Raiders Army
09-04-2004, 10:28 AM
NC North
Chicago Bears
Passing Offense: D. Frank Patrick, the rookie QB, was steadily getting better, throwing four touchdowns against Detroit, but he regressed in Week 9 throwing no touchdowns and three interceptions against San Diego.
Rushing Offense: A+. Leads the league in yards per game with 172.3. Roy Shivers, the 5th year running back out of Utah State, leads the team with 652 yards on the ground. He’s only started the Bears’ last five games, so look for more of Shivers. Ron Johnson is a very capable change of pace back.
Overall Offense: B+. The left side of the offensive line is strong, with Howard Fest and Bob Hyland (who is playing out of position at guard).
Passing Defense: C+. The Bears give up the most yards per completion in the league. Joe Robb leads the league with 9.5 sacks.
Rushing Defense: A+. The Bears’ front seven only give up 86.3 yards per game on the ground, the best in the conference. Seven-year veteran Lloyd Voss plugs the middle to make this defense work.
Overall Defense: A-. The defensive line is Chicago’s strength. As long as they hold, the defense will hold.
Special Teams: C+. Glenn Joyner is doing well for a rookie. Jerrel Wilson needs to live up to his hype since he only averages 38.3 yards per punt.
Overall: B+. Da Bears’ defense will keep them in games, and the offense will win those games.
Green Bay Packers
Passing Offense: B+. Second year man Mike Livingston is on pace for 4,000 yards, but needs to cut down on his interceptions. Clyde Glosson has 590 yards, but only one touchdown for the year so far.
Rushing Offense: B. Jimmy Thomas is the team’s leading rusher with 714 yards over eight games. Gale Gillingham is the key to this offensive line that blocks for Thomas.
Overall Offense: B+. With Livingston gunslinging, the Packers can always come from behind.
Passing Defense: A+. Lead the league with allowing only 165.2 yards per game in the air. John Ward has 17 hurries from the defensive end position.
Rushing Defense: C+. Ralph Baker, the Packers’ MLB, is solid. When Paul Naumoff comes back from his stress fracture, the defense will improve greatly.
Overall Defense: B+. The Packers have a young, hungry defense. As they continue to jell, opposing offenses had better worry.
Special Teams: B. Horst Muhlmann and Mike Eischeid are dependable, clutch kickers. The returners are also reliable.
Overall: B+. The Packers should threaten the Bears for the NC North over the next few weeks.
Detroit Lions
Passing Offense: C+. Although a fan favorite, Daryl Lamonica hasn’t done anything exceptional to increase jersey sales. He’s got two small receivers with Lew Porter (5’10”) and Mac Haik (5’11”).
Rushing Offense: B. Bill Enyart and Mike Hull are a good one-two punch at running back. Rookie Dennis Nelson continues to surprise as he has 16 key run blocks this year.
Overall Offense: C+. Lamonica isn’t a threat to run, but he shouldn’t need to. Porter and Haik need to get open more often for this offense to click.
Passing Defense: F. The Lions give up the most yards in the air with 280.8 yards per game. When your linebackers have four of your nine interceptions, something is wrong.
Rushing Defense: D. The only bright spot here is Ed Mooney, who is on pace for over 100 tackles for the season.
Overall Defense: D-. Winfred Dixon had better start looking for a new job. Although Dixon is rated as one of the best coordinators in the league, he isn’t living up to expectations.
Special Teams: A. The kicker combo of Newton and Bradley is the best in the league. Word is that a certain company (hint: N&B) wants to license action figures based on these kickers.
Overall: D+. The plus is for the kickers. Something needs to change, and change soon.
Minnesota Vikings
Passing Offense: C. Lead the league with 14 yards per completion. Greg Larson has helped matters by not giving up a sack so far this year. Although Sonny Jurgenson is the mentor for Mike Phipps, he hasn’t acted like one, throwing 9 picks in 5 games.
Rushing Offense: C-. Dick Hart’s hyperextended elbow didn’t help this suspect offensive line at all. While Charlie Brown has talent, it’s hard to get the ball to the RB when you’re behind.
Overall Offense: C-. Maybe Steve Spurrier, the punter and kicker, needs to be put in at QB. At least he has a 100% completion rate.
Passing Defense: F. The Vikings give up the 2nd most yards in the air with 276.3 yards per game. Ed Sharockman and Lee Calland are average, but they are in no danger of being fired, since there is no depth at CB.
Rushing Defense: F. The Vikings give up the most yards in the league with 142 yards per game. Rick Cunningham is the bright spot, with 67 tackles over eight games.
Overall Defense: F. If I could give them a F-, I would.
Special Teams: A. Steve Spurrier has been pulling double duty at punter and kicker. Word is that the Gators job is coming open, so unless the Vikes can keep him, they’re going to need to replace one kicker with two.
Overall: D. The offense can’t offset the horrible defense. Ted McCree, the Head Coach, is young enough to find a new job.
NC South
New Orleans Saints
Passing Offense: B-. Earl Morrall is essential to the offense, generating 17 trips to the end zone through 9 games. He is tied for the league leader in passing touchdowns.
Rushing Offense: A-. Doing well in the rushing game and the Saints’ 136.8 yards per game is 2nd best in the Conference. Craig Baynham is the workhorse with 809 yards for 207 carries. Baynham is not a red-zone threat, however, since he only has 3 touchdowns in eight games.
Overall Offense: B+. Although Jack Clancy needs to get open more often, this offense is one of the best when everyone is on the same gameplan.
Passing Defense: A-. The Saints have one of the best secondaries in the league. Their depth is vast, and several players have stepped up due to injuries.
Rushing Defense: A. This is a team effort and it shows. The front seven are able to stop most offenses, and safety Ken Dyer will mop up the rest.
Overall Defense: A+. You can’t pass on these guys, and you sure can’t run on them either.
Special Teams: C-. Luther Cochrane is doing well as the punter, but Jon Harmon might be looking for a new job next year. He’s 7 for 13 on field goal attempts. Bill and Wendell Tucker (RB and WR) are good kickoff returners.
Overall: A-. The Saints’ defense is their strength. Expectations are high in the Big Easy.
Carolina Panthers
Passing Offense: C+. Pat Hughes has not given up a sack through eight games as the starting center. Marty Domres, the Panthers’ QB, has been looking good, but hopefully the game against Houston was an aberration when he threw no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Rushing Offense: D+. Neither Odell Dawson or Sid Blanks are good enough to start. This is a glaring hole in the gameplan.
Overall Offense: C-. Domres has more pressure on him than he needs. If he had a running game, then that might elevate his game.
Passing Defense: C. Sweeny Williams has been dominant from the defensive end. The Panthers have combined for 14 interceptions; 6 of them were returned for touchdowns.
Rushing Defense: B-. Garlard Boyette is playing better than most people thought this year. Jim Hudson (SS) is making too many tackles.
Overall Defense: C+. The defensive line is the strength here.
Special Teams: B+. Artie Blake hasn’t gotten many attempts due to the offense, but he’s made them count. Al Coleman has a 11.1 PR average.
Overall: C. The Panthers might have an outside shot to make the playoffs, but someone needs to step up on offense.
Atlanta Falcons
Passing Offense: B. Don Horn needs to work on consistency in the passing game. Rookie wideout Ron Shanklin has had a good year, both receiving and returning.
Rushing Offense: C. Chuck Mercein has had an injury-plagued year, and has only gained 429 yards through eight games. Robert Holmes has had an outstanding year, and is one of the best fullbacks in the league.
Overall Offense: C+. Expectations were higher for Horn, but this is division full of tough defenses.
Passing Defense: B-. Mel Blount has performed well when healthy, snagging 5 picks so far. Alex Karras hasn’t lived up to expectations, just getting 4.0 sacks so far.
Rushing Defense: F. The Falcons are among the worst in the league in total yards allowed and yards per carry. Al Randolph (SS) makes too many tackles.
Overall Defense: D+. If Atlanta can’t stop the run, they will have a hard time stopping the pass.
Special Teams: A-. The bright spot for the team, Duane Middleton has hit 15 of 16 field goals. Shanklin is an outstanding returner.
Overall: C-. Injury plagued this season, the Falcons can only hope for a 8-8 finish at this point.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Passing Offense: D+. Tied for the most sacks allowed with 27. Bob Griese, whose contract is up in 1971, needs to perform better under pressure.
Rushing Offense: D+. The only bright spot here is Ron Lamb, the rookie running back whose greatest performance was against the 49ers when he gained 168 yards on the ground and plowed his way to two endzone trips.
Overall Offense: D. It’s bad when your 2nd year TE is your leading receiver.
Passing Defense: C+. Dick Palmer (OLB) has the most picks in a defense that doesn’t have a strong secondary.
Rushing Defense: C. George Webster leads the league in tackles (68) because the offense sucks so bad.
Overall Defense: C. At least the defense is getting a lot of time playing.
Special Teams: C+. Jessie Coffey and Isaac Shroeder aren’t bad, but the offense makes them look better than they really are.
Overall: D. The Buccs are still in the fight….the fight for the first overall draft pick.
NC East
New York Giants
Passing Offense: A-. Elbert Drungo, the Giants’ starting left guard, has not given up a sack through eight games. Hubie Bryant, the rookie wideout from Minnesota, holds the league record for receptions and yards in a game against the Jets; of note, he didn’t even start that game and had 14 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
Rushing Offense: B+. Tommy Mason started out quickly with performances of 143 and 139 yards in the first two games, but has slowed down considerably due to injuries.
Overall Offense: A-. When Tyrone Muldoon (OC) can put it all together, this is one of the strongest offenses in the HFL.
Passing Defense: A+. 2nd best in the league in passing yards allowed. Tommy Farr is the team leader in interceptions with three. The team has combined for 16 sacks on the year so far.
Rushing Defense: B. While no one has been outstanding, the front seven has been strong working together to stop the run. It helps when John Dockery comes up to be the eighth man in the box.
Overall Defense: A-. The defense looks good, and will only get better as the season progresses.
Special Teams: B. Alex Wynn has only missed one field goal and has been perfect on 25 extra point attempts. New York needs to find a good punt returner.
Overall: A. The Giants have the best shot at going to the Superbowl in the conference.
Dallas Cowboys
Passing Offense: A-. The Cowboys have the best passing attack in the NC with 274.5 yards per game. Bobby Douglas has thrown into the end zone 15 times, and has only been intercepted 9 times.
Rushing Offense: B-. Although Donny Anderson has had injuries, he is on track for a 1,000 yard season. Mike Garrett is a very capable backup.
Overall Offense: B+. The Cowboys can get you with either the pass or the run.
Passing Defense: C-. The defensive line has done well gathering sacks, but it needs better help from the secondary shutting down the receivers.
Rushing Defense: B. Kirby, Miller, and Robinson (LBs) are some of the best in the league. They can stop the run.
Overall Defense: C+. The LBs are athletic enough to drop into coverage, but they can’t compensate for the secondary.
Special Teams: B+. The kicking game is good, but the returners are even better. Fred Hyatt has a 13.9 PR average, and the KR averages are well over 20 yards a return.
Overall: B+. If the Cowboys can tighten up their passing defense, they’ll be in the thick of the playoff hunt.
Washington Redskins
Passing Offense: C-. Every time Steve Tensi scores, he throws an interception. He’s 13/13 for passing touchdowns and interceptions. Tensi holds the single game record for passing touchdowns (against Philadelphia). He also threw no touchdowns and three interceptions against Buffalo. Mike Evans, the center, has not given up a sack through eight games.
Rushing Offense: C-. John Isenbarger is having a good year for a rookie, but he won’t get 1,000 yards. This is surprising since this is one of the better offensive lines in the league. For some reason, they are not living up to expectations.
Overall Offense: C-. For the talent the Redskins have, this is an underachieving starting 11.
Passing Defense: B+. Although the ‘Skins have had 25 sacks, they’ve only picked off quarterbacks six times.
Rushing Defense: D. Rookies Ervin Hunt (SS) and Don Parish (SLB) are the only bright spots to this defense.
Overall Defense: C. If Washington can’t stop the run, they will have a hard time overcoming a deficit.
Special Teams: C-. There is nothing special in either the kicking or return game.
Overall: C-. The Redskins have had a tough year, switching GMs in the middle of the season; hopefully they’ll have a better 2nd half.
Philadelphia Eagles
Passing Offense: C-. Due to Hunter Briggs’ strained Achilles tendon, fellow rookie Dennis Shaw unsuccessfully tried to step in seamlessly. He’s thrown eight interceptions in the past four games.
Rushing Offense: C. Warren McVea isn’t being used enough. He has a 4.3 YPC, but has only touched the ball 125 times (including receptions).
Overall Offense: C-. The offense has turned the ball over 21 times (6 fumbles, 15 interceptions). Although the rumor is that the defense needs practice, this is not the way to give it to them.
Passing Defense: D+. Fletcher Smith, the Eagles’ starting strong safety has intercepted QBs five times. Other than that, there isn’t much good to say about the secondary. Offenses pass on the Eagles like they’re Sun Belt team.
Rushing Defense: C-. Kermit Alexander helps from the cornerback position, but he shouldn’t have to do that.
Overall Defense: C-. Smith, the defensive team MVP, is on track for 100 tackles and 10 interceptions.
Special Teams: D. Heath Coleman is a good holder, but he gets paid to punt. Kermit Alexander’s KR average of 20.8 is better than his PR average of –2.4. It’s bad when your leading PR has an average of zero yards.
Overall: D. The Eagles can look forward to taking on Miami in Week 15. Other than that, they need to start some rookies.
NC West
Seattle Seahawks
Passing Offense: F. Worst in the league with only 131.2 yards in the air per game. Bob Berry is not doing well this year so far with a passing rating of 60.1.
Rushing Offense: B+. The Seahawks are averaging well over 100 yards a game
Overall Offense: C. If Berry can improve, then this team will go far into the playoffs.
Passing Defense: A. Rich Lewandowski needs a raise, starting two rookies who are tied for the most interceptions in the conference. Ken Ellis and Bruce Taylor have 5 interceptions apiece. The Seahawks lead the league with 19 team interceptions.
Rushing Defense: D+. Lewandowski needs to tighten up his rushing defense, which is giving up 130.2 yards per game.
Overall Defense: C. Now that Lewandowski has shut down the pass, he needs to run more drills on stopping the run.
Special Teams: A. Henry Grier, the Cornhuskers rookie, is 19 for 22 in field goal attempts, and holds the league record for field goals in a game (6).
Overall: B-. The Seahawks need to play their game by running a clock control offense. If they can do that, they won’t have to worry about the Rams taking the Division.
Los Angeles Rams
Passing Offense: C. Through eight games, Wayne Fowler has not given up a sack as the starting center. Bill Cappleman is having a good rookie season, throwing 1,685 yards in eight games.
Rushing Offense: C+. Jack Maitland was a good pickup for the Rams this season, providing a good insurance policy for Ross Montgomery who went down with a herniated disk earlier this season.
Overall Offense: C. The Rams’ offense has a good mix of veterans and youngsters, but must jell together in order to make a strong playoff run.
Passing Defense: B+. Marty Baccaglio has 8.5 sacks this season. The secondary is adept at picking off passes, and even Jim Hoffman (DE) has an interception.
Rushing Defense: B+. Putting eight men in the box has paid off for the Rams.
Overall Defense: A-. The Rams will stop the run and the pass.
Special Teams: B+. Montgomery is an excellent kick returner with an average of 37.2 yards and one touchdown. Lance Collette is a serviceable kicker, while Bobby Walden is having a good year punting.
Overall: B. Los Angeles will have riots if this team doesn’t make it to the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers
Passing Offense: C. Francis Peay, the 49ers’ starting left tackle, has not given up a sack through nine games. The 49ers, one of the few teams not starting a young quarterback, might need to. 12-year veteran John Brodie has a 67.3 passing rating through nine weeks and has had five fumbles.
Rushing Offense: C+. Don Shy must be shy to get into the endzone; through nine games he’s only had four touchdowns. Glen Holloway clears the way for him on the offensive line.
Overall Offense: C. The 49ers need better production at quarterback in order to make this offense run.
Passing Defense: B. Terry Brown has defended 17 passes, and allowed 15 catches so far this season.
Rushing Defense: C. Chuck Hurston (OLB) leads the team with 54 tackles. John Garlington (MLB) might be in over his head in this defense.
Overall Defense: C+. With Brown in the secondary, this defense will always have a shot at stopping the offense on 3rd down.
Special Teams: C-. While the kicker and punter are okay, the return game is horrible. Punt Returning is something that Head Coach Amos Shelton needs to practice.
Overall: C. The 49ers might get lucky and squeak into the playoffs, but someone needs to step up and take a leadership role.
St. Louis Cardinals
Passing Offense: B. Bart Starr has thrown 12 interceptions compared to 11 touchdowns, and he has a big target in receiver Fred Hill.
Rushing Offense: B-. Eddie Ray leads the conference with 871 yards. He also has 5 rushing touchdowns through eight games. Gilbert Wiltz is a capable rookie backup from Auburn. Steve Owens is one of the underrated fullbacks in the league.
Overall Offense: B-. Starr is a great quarterback, but he needs to win games.
Passing Defense: C. The rush needs to get to the quarterback more often, and maybe the secondary will get more than four picks in the second half of the season.
Rushing Defense: C-. Manny Fernandez and Andy Rice make up one of the better DT duos, but they need more help from the linebacking corps.
Overall Defense: C-. The middle of the field is the weakness in this defense.
Special Teams: C. There is nothing special about any of the special teams.
Overall: C. This team is better than their 2-6 record, but they may never break .500 this year.
Chicago Bears
Passing Offense: D. Frank Patrick, the rookie QB, was steadily getting better, throwing four touchdowns against Detroit, but he regressed in Week 9 throwing no touchdowns and three interceptions against San Diego.
Rushing Offense: A+. Leads the league in yards per game with 172.3. Roy Shivers, the 5th year running back out of Utah State, leads the team with 652 yards on the ground. He’s only started the Bears’ last five games, so look for more of Shivers. Ron Johnson is a very capable change of pace back.
Overall Offense: B+. The left side of the offensive line is strong, with Howard Fest and Bob Hyland (who is playing out of position at guard).
Passing Defense: C+. The Bears give up the most yards per completion in the league. Joe Robb leads the league with 9.5 sacks.
Rushing Defense: A+. The Bears’ front seven only give up 86.3 yards per game on the ground, the best in the conference. Seven-year veteran Lloyd Voss plugs the middle to make this defense work.
Overall Defense: A-. The defensive line is Chicago’s strength. As long as they hold, the defense will hold.
Special Teams: C+. Glenn Joyner is doing well for a rookie. Jerrel Wilson needs to live up to his hype since he only averages 38.3 yards per punt.
Overall: B+. Da Bears’ defense will keep them in games, and the offense will win those games.
Green Bay Packers
Passing Offense: B+. Second year man Mike Livingston is on pace for 4,000 yards, but needs to cut down on his interceptions. Clyde Glosson has 590 yards, but only one touchdown for the year so far.
Rushing Offense: B. Jimmy Thomas is the team’s leading rusher with 714 yards over eight games. Gale Gillingham is the key to this offensive line that blocks for Thomas.
Overall Offense: B+. With Livingston gunslinging, the Packers can always come from behind.
Passing Defense: A+. Lead the league with allowing only 165.2 yards per game in the air. John Ward has 17 hurries from the defensive end position.
Rushing Defense: C+. Ralph Baker, the Packers’ MLB, is solid. When Paul Naumoff comes back from his stress fracture, the defense will improve greatly.
Overall Defense: B+. The Packers have a young, hungry defense. As they continue to jell, opposing offenses had better worry.
Special Teams: B. Horst Muhlmann and Mike Eischeid are dependable, clutch kickers. The returners are also reliable.
Overall: B+. The Packers should threaten the Bears for the NC North over the next few weeks.
Detroit Lions
Passing Offense: C+. Although a fan favorite, Daryl Lamonica hasn’t done anything exceptional to increase jersey sales. He’s got two small receivers with Lew Porter (5’10”) and Mac Haik (5’11”).
Rushing Offense: B. Bill Enyart and Mike Hull are a good one-two punch at running back. Rookie Dennis Nelson continues to surprise as he has 16 key run blocks this year.
Overall Offense: C+. Lamonica isn’t a threat to run, but he shouldn’t need to. Porter and Haik need to get open more often for this offense to click.
Passing Defense: F. The Lions give up the most yards in the air with 280.8 yards per game. When your linebackers have four of your nine interceptions, something is wrong.
Rushing Defense: D. The only bright spot here is Ed Mooney, who is on pace for over 100 tackles for the season.
Overall Defense: D-. Winfred Dixon had better start looking for a new job. Although Dixon is rated as one of the best coordinators in the league, he isn’t living up to expectations.
Special Teams: A. The kicker combo of Newton and Bradley is the best in the league. Word is that a certain company (hint: N&B) wants to license action figures based on these kickers.
Overall: D+. The plus is for the kickers. Something needs to change, and change soon.
Minnesota Vikings
Passing Offense: C. Lead the league with 14 yards per completion. Greg Larson has helped matters by not giving up a sack so far this year. Although Sonny Jurgenson is the mentor for Mike Phipps, he hasn’t acted like one, throwing 9 picks in 5 games.
Rushing Offense: C-. Dick Hart’s hyperextended elbow didn’t help this suspect offensive line at all. While Charlie Brown has talent, it’s hard to get the ball to the RB when you’re behind.
Overall Offense: C-. Maybe Steve Spurrier, the punter and kicker, needs to be put in at QB. At least he has a 100% completion rate.
Passing Defense: F. The Vikings give up the 2nd most yards in the air with 276.3 yards per game. Ed Sharockman and Lee Calland are average, but they are in no danger of being fired, since there is no depth at CB.
Rushing Defense: F. The Vikings give up the most yards in the league with 142 yards per game. Rick Cunningham is the bright spot, with 67 tackles over eight games.
Overall Defense: F. If I could give them a F-, I would.
Special Teams: A. Steve Spurrier has been pulling double duty at punter and kicker. Word is that the Gators job is coming open, so unless the Vikes can keep him, they’re going to need to replace one kicker with two.
Overall: D. The offense can’t offset the horrible defense. Ted McCree, the Head Coach, is young enough to find a new job.
NC South
New Orleans Saints
Passing Offense: B-. Earl Morrall is essential to the offense, generating 17 trips to the end zone through 9 games. He is tied for the league leader in passing touchdowns.
Rushing Offense: A-. Doing well in the rushing game and the Saints’ 136.8 yards per game is 2nd best in the Conference. Craig Baynham is the workhorse with 809 yards for 207 carries. Baynham is not a red-zone threat, however, since he only has 3 touchdowns in eight games.
Overall Offense: B+. Although Jack Clancy needs to get open more often, this offense is one of the best when everyone is on the same gameplan.
Passing Defense: A-. The Saints have one of the best secondaries in the league. Their depth is vast, and several players have stepped up due to injuries.
Rushing Defense: A. This is a team effort and it shows. The front seven are able to stop most offenses, and safety Ken Dyer will mop up the rest.
Overall Defense: A+. You can’t pass on these guys, and you sure can’t run on them either.
Special Teams: C-. Luther Cochrane is doing well as the punter, but Jon Harmon might be looking for a new job next year. He’s 7 for 13 on field goal attempts. Bill and Wendell Tucker (RB and WR) are good kickoff returners.
Overall: A-. The Saints’ defense is their strength. Expectations are high in the Big Easy.
Carolina Panthers
Passing Offense: C+. Pat Hughes has not given up a sack through eight games as the starting center. Marty Domres, the Panthers’ QB, has been looking good, but hopefully the game against Houston was an aberration when he threw no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Rushing Offense: D+. Neither Odell Dawson or Sid Blanks are good enough to start. This is a glaring hole in the gameplan.
Overall Offense: C-. Domres has more pressure on him than he needs. If he had a running game, then that might elevate his game.
Passing Defense: C. Sweeny Williams has been dominant from the defensive end. The Panthers have combined for 14 interceptions; 6 of them were returned for touchdowns.
Rushing Defense: B-. Garlard Boyette is playing better than most people thought this year. Jim Hudson (SS) is making too many tackles.
Overall Defense: C+. The defensive line is the strength here.
Special Teams: B+. Artie Blake hasn’t gotten many attempts due to the offense, but he’s made them count. Al Coleman has a 11.1 PR average.
Overall: C. The Panthers might have an outside shot to make the playoffs, but someone needs to step up on offense.
Atlanta Falcons
Passing Offense: B. Don Horn needs to work on consistency in the passing game. Rookie wideout Ron Shanklin has had a good year, both receiving and returning.
Rushing Offense: C. Chuck Mercein has had an injury-plagued year, and has only gained 429 yards through eight games. Robert Holmes has had an outstanding year, and is one of the best fullbacks in the league.
Overall Offense: C+. Expectations were higher for Horn, but this is division full of tough defenses.
Passing Defense: B-. Mel Blount has performed well when healthy, snagging 5 picks so far. Alex Karras hasn’t lived up to expectations, just getting 4.0 sacks so far.
Rushing Defense: F. The Falcons are among the worst in the league in total yards allowed and yards per carry. Al Randolph (SS) makes too many tackles.
Overall Defense: D+. If Atlanta can’t stop the run, they will have a hard time stopping the pass.
Special Teams: A-. The bright spot for the team, Duane Middleton has hit 15 of 16 field goals. Shanklin is an outstanding returner.
Overall: C-. Injury plagued this season, the Falcons can only hope for a 8-8 finish at this point.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Passing Offense: D+. Tied for the most sacks allowed with 27. Bob Griese, whose contract is up in 1971, needs to perform better under pressure.
Rushing Offense: D+. The only bright spot here is Ron Lamb, the rookie running back whose greatest performance was against the 49ers when he gained 168 yards on the ground and plowed his way to two endzone trips.
Overall Offense: D. It’s bad when your 2nd year TE is your leading receiver.
Passing Defense: C+. Dick Palmer (OLB) has the most picks in a defense that doesn’t have a strong secondary.
Rushing Defense: C. George Webster leads the league in tackles (68) because the offense sucks so bad.
Overall Defense: C. At least the defense is getting a lot of time playing.
Special Teams: C+. Jessie Coffey and Isaac Shroeder aren’t bad, but the offense makes them look better than they really are.
Overall: D. The Buccs are still in the fight….the fight for the first overall draft pick.
NC East
New York Giants
Passing Offense: A-. Elbert Drungo, the Giants’ starting left guard, has not given up a sack through eight games. Hubie Bryant, the rookie wideout from Minnesota, holds the league record for receptions and yards in a game against the Jets; of note, he didn’t even start that game and had 14 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns.
Rushing Offense: B+. Tommy Mason started out quickly with performances of 143 and 139 yards in the first two games, but has slowed down considerably due to injuries.
Overall Offense: A-. When Tyrone Muldoon (OC) can put it all together, this is one of the strongest offenses in the HFL.
Passing Defense: A+. 2nd best in the league in passing yards allowed. Tommy Farr is the team leader in interceptions with three. The team has combined for 16 sacks on the year so far.
Rushing Defense: B. While no one has been outstanding, the front seven has been strong working together to stop the run. It helps when John Dockery comes up to be the eighth man in the box.
Overall Defense: A-. The defense looks good, and will only get better as the season progresses.
Special Teams: B. Alex Wynn has only missed one field goal and has been perfect on 25 extra point attempts. New York needs to find a good punt returner.
Overall: A. The Giants have the best shot at going to the Superbowl in the conference.
Dallas Cowboys
Passing Offense: A-. The Cowboys have the best passing attack in the NC with 274.5 yards per game. Bobby Douglas has thrown into the end zone 15 times, and has only been intercepted 9 times.
Rushing Offense: B-. Although Donny Anderson has had injuries, he is on track for a 1,000 yard season. Mike Garrett is a very capable backup.
Overall Offense: B+. The Cowboys can get you with either the pass or the run.
Passing Defense: C-. The defensive line has done well gathering sacks, but it needs better help from the secondary shutting down the receivers.
Rushing Defense: B. Kirby, Miller, and Robinson (LBs) are some of the best in the league. They can stop the run.
Overall Defense: C+. The LBs are athletic enough to drop into coverage, but they can’t compensate for the secondary.
Special Teams: B+. The kicking game is good, but the returners are even better. Fred Hyatt has a 13.9 PR average, and the KR averages are well over 20 yards a return.
Overall: B+. If the Cowboys can tighten up their passing defense, they’ll be in the thick of the playoff hunt.
Washington Redskins
Passing Offense: C-. Every time Steve Tensi scores, he throws an interception. He’s 13/13 for passing touchdowns and interceptions. Tensi holds the single game record for passing touchdowns (against Philadelphia). He also threw no touchdowns and three interceptions against Buffalo. Mike Evans, the center, has not given up a sack through eight games.
Rushing Offense: C-. John Isenbarger is having a good year for a rookie, but he won’t get 1,000 yards. This is surprising since this is one of the better offensive lines in the league. For some reason, they are not living up to expectations.
Overall Offense: C-. For the talent the Redskins have, this is an underachieving starting 11.
Passing Defense: B+. Although the ‘Skins have had 25 sacks, they’ve only picked off quarterbacks six times.
Rushing Defense: D. Rookies Ervin Hunt (SS) and Don Parish (SLB) are the only bright spots to this defense.
Overall Defense: C. If Washington can’t stop the run, they will have a hard time overcoming a deficit.
Special Teams: C-. There is nothing special in either the kicking or return game.
Overall: C-. The Redskins have had a tough year, switching GMs in the middle of the season; hopefully they’ll have a better 2nd half.
Philadelphia Eagles
Passing Offense: C-. Due to Hunter Briggs’ strained Achilles tendon, fellow rookie Dennis Shaw unsuccessfully tried to step in seamlessly. He’s thrown eight interceptions in the past four games.
Rushing Offense: C. Warren McVea isn’t being used enough. He has a 4.3 YPC, but has only touched the ball 125 times (including receptions).
Overall Offense: C-. The offense has turned the ball over 21 times (6 fumbles, 15 interceptions). Although the rumor is that the defense needs practice, this is not the way to give it to them.
Passing Defense: D+. Fletcher Smith, the Eagles’ starting strong safety has intercepted QBs five times. Other than that, there isn’t much good to say about the secondary. Offenses pass on the Eagles like they’re Sun Belt team.
Rushing Defense: C-. Kermit Alexander helps from the cornerback position, but he shouldn’t have to do that.
Overall Defense: C-. Smith, the defensive team MVP, is on track for 100 tackles and 10 interceptions.
Special Teams: D. Heath Coleman is a good holder, but he gets paid to punt. Kermit Alexander’s KR average of 20.8 is better than his PR average of –2.4. It’s bad when your leading PR has an average of zero yards.
Overall: D. The Eagles can look forward to taking on Miami in Week 15. Other than that, they need to start some rookies.
NC West
Seattle Seahawks
Passing Offense: F. Worst in the league with only 131.2 yards in the air per game. Bob Berry is not doing well this year so far with a passing rating of 60.1.
Rushing Offense: B+. The Seahawks are averaging well over 100 yards a game
Overall Offense: C. If Berry can improve, then this team will go far into the playoffs.
Passing Defense: A. Rich Lewandowski needs a raise, starting two rookies who are tied for the most interceptions in the conference. Ken Ellis and Bruce Taylor have 5 interceptions apiece. The Seahawks lead the league with 19 team interceptions.
Rushing Defense: D+. Lewandowski needs to tighten up his rushing defense, which is giving up 130.2 yards per game.
Overall Defense: C. Now that Lewandowski has shut down the pass, he needs to run more drills on stopping the run.
Special Teams: A. Henry Grier, the Cornhuskers rookie, is 19 for 22 in field goal attempts, and holds the league record for field goals in a game (6).
Overall: B-. The Seahawks need to play their game by running a clock control offense. If they can do that, they won’t have to worry about the Rams taking the Division.
Los Angeles Rams
Passing Offense: C. Through eight games, Wayne Fowler has not given up a sack as the starting center. Bill Cappleman is having a good rookie season, throwing 1,685 yards in eight games.
Rushing Offense: C+. Jack Maitland was a good pickup for the Rams this season, providing a good insurance policy for Ross Montgomery who went down with a herniated disk earlier this season.
Overall Offense: C. The Rams’ offense has a good mix of veterans and youngsters, but must jell together in order to make a strong playoff run.
Passing Defense: B+. Marty Baccaglio has 8.5 sacks this season. The secondary is adept at picking off passes, and even Jim Hoffman (DE) has an interception.
Rushing Defense: B+. Putting eight men in the box has paid off for the Rams.
Overall Defense: A-. The Rams will stop the run and the pass.
Special Teams: B+. Montgomery is an excellent kick returner with an average of 37.2 yards and one touchdown. Lance Collette is a serviceable kicker, while Bobby Walden is having a good year punting.
Overall: B. Los Angeles will have riots if this team doesn’t make it to the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers
Passing Offense: C. Francis Peay, the 49ers’ starting left tackle, has not given up a sack through nine games. The 49ers, one of the few teams not starting a young quarterback, might need to. 12-year veteran John Brodie has a 67.3 passing rating through nine weeks and has had five fumbles.
Rushing Offense: C+. Don Shy must be shy to get into the endzone; through nine games he’s only had four touchdowns. Glen Holloway clears the way for him on the offensive line.
Overall Offense: C. The 49ers need better production at quarterback in order to make this offense run.
Passing Defense: B. Terry Brown has defended 17 passes, and allowed 15 catches so far this season.
Rushing Defense: C. Chuck Hurston (OLB) leads the team with 54 tackles. John Garlington (MLB) might be in over his head in this defense.
Overall Defense: C+. With Brown in the secondary, this defense will always have a shot at stopping the offense on 3rd down.
Special Teams: C-. While the kicker and punter are okay, the return game is horrible. Punt Returning is something that Head Coach Amos Shelton needs to practice.
Overall: C. The 49ers might get lucky and squeak into the playoffs, but someone needs to step up and take a leadership role.
St. Louis Cardinals
Passing Offense: B. Bart Starr has thrown 12 interceptions compared to 11 touchdowns, and he has a big target in receiver Fred Hill.
Rushing Offense: B-. Eddie Ray leads the conference with 871 yards. He also has 5 rushing touchdowns through eight games. Gilbert Wiltz is a capable rookie backup from Auburn. Steve Owens is one of the underrated fullbacks in the league.
Overall Offense: B-. Starr is a great quarterback, but he needs to win games.
Passing Defense: C. The rush needs to get to the quarterback more often, and maybe the secondary will get more than four picks in the second half of the season.
Rushing Defense: C-. Manny Fernandez and Andy Rice make up one of the better DT duos, but they need more help from the linebacking corps.
Overall Defense: C-. The middle of the field is the weakness in this defense.
Special Teams: C. There is nothing special about any of the special teams.
Overall: C. This team is better than their 2-6 record, but they may never break .500 this year.