first two seasons. The offense
should be able to do better than last
year's average of 266 yards per game.
On defense, the health of second-year
DE Kalimba Edwards will be key to improving
a pass rush that ranked 26th (28 sacks).
The secondary added two veteran players
to go with Pro Bowl CB Dré Bly,
but the linebackers lack much experience.
New coordinator Dick Jauron, fired as
coach of the Chicago Bears, will have
to make up for the inexperience if the
defense is to improve on its No. 28
ranking against the pass.
What to expect: The
Lions will end their NFL-record 24-game
road losing streak and win more than
five games for the first time since
2000. But everything will have to go
right for the Lions if they intend to
compete for the division title.
The line on the line:
The Lions allowed a league-low 11 sacks
but averaged a league-worst 83.6 rushing
yards per game in 2003. So they signed
Woody to help give a push up the middle.
OTs Stockar McDougle and Jeff Backus
are adequate. Grade: C+
NFL
NFC North: Chicago Bears preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
North: Fourth
Coach: Lovie Smith,
first season.
2003: 7-9 (third in NFC North). Dick
Jauron's fourth losing season in five
cost him his job.
Key additions: OG Ruben
Brown, DT Tommie Harris, FB Bryan Johnson,
DT Terry Johnson, RB Thomas Jones, QB
Jonathan Quinn, DE Adewale Ogunleye,
OT John Tait.
Key losses: WR Marty
Booker, QB Chris Chandler, DE Phillip
Daniels, LB Warrick Holdman, DT Bryan
Robinson, QB Kordell Stewart, DT Keith
Traylor, OL Chris Villarrial, WR Dez
White.
Pre-snap read: Are
the Bears about to become the third
installment of the Greatest Show on
Turf? Smith, the former St. Louis Rams
defensive coordinator, brought in Terry
Shea from the Kansas City Chiefs to
run the multi-formation offense that
has produced some of the league's top
units in the past five years. QB Rex
Grossman, who started three games as
a rookie, will run the offense. The
Bears brought in Jones to be the next
back in the line of Marshall Faulk and
Priest Holmes. After the Bears traded
Booker for Ogunleye, former first-round
pick David Terrell is the default No.
1 receiver. The draft was devoted mostly
to supplying quick players for Smith's
cover-2 defense. Harris, the No. 1 pick,
and Johnson, a former Washington Husky
drafted in the second round, could start.
Ogunleye, who had 15 sacks for Miami
in 2003, should speed up a pass rush
that produced a league-low 18 sacks
in 2003. The Bears also need to create
more takeaways; they had 20 in 2003,
second fewest in the league. Smith's
Rams were No. 1 with 46.
What to expect: A new
coach, a new system and a new quarterback
are never a formula for immediate success.
The Bears will likely take a step back
before making a move in the NFC North.
The line on the line:
The only two proven commodities in this
group are Pro Bowl C Olin Kreutz and
OT Tait. Injuries factor into who plays
the other positions; LT is the biggest
concern.
Grade: C+
NFL
Carolina Panthers preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
South: First
Coach: John Fox, third
year (18-14).
2003: 11-5 (first in NFC South). Beat
Dallas 29-10 in wild-card playoff; beat
St. Louis 29-23 (OT) in divisional playoff;
beat Philadelphia 14-3 in NFC Championship
Game; lost to New England 32-29 in Super
Bowl XXXVIII.
Key additions: LB Jessie
Armstead, WR Keary Colbert, OT Todd
Fordham, CB Chris Gamble, CB Artrell
Hawkins, LB Brandon Short.
Key losses: CB Terry
Cousin, OG Kevin Donnalley, LB Greg
Favors, S Deon Grant, CB Reggie Howard,
OG Jeno James, OT Todd Steussie, TE
Jermaine Wiggins.
Pre-snap read: In two
seasons, Fox took the Panthers from
a run-down 1-15 team to runner-up in
the Super Bowl. The catalysts for the
super run were a top-10 defense and
a new quarterback (Jake Delhomme) and
running back (Stephen Davis). All of
those elements return, but Delhomme
and Davis will depend on a reformed
line that will have new starters everywhere
but at center. Carolina might find it
difficult to repeat last year's numbers:
131 rushing yards per game and 27 sacks
allowed. The team's ability to find
five solid OL starters will be key to
whether the Panthers can get Davis over
1,400 yards rushing again and protect
Delhomme, who is hoping to build on
a solid first season as a starter. The
Panthers have perhaps the league's best
D-line — ends Julius Peppers and
Mike Rucker and tackles Kris Jenkins
and Brentson Buckner. They anchor a
defense that has been in the top eight
the past two seasons. That defense gets
better with the return of LB Mark Fields,
a former Washington State Cougar who
missed 2003 as he underwent treatment
for Hodgkin's disease.
What to expect: The
defense will keep the Panthers in games,
but winning the hyper-competitive NFC
South again will be tough if Carolina
can't block for Delhomme and Davis.
The line on the line:
The Panthers are very thin here after
losing both starting guards and two
expected new starters. Former first-rounder
Jordan Gross has moved from RT to LT,
so the run-oriented team will have new
starters at four spots. Grade:
D+
NFL
NFC South: New Orleans Saints preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
South: Second
Coach: Jim Haslett,
fifth season (34-30).
2003: 8-8 (second in NFC South). Finished
7-4 after a 1-4 start.
Key additions: CB Jason
Craft, FB Sam Gash, OG Jamar Nesbit,
DE Will Smith, RB Aaron Stecker, LB
Courtney Watson, DT Brian Young.
Key losses: CB Dale
Carter, C Jerry Fontenot, LB Darrin
Smith, FB Terrelle Smith.
Pre-snap read: The
Saints are the Big Tease in the Big
Easy. They have as much talent on offense
as any team in the league, but they
continue to fail because of their shortcomings
on defense and because they are an immature,
leaderless team. Since taking the Saints
to their first playoff win in 2000,
Haslett has failed to command consistent
performances from his talented team.
Discipline has been Haslett's biggest
failing, epitomized by WR Joe Horn's
cellphone call after scoring a TD last
season. The Saints finished poorly in
2001 (0-4) and 2002 (0-3), but a bad
start (1-4) doomed them last year. The
offense — No. 11 last year —
is led by inconsistent QB Aaron Brooks
and Pro Bowl RB Deuce McAllister. It
needs WR Donte Stallworth's hamstrings
to hold up, and Brooks needs to hold
onto the football. Brooks had 11 of
the Saints' league-high 20 lost fumbles
in 2003. The defense was 27th against
the run and had just 32 sacks, so they
brought in Young from the St. Louis
Rams and took Smith in the first round.
They join DEs Charles Grant and Darren
Howard and DT Johnathan Sullivan on
a line that could be one of the best
in football. Haslett is in the third
year of a five-year contract at about
$3 million per year, and owner Tom Benson's
reluctance to eat the final two years
might be the only thing that keeps Haslett
off the hot seat if his team underachieves
again.
What to expect: The
Saints have the talent to compete in
the tough NFC South. Five of their final
six games are against division foes.
The line on the line:
The Saints are moving Pro Bowl RG LeCharles
Bentley to center to get their three
best interior linemen on the field.
With RT Victor Riley, they will have
four power blockers (LT Wayne Gandy
is a top pass blocker). Grade:
B
NFL
NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
South: Third
Coach: Jon Gruden,
third season (19-13), seventh season
overall (57-39).
2003: 7-9 (third in NFC South). Lost
six of last nine games — five
of the losses by a TD or less.
Key additions: P Josh
Bidwell, WR Tim Brown, LB Keith Burns,
WR Michael Clayton, FB Greg Comella,
OT Derrick Deese, WR Joey Galloway,
RB Charlie Garner, LB Ian Gold, LB Jeff
Gooch, QB Brian Griese, TE Dave Moore,
OG Matt O'Dwyer, WR Bill Schroeder,
OT Todd Steussie, OL Matt Stinchcomb,
RB Jamel White.
Key losses: WR Keyshawn
Johnson, RB Thomas Jones, QB Shaun King,
S John Lynch, OT Roman Oben, LB Dwayne
Rudd, DT Warren Sapp, P Tom Tupa, LB
Nate Webster, TE Roland Williams.
Pre-snap read: Gruden,
who came over from the Oakland Raiders
in 2002, kept the Bay pipeline open
this offseason. He and new general manager
Bruce Allen (the Raiders' former GM)
brought in three former Raiders —
including Brown, who had spent 16 seasons
with the Raiders before being cut in
camp. Brown was among about 20 veterans
brought in after the Bucs missed the
playoffs for the first time since 1998.
Although the offense and defense were
both in the top 10 last season, the
defense gave up too many big plays and
the offense couldn't run the ball well
enough. With WR Keenan McCardell holding
out and RB Michael Pittman suspended
for three games, the offense could have
seven new starters, including Garner
and Galloway (obtained from Dallas for
Keyshawn Johnson). The defense underwent
fewer changes, but they are prominent.
The team let longtime defensive stalwarts
Sapp and Lynch go, and DTs Ellis Wyms
and Chartric Darby and FS Jermaine Phillips
will have to replace the former All-Pros.
What to expect: Gruden
will get his offense working enough
to challenge in the NFC South and push
for a playoff spot.
The line on the line:
The Bucs, who have struggled to run
the ball in recent years, imported four
veterans and will have new tackles and
perhaps new guards, too. C John Wade
is the only 2003 starter likely to start
in 2004. Grade: C-
NFL
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons preview
Predicted order of finish in the NFC
South: Fourth
Coach: Jim Mora, first
season.
2003: 5-11 (fourth in NFC South). After
a 3-10 start, Dan Reeves resigned in
his seventh year with the Falcons.
Key additions: CB Aaron
Beasley, OL Eric Beverly, DT Rod Coleman,
CB DeAngelo Hall, WR Michael Jenkins,
CB Jason Webster, WR Dez White.
Key losses: CB Tod
McBride, CB Ray Buchanan, LB Keith Newman,
OT Bob Whitfield, CB Tyrone Williams.
Pre-snap read: QB Michael
Vick is back after a broken leg ruined
his — and the team's — 2003
season. Mora and offensive coordinator
Greg Knapp have installed the West Coast
scheme they brought from San Francisco,
and the disciplined offense should keep
Vick healthier. The offense should be
vastly better than its No. 31 ranking
last season. Vick has plenty of targets:
WR Peerless Price, in his second season
since coming from Buffalo; Pro Bowl
TE Alge Crumpler; first-round pick Jenkins;
and RBs Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett.
Ed Donatell, former defensive coordinator
of the Green Bay Packers, will preside
over the team's switch from a 3-4 to
a 4-3 scheme to fix a unit that was
last in the league in 2003 (382 ypg).
Pro Bowl LB Keith Brooking has been
moved outside to take advantage of his
speed. Coleman will help up front, and
Webster will improve the secondary.
Hall, the team's other first-round pick,
was expected to start at the other corner,
but a hip injury will sideline him until
perhaps November.
What to expect: The
Falcons are a playoff contender as long
as Vick stays healthy.
The line on the line:
Alex Gibbs, who made Denver's running
game so potent, has installed his zone-blocking
scheme in Atlanta. The unit will have
two new starters. Whitfield, a longtime
standout, was released. Grade:
B-
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