Raiders Army
09-03-2004, 06:04 PM
AC North
Cleveland Browns
Passing Offense: A+. The Browns have the best passing attack in the league and lead in yards per game with 290.6 and possess 8.64 yards per attempt. Al Pastrana is the key in this offense, leading the league through eight games with 2,325 yards. He has passed to Haven Moses for a league-high 52 receptions and 904 yards.
Rushing Offense: C-. The controversy surrounding Paul Gipson and Perry Williams has decreased the production from both backs. Either one of them could be a 1,000 yard back, but neither will get enough carries to do it.
Overall Offense: B+. Cleveland will get it done through the air or on the ground.
Passing Defense: C. Willie Lanier has been sent on blitzes often, getting 8.0 sacks for the season so far.
Rushing Defense: C+. Lanier also has 60 tackles so far this year, leading the Browns.
Overall Defense: C+. As long as Lanier stays healthy, the Browns will be competitive.
Special Teams: A. Gino Cappelletti leads the league in field goals. He has also been perfect in extra point attempts. Mike Bragg is a serviceable punter.
Overall: B+. The Browns are the dark horse favorites to win the Superbowl.
Houston Oilers
Passing Offense: B. Charlie Brown is one of the best in the league with an amazing 18.4 yards per reception. He makes a strong case for rookie of the year.
Rushing Offense: D. One of the worst teams in rushing yardage, but Ken Iman has 18 key run blocks.
Overall Offense: C+. Houston must get their ground game going to make it into the playoffs.
Passing Defense: D. Give up the most yards in the AC with 272.1 yards per game. Bill Brundige has 14 hurries, but only 2.0 sacks for the year. The Green Bay Packers wish they wouldn’t have given up Ken Reaves since he leads the league with 6 interceptions.
Rushing Defense: C+. Lee Roy Jordan (MLB) is a good player, but needs more support around him.
Overall Defense: C. The Oilers need to stop the passing game in order to be competitive for a playoff spot.
Special Teams: C. Bernard Reidl has only missed one field goal this year. Bob Wallace, who starts at receiver for the Oilers, is risking injury returning kickoffs.
Overall: C. The Oilers need to work on their rushing offense and passing defense to get into the playoffs. If they can’t, Brown will be the key.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing Offense: C-. Virgil Carter has been spectacularly bad lately, throwing no touchdowns and seven interceptions in the past three games. Glenn Alexander, the rookie receiver out of Clemson, shows great promise, but needs to get open more often.
Rushing Offense: B-. Harmon Wages and Essex Johnson have combined for 885 yards on the ground through eight games. While not “thunder and lightning”, both could start for any NFL team.
Overall Offense: C. The Steelers must rely more on their rushing attack to set up the pass.
Passing Defense: C+. Al Matthews is a role-model rookie, grabbing 5 picks so far this year.
Rushing Defense: A-. The Steelers have kept their opponents to only 3.4 yards per carry, 2nd best in the league.
Overall Defense: B. The Steelers need to tighten up the secondary, but otherwise they will get the win.
Special Teams: C+. Terry Morrison, a rookie from California is doing well adjusting to the smaller goalposts. Wages could have a better return average if Johnson would assume starting duties.
Overall: C+. The Steelers must cut down on turnovers in order to make the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals
Passing Offense: B-. Terry Henratty has had an up and down year so far, and must be more consistent. Although the receiver corps is thin, Altie Taylor (RB), Mel Farr (FB), and Bob Klein (TE) have great hands and have been able to get open.
Rushing Offense: C. The Bengals lead the league with an amazing 4.75 yards per carry. Altie Taylor is the leading team rusher with 720 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns.
Overall Offense: C+. The Bengals need a better half from Henratty, but Taylor will keep them in games.
Passing Defense: D. The Bengals have no interceptions this season. Kenny Logan, the Defensive Coordinator, has offered two hookers for the first player to record an interception.
Rushing Defense: C. Jimmy Gunn, while solid against the run, cannot rush the quarterback. Frank Nunley supports Gunn well.
Overall Defense: C-. Without turnovers, this defense won’t help the offense win games.
Special Teams: D. Howard Ingram and Charlie Pierce are hurting the team more than they are helping the team.
Overall: C-. The defense will be the Achilles heel to this team. Ingram and Pierce might be looking for new jobs next year.
AC South
Houston Texans
Passing Offense: D+. Although Len Dawson has done well throwing 11 touchdowns and giving up 6 interceptions, he has only passed for 1,386 total yards.
Rushing Offense: C+. Fran Lynch has performed well, but has not lived up to the expectations of the second overall pick in the initial draft. Hoyle Granger is a capable backup.
Overall Offense: C-. Expect Lynch to slow down in the second half, since he isn’t used to a 16 game schedule.
Passing Defense: C+. The team has snagged 12 interceptions. John Neidert leads the team with 4.0 sacks.
Rushing Defense: D+. The Texans give up the most yards per game in the conference.
Overall Defense: C-. The Texans need to tighten up their run defense.
Special Teams: A-. Robert Van Horn has only missed one field goal this year so far. Drew Buie has a 26.6 yard return average.
Overall: C. How this team wins games is a credit to the Head Coach, C.J. Davison.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Passing Offense: B+. Don’t tell Bill Munson about the “Munson Curse” from Kingpin. He’s took over full time as the Jags’ starting QB and hasn’t looked back. He’s got a great young receiving corps with Gene Washington and Rich Caster.
Rushing Offense: C+. Lloyd Pate, the rookie running back from Cincinnati, made a bid for Offensive Rookie of the year, gaining 660 yards through a sprained knee injury.
Overall Offense: B-. As long as Pate stays healthy, this team is poised for a playoff run.
Passing Defense: B. Dave Hadley leads the team with 2 interceptions, and Stan Hindman leads the team with 4.0 sacks.
Rushing Defense: A. Mike Dirks anchors the defensive line with 40 tackles.
Overall Defense: B+. The defense works as a team, stopping both the run and the pass.
Special Teams: C. The Jags have a decent kicking game, and a suspect return game. Pate, in spot duty, returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Overall: B. The Jags should move into first place in their division in the coming weeks, pending no catastrophic injuries.
Baltimore Colts
Passing Offense: C+. Rich Houston leads the league with 8 touchdown grabs, and Joe Namath has done well in spots.
Rushing Offense: B. Danny Pierce, the Colts’ rookie from Memphis, has gained 565 yards over 137 carries.
Overall Offense: B-. Houston will help the colts win games, and the offensive line must work together better.
Passing Defense: A-. Bob Brown, one of the starting defensive tackles, has 7.5 sacks.
Rushing Defense: B-. Jerry Inman, the other defensive tackle, leads the team with 46 tackles.
Overall Defense: B+. The Colts’ strength is the middle of the defensive line.
Special Teams: C. The Colts have a serviceable kicker and punter, and the return game is okay as well.
Overall: B-. The Colts have a good playoff shot if Brown and Inman stay healthy.
Baltimore Ravens
Passing Offense: D. The Ravens are worst in the league with 4.76 yards per attempt. Don Gault has only thrown two touchdowns; conversely, he’s thrown 12 interceptions.
Rushing Offense: F. 2nd Worst yards per game on the ground. Averages a little over 87 yards per game.
Overall Offense: F. My mom said to me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
Passing Defense: B-. The Ravens give up the fewest yards per completion in the league.
Rushing Defense: C+. LBs John Bramlett and Nick Buoniconti are the meat of this defense.
Overall Defense: C+. Bramlett, Buoniconti, and Don Webb (SS) are the keys to this defense.
Special Teams: C-. Even though Roman Parten hasn’t had many opportunities, he has only made 66% of his field goals (4 of 6). Sam Havrilak (PR) has a 20 yards per return average with a touchdown.
Overall: D. The Ravens should look to start their rookies and prep for the first pick in the draft.
AC East
New England Patriots
Passing Offense: F. Have the fewest sacks allowed with 5. Wayne Clark, a dependable rookie, has only 1,181 passing yards through nine games.
Rushing Offense: A+. Leads the AFC in yards per game with 167.8. Nick Eddy accounts for 1,020 of those yards has 9 rushing touchdowns.
Overall Offense: B+. Running the ball wins games.
Passing Defense: B. Claude Humphrey has 8.5 sacks so far this season. Nemiah Wilson and Johnny Robinson both have 4 picks.
Rushing Defense: B+. Carter Campbell is a true tackling machine, with 69 tackles on the year. What he doesn’t tackle, Grady Allen gets.
Overall Defense: B+. Being able to stop the run is a good start. Being able to smother the pass is even better.
Special Teams: B+. Junior Atkins is having a good year, going 14/17 FGs. Paul Maguire has an amazing 45.3 punting average. The return game is good as well.
Overall: A. The New England Patriots can put it all together for a huge run to the Superbowl. Clock control is key to their success.
Buffalo Bills
Passing Offense: A+. The Bills’ 289.7 yards per game is 2nd best in the league. Johnny Unitas also has 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions through 8 games. George Seymour has 764 yards and 7 touchdowns so far, and has set the goal of 1,500 yards this season.
Rushing Offense: A-. The Bills’ 136.2 yards per game is outstanding. Their one-two punch with Bill Tripplett (632 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Jim Kiick (384 yards, 7 touchdowns) is among the league’s best.
Overall Offense: A+. Probably the most balanced offense, the Bills are the best in the league.
Passing Defense: A. Best in the conference, and third best in the league in passing yards allowed. The Bills are tied for the fewest team sacks in the league.
Rushing Defense: B-. Tom McCauley has too many tackles in the secondary. Rocky Rosema and Chuck Howley need to step it up.
Overall Defense: B+. As long as injuries keep away, this defense is one of the best.
Special Teams: C+. John Spilis is a utility man. He can return kickoffs and catch passes. Randal Martin is having a decent year, scoring 11 field goals so far.
Overall: A-. If the Patriots weren’t in this division, the Bills would dominate.
New York Jets
Passing Offense: C. Norm Snead leads the league in passing rating; when healthy, he’s unstoppable. Tom Vinyard is having an outstanding rookie season as the starting center; he hasn’t given up a sack and has 29 key run blocks.
Rushing Offense: A. Third in the league in yards per game, and averages 4.3 yards per carry. O.J. Simpson is the predominant runner, and has 744 yards on 149 carries for a 4.9 yards per carry average.
Overall Offense: B. The Jets rely on the running game, but the passing game can win games, too.
Passing Defense: C+. Tom Vaughn leads the team with 3 interceptions. The Jets need to get more production out of Nick Roman, who can be dominating at times.
Rushing Defense: C. Bob Babich, the rookie out of Miami, Ohio, has surprised many with his intensity and desire to win. If more players could feed off him, not many teams would be able to rush on the Jets.
Overall Defense: C. Stop the run. Stop the run. Stop the run. If the Jets can do that, they won’t have to worry about the offense.
Special Teams: C+. Ron Widby is doing well this season, but it’s pretty bad if your punter is getting a lot of business.
Overall: B-. It’s a tough division, so the Jets need to hope for a wildcard playoff spot.
Miami Dolphins
Passing Offense: C-. Tied for the most sacks allowed with 27. John Hadl is getting beat up and it shows, since he only has 1,337 yards this season. Dan Reeves has 175 yards after the catch, although he’s the starting running back.
Rushing Offense: C-. Dan Reeves has 552 yards on the ground, but has had trouble finding the endzone. His last rushing touchdown was against Buffalo in Week 3.
Overall Offense: C-. If the passing and rushing offenses are C-, then the overall offense must be C-.
Passing Defense: D+. The Dolphins are among the worst in the league in yards allowed and are tied for the fewest amount of team sacks.
Rushing Defense: C-. Miami’s opponents have rushed 280 times on them, tied for the most in the league. Jim Flies is a run stopper, with 67 tackles and 35 assists over eight games.
Overall Defense: D. If the ‘Fins can’t stop the run or the pass, then their offense should get more playing time.
Special Teams: B-. Todd Emerson has only missed one field goal this year. Warren Wells is a decent kickoff returner.
Overall: C-. In this division, the Dolphins had better look to the NC for wins.
AC West
Oakland Raiders
Passing Offense: C+. Fran Tarkenton knows how to win games. His numbers won’t impress you, but he’ll pull through thanks to rookie WR Mike Brunson and receivers leader Al Denson.
Rushing Offense: A. Leads the league in yards per carry with an amazing 4.67. Walt Garrison, the Raiders’ 9th round pick in the initial draft, is performing the best of any fullback. Garrison has 435 yards rushing and 224 yards receiving; his blocking is suspect due to only two key run blocks for the year. Once Gale Sayers comes back, this offensive will be scary!
Overall Offense: B+. Garrison must remain healthy for this offense to click.
Passing Defense: B-. The Raiders lead the league with 34 team sacks and allow only 5.5 yards per passing attempt.
Rushing Defense: A+. The Raiders front seven allow only 83.6 yards per game on the ground, the best in the league.
Overall Defense: A-. George Wright, Al Andrews, and Tony Plummer make this defense dominating. Without them, it would only be mediocre.
Special Teams: B+. Rusty Rogers isn’t rusty; in fact, he’s 11/12 on his field goals and is 18/19 on extra points. The Raiders’ return game is average.
Overall: A. There is a commitment to excellence in Oakland.
Denver Broncos
Passing Offense: A. Passing for 282.4 yards per game. Rick Norton is having an outstanding year, with 2,514 yards so far.
Rushing Offense: D. With only 90 yards on the ground per game, Denver’s rushing is suspect. 6’3” LT Pete Perreault anchors the line. Dave Hampton (RB) has fumbled 5 times in nine games.
Overall Offense: B. As long as Norton throws the ball, the Broncos always have a chance to win.
Passing Defense: C+. The Broncos are 2nd best in the league with 28 team sacks. Mike Reid has 9.0 of those sacks and is tied for the conference lead.
Rushing Defense: C-. Denver’s opponents rush for 4.69 yards per carry.
Overall Defense: C. When Bennie McRae is healthy, this defense is better. Until then, they are just average.
Special Teams: A-. Garo Yepremian has hit 16 out of 17 field goal attempts, the longest of which was 51 yards. Larry Seiple is a great young punter. The punting return game is the only thing that needs improvement.
Overall: B-. The Broncos should give the Raiders a run for the division champion.
Kansas City Chiefs
Passing Offense: B. Ken Stabler’s performance so far has been outstanding, throwing 10 touchdowns and only giving up 2 interceptions. Ray Ogden, the Chiefs’ tight end, has been his favorite target, catching 46 balls for 456 yards.
Rushing Offense: C. The Chiefs better be glad they rush a lot, because their yards per carry are the worst in the league with only 3.38 YPC.
Overall Offense: B-. The offensive line needs to step it up the second half of the season.
Passing Defense: C-. Losing Mark Washington for up to five weeks hurts this secondary. The defensive line doesn’t help matters either.
Rushing Defense: A-. The strong side anchors this strong rushing defense. SLB Bobby Bell is one of the best at his position.
Overall Defense: C+. Bell will keep the score close.
Special Teams: B-. Wayne Evans has done well so far this season, going 12 of 13 field goals. Tyrone Schmidgall, a return specialist, has a 22.7 kickoff return average with one touchdown.
Overall: B-. As long as the Chiefs are ahead, they don’t have to worry about their passing defense.
San Diego Chargers
Passing Offense: A. Third best in the league with 284.2 yards per game. Otis Taylor has grabbed 49 catches for 802 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Rushing Offense: F. Worst in the league with an anemic 77 yards per game. It didn’t help when Bruce Maxwell, the outstanding rookie from Arkansas, got injured with a strained deltoid muscle and has missed a few games.
Overall Offense: C-. This pass happy offense will do well against bad defensive backfields.
Passing Defense: C. Alden Roche is tied for the conference lead with 9.0 sacks. Don Hansen has come on blitzes as well, getting 6.0 sacks.
Rushing Defense: B. San Diego’s linebacking corps is one of the best in the league. Ray May (WLB), Don Hansen (SLB), and Mike McCaffrey (MLB) make up a young, hungry, hitting crew.
Overall Defense: B-. The LBs terrorize running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks.
Special Teams: B+. Dennis Partee should be the kicker of the year. He is 13 of 15 field goals and has a 40.9 punting average. Alvin Hartman nees to look for a new job.
Overall: C+. The Chargers have a playoff shot, but it will be difficult in the AC West.
Cleveland Browns
Passing Offense: A+. The Browns have the best passing attack in the league and lead in yards per game with 290.6 and possess 8.64 yards per attempt. Al Pastrana is the key in this offense, leading the league through eight games with 2,325 yards. He has passed to Haven Moses for a league-high 52 receptions and 904 yards.
Rushing Offense: C-. The controversy surrounding Paul Gipson and Perry Williams has decreased the production from both backs. Either one of them could be a 1,000 yard back, but neither will get enough carries to do it.
Overall Offense: B+. Cleveland will get it done through the air or on the ground.
Passing Defense: C. Willie Lanier has been sent on blitzes often, getting 8.0 sacks for the season so far.
Rushing Defense: C+. Lanier also has 60 tackles so far this year, leading the Browns.
Overall Defense: C+. As long as Lanier stays healthy, the Browns will be competitive.
Special Teams: A. Gino Cappelletti leads the league in field goals. He has also been perfect in extra point attempts. Mike Bragg is a serviceable punter.
Overall: B+. The Browns are the dark horse favorites to win the Superbowl.
Houston Oilers
Passing Offense: B. Charlie Brown is one of the best in the league with an amazing 18.4 yards per reception. He makes a strong case for rookie of the year.
Rushing Offense: D. One of the worst teams in rushing yardage, but Ken Iman has 18 key run blocks.
Overall Offense: C+. Houston must get their ground game going to make it into the playoffs.
Passing Defense: D. Give up the most yards in the AC with 272.1 yards per game. Bill Brundige has 14 hurries, but only 2.0 sacks for the year. The Green Bay Packers wish they wouldn’t have given up Ken Reaves since he leads the league with 6 interceptions.
Rushing Defense: C+. Lee Roy Jordan (MLB) is a good player, but needs more support around him.
Overall Defense: C. The Oilers need to stop the passing game in order to be competitive for a playoff spot.
Special Teams: C. Bernard Reidl has only missed one field goal this year. Bob Wallace, who starts at receiver for the Oilers, is risking injury returning kickoffs.
Overall: C. The Oilers need to work on their rushing offense and passing defense to get into the playoffs. If they can’t, Brown will be the key.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing Offense: C-. Virgil Carter has been spectacularly bad lately, throwing no touchdowns and seven interceptions in the past three games. Glenn Alexander, the rookie receiver out of Clemson, shows great promise, but needs to get open more often.
Rushing Offense: B-. Harmon Wages and Essex Johnson have combined for 885 yards on the ground through eight games. While not “thunder and lightning”, both could start for any NFL team.
Overall Offense: C. The Steelers must rely more on their rushing attack to set up the pass.
Passing Defense: C+. Al Matthews is a role-model rookie, grabbing 5 picks so far this year.
Rushing Defense: A-. The Steelers have kept their opponents to only 3.4 yards per carry, 2nd best in the league.
Overall Defense: B. The Steelers need to tighten up the secondary, but otherwise they will get the win.
Special Teams: C+. Terry Morrison, a rookie from California is doing well adjusting to the smaller goalposts. Wages could have a better return average if Johnson would assume starting duties.
Overall: C+. The Steelers must cut down on turnovers in order to make the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals
Passing Offense: B-. Terry Henratty has had an up and down year so far, and must be more consistent. Although the receiver corps is thin, Altie Taylor (RB), Mel Farr (FB), and Bob Klein (TE) have great hands and have been able to get open.
Rushing Offense: C. The Bengals lead the league with an amazing 4.75 yards per carry. Altie Taylor is the leading team rusher with 720 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns.
Overall Offense: C+. The Bengals need a better half from Henratty, but Taylor will keep them in games.
Passing Defense: D. The Bengals have no interceptions this season. Kenny Logan, the Defensive Coordinator, has offered two hookers for the first player to record an interception.
Rushing Defense: C. Jimmy Gunn, while solid against the run, cannot rush the quarterback. Frank Nunley supports Gunn well.
Overall Defense: C-. Without turnovers, this defense won’t help the offense win games.
Special Teams: D. Howard Ingram and Charlie Pierce are hurting the team more than they are helping the team.
Overall: C-. The defense will be the Achilles heel to this team. Ingram and Pierce might be looking for new jobs next year.
AC South
Houston Texans
Passing Offense: D+. Although Len Dawson has done well throwing 11 touchdowns and giving up 6 interceptions, he has only passed for 1,386 total yards.
Rushing Offense: C+. Fran Lynch has performed well, but has not lived up to the expectations of the second overall pick in the initial draft. Hoyle Granger is a capable backup.
Overall Offense: C-. Expect Lynch to slow down in the second half, since he isn’t used to a 16 game schedule.
Passing Defense: C+. The team has snagged 12 interceptions. John Neidert leads the team with 4.0 sacks.
Rushing Defense: D+. The Texans give up the most yards per game in the conference.
Overall Defense: C-. The Texans need to tighten up their run defense.
Special Teams: A-. Robert Van Horn has only missed one field goal this year so far. Drew Buie has a 26.6 yard return average.
Overall: C. How this team wins games is a credit to the Head Coach, C.J. Davison.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Passing Offense: B+. Don’t tell Bill Munson about the “Munson Curse” from Kingpin. He’s took over full time as the Jags’ starting QB and hasn’t looked back. He’s got a great young receiving corps with Gene Washington and Rich Caster.
Rushing Offense: C+. Lloyd Pate, the rookie running back from Cincinnati, made a bid for Offensive Rookie of the year, gaining 660 yards through a sprained knee injury.
Overall Offense: B-. As long as Pate stays healthy, this team is poised for a playoff run.
Passing Defense: B. Dave Hadley leads the team with 2 interceptions, and Stan Hindman leads the team with 4.0 sacks.
Rushing Defense: A. Mike Dirks anchors the defensive line with 40 tackles.
Overall Defense: B+. The defense works as a team, stopping both the run and the pass.
Special Teams: C. The Jags have a decent kicking game, and a suspect return game. Pate, in spot duty, returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Overall: B. The Jags should move into first place in their division in the coming weeks, pending no catastrophic injuries.
Baltimore Colts
Passing Offense: C+. Rich Houston leads the league with 8 touchdown grabs, and Joe Namath has done well in spots.
Rushing Offense: B. Danny Pierce, the Colts’ rookie from Memphis, has gained 565 yards over 137 carries.
Overall Offense: B-. Houston will help the colts win games, and the offensive line must work together better.
Passing Defense: A-. Bob Brown, one of the starting defensive tackles, has 7.5 sacks.
Rushing Defense: B-. Jerry Inman, the other defensive tackle, leads the team with 46 tackles.
Overall Defense: B+. The Colts’ strength is the middle of the defensive line.
Special Teams: C. The Colts have a serviceable kicker and punter, and the return game is okay as well.
Overall: B-. The Colts have a good playoff shot if Brown and Inman stay healthy.
Baltimore Ravens
Passing Offense: D. The Ravens are worst in the league with 4.76 yards per attempt. Don Gault has only thrown two touchdowns; conversely, he’s thrown 12 interceptions.
Rushing Offense: F. 2nd Worst yards per game on the ground. Averages a little over 87 yards per game.
Overall Offense: F. My mom said to me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
Passing Defense: B-. The Ravens give up the fewest yards per completion in the league.
Rushing Defense: C+. LBs John Bramlett and Nick Buoniconti are the meat of this defense.
Overall Defense: C+. Bramlett, Buoniconti, and Don Webb (SS) are the keys to this defense.
Special Teams: C-. Even though Roman Parten hasn’t had many opportunities, he has only made 66% of his field goals (4 of 6). Sam Havrilak (PR) has a 20 yards per return average with a touchdown.
Overall: D. The Ravens should look to start their rookies and prep for the first pick in the draft.
AC East
New England Patriots
Passing Offense: F. Have the fewest sacks allowed with 5. Wayne Clark, a dependable rookie, has only 1,181 passing yards through nine games.
Rushing Offense: A+. Leads the AFC in yards per game with 167.8. Nick Eddy accounts for 1,020 of those yards has 9 rushing touchdowns.
Overall Offense: B+. Running the ball wins games.
Passing Defense: B. Claude Humphrey has 8.5 sacks so far this season. Nemiah Wilson and Johnny Robinson both have 4 picks.
Rushing Defense: B+. Carter Campbell is a true tackling machine, with 69 tackles on the year. What he doesn’t tackle, Grady Allen gets.
Overall Defense: B+. Being able to stop the run is a good start. Being able to smother the pass is even better.
Special Teams: B+. Junior Atkins is having a good year, going 14/17 FGs. Paul Maguire has an amazing 45.3 punting average. The return game is good as well.
Overall: A. The New England Patriots can put it all together for a huge run to the Superbowl. Clock control is key to their success.
Buffalo Bills
Passing Offense: A+. The Bills’ 289.7 yards per game is 2nd best in the league. Johnny Unitas also has 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions through 8 games. George Seymour has 764 yards and 7 touchdowns so far, and has set the goal of 1,500 yards this season.
Rushing Offense: A-. The Bills’ 136.2 yards per game is outstanding. Their one-two punch with Bill Tripplett (632 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Jim Kiick (384 yards, 7 touchdowns) is among the league’s best.
Overall Offense: A+. Probably the most balanced offense, the Bills are the best in the league.
Passing Defense: A. Best in the conference, and third best in the league in passing yards allowed. The Bills are tied for the fewest team sacks in the league.
Rushing Defense: B-. Tom McCauley has too many tackles in the secondary. Rocky Rosema and Chuck Howley need to step it up.
Overall Defense: B+. As long as injuries keep away, this defense is one of the best.
Special Teams: C+. John Spilis is a utility man. He can return kickoffs and catch passes. Randal Martin is having a decent year, scoring 11 field goals so far.
Overall: A-. If the Patriots weren’t in this division, the Bills would dominate.
New York Jets
Passing Offense: C. Norm Snead leads the league in passing rating; when healthy, he’s unstoppable. Tom Vinyard is having an outstanding rookie season as the starting center; he hasn’t given up a sack and has 29 key run blocks.
Rushing Offense: A. Third in the league in yards per game, and averages 4.3 yards per carry. O.J. Simpson is the predominant runner, and has 744 yards on 149 carries for a 4.9 yards per carry average.
Overall Offense: B. The Jets rely on the running game, but the passing game can win games, too.
Passing Defense: C+. Tom Vaughn leads the team with 3 interceptions. The Jets need to get more production out of Nick Roman, who can be dominating at times.
Rushing Defense: C. Bob Babich, the rookie out of Miami, Ohio, has surprised many with his intensity and desire to win. If more players could feed off him, not many teams would be able to rush on the Jets.
Overall Defense: C. Stop the run. Stop the run. Stop the run. If the Jets can do that, they won’t have to worry about the offense.
Special Teams: C+. Ron Widby is doing well this season, but it’s pretty bad if your punter is getting a lot of business.
Overall: B-. It’s a tough division, so the Jets need to hope for a wildcard playoff spot.
Miami Dolphins
Passing Offense: C-. Tied for the most sacks allowed with 27. John Hadl is getting beat up and it shows, since he only has 1,337 yards this season. Dan Reeves has 175 yards after the catch, although he’s the starting running back.
Rushing Offense: C-. Dan Reeves has 552 yards on the ground, but has had trouble finding the endzone. His last rushing touchdown was against Buffalo in Week 3.
Overall Offense: C-. If the passing and rushing offenses are C-, then the overall offense must be C-.
Passing Defense: D+. The Dolphins are among the worst in the league in yards allowed and are tied for the fewest amount of team sacks.
Rushing Defense: C-. Miami’s opponents have rushed 280 times on them, tied for the most in the league. Jim Flies is a run stopper, with 67 tackles and 35 assists over eight games.
Overall Defense: D. If the ‘Fins can’t stop the run or the pass, then their offense should get more playing time.
Special Teams: B-. Todd Emerson has only missed one field goal this year. Warren Wells is a decent kickoff returner.
Overall: C-. In this division, the Dolphins had better look to the NC for wins.
AC West
Oakland Raiders
Passing Offense: C+. Fran Tarkenton knows how to win games. His numbers won’t impress you, but he’ll pull through thanks to rookie WR Mike Brunson and receivers leader Al Denson.
Rushing Offense: A. Leads the league in yards per carry with an amazing 4.67. Walt Garrison, the Raiders’ 9th round pick in the initial draft, is performing the best of any fullback. Garrison has 435 yards rushing and 224 yards receiving; his blocking is suspect due to only two key run blocks for the year. Once Gale Sayers comes back, this offensive will be scary!
Overall Offense: B+. Garrison must remain healthy for this offense to click.
Passing Defense: B-. The Raiders lead the league with 34 team sacks and allow only 5.5 yards per passing attempt.
Rushing Defense: A+. The Raiders front seven allow only 83.6 yards per game on the ground, the best in the league.
Overall Defense: A-. George Wright, Al Andrews, and Tony Plummer make this defense dominating. Without them, it would only be mediocre.
Special Teams: B+. Rusty Rogers isn’t rusty; in fact, he’s 11/12 on his field goals and is 18/19 on extra points. The Raiders’ return game is average.
Overall: A. There is a commitment to excellence in Oakland.
Denver Broncos
Passing Offense: A. Passing for 282.4 yards per game. Rick Norton is having an outstanding year, with 2,514 yards so far.
Rushing Offense: D. With only 90 yards on the ground per game, Denver’s rushing is suspect. 6’3” LT Pete Perreault anchors the line. Dave Hampton (RB) has fumbled 5 times in nine games.
Overall Offense: B. As long as Norton throws the ball, the Broncos always have a chance to win.
Passing Defense: C+. The Broncos are 2nd best in the league with 28 team sacks. Mike Reid has 9.0 of those sacks and is tied for the conference lead.
Rushing Defense: C-. Denver’s opponents rush for 4.69 yards per carry.
Overall Defense: C. When Bennie McRae is healthy, this defense is better. Until then, they are just average.
Special Teams: A-. Garo Yepremian has hit 16 out of 17 field goal attempts, the longest of which was 51 yards. Larry Seiple is a great young punter. The punting return game is the only thing that needs improvement.
Overall: B-. The Broncos should give the Raiders a run for the division champion.
Kansas City Chiefs
Passing Offense: B. Ken Stabler’s performance so far has been outstanding, throwing 10 touchdowns and only giving up 2 interceptions. Ray Ogden, the Chiefs’ tight end, has been his favorite target, catching 46 balls for 456 yards.
Rushing Offense: C. The Chiefs better be glad they rush a lot, because their yards per carry are the worst in the league with only 3.38 YPC.
Overall Offense: B-. The offensive line needs to step it up the second half of the season.
Passing Defense: C-. Losing Mark Washington for up to five weeks hurts this secondary. The defensive line doesn’t help matters either.
Rushing Defense: A-. The strong side anchors this strong rushing defense. SLB Bobby Bell is one of the best at his position.
Overall Defense: C+. Bell will keep the score close.
Special Teams: B-. Wayne Evans has done well so far this season, going 12 of 13 field goals. Tyrone Schmidgall, a return specialist, has a 22.7 kickoff return average with one touchdown.
Overall: B-. As long as the Chiefs are ahead, they don’t have to worry about their passing defense.
San Diego Chargers
Passing Offense: A. Third best in the league with 284.2 yards per game. Otis Taylor has grabbed 49 catches for 802 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Rushing Offense: F. Worst in the league with an anemic 77 yards per game. It didn’t help when Bruce Maxwell, the outstanding rookie from Arkansas, got injured with a strained deltoid muscle and has missed a few games.
Overall Offense: C-. This pass happy offense will do well against bad defensive backfields.
Passing Defense: C. Alden Roche is tied for the conference lead with 9.0 sacks. Don Hansen has come on blitzes as well, getting 6.0 sacks.
Rushing Defense: B. San Diego’s linebacking corps is one of the best in the league. Ray May (WLB), Don Hansen (SLB), and Mike McCaffrey (MLB) make up a young, hungry, hitting crew.
Overall Defense: B-. The LBs terrorize running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks.
Special Teams: B+. Dennis Partee should be the kicker of the year. He is 13 of 15 field goals and has a 40.9 punting average. Alvin Hartman nees to look for a new job.
Overall: C+. The Chargers have a playoff shot, but it will be difficult in the AC West.