Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden Will Combine for More Than 1,700 Yards
Maurice Jones-Drew, signed as a free agent from Jacksonville during the offseason, has run for a total of 1,217 yards over the past two seasons. Darren McFadden has amassed 1,086 yards during that span.
The Raiders’ improved offensive line will breathe new life into their careers.
Left tackle Donald Penn and right guard Austin Howard came in as free agents. They’ve joined left guard Khalif Barnes, center Stefan Wisniewski and right tackle Menelik Watson to form the quintet that has stayed together through every offseason practice, training camp practice and at least the first three preseason games, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The Raiders had eight different starting combinations in 2013, most in the NFL.
There’s a lot to be said for continuity on an offensive line. If the Raiders can maintain that, 29-year-old Jones-Drew and 27-year-old McFadden will see a lot of daylight.
Terrelle Pryor Will Help the Seahawks As a Role Player
Unless your brain tissue is composed entirely of pigskin, you might not remember that the Seahawks acquired quarterback Terrelle Pryor from the Raiders for a seventh-round draft pick in April.
Even if he doesn’t throw a pass, Pryor will find a role with the Seahawks. Seattle’s leading receiver last season, Golden Tate, is in Detroit. The defending champions are banking on Percy Harvin to stay healthy. He’s played in 12 games, including the playoffs, over the past two seasons.
Marshawn Lynch has been more reliable, but he’s carried the ball 901 times over the past three seasons. That’s a lot of wear and tear.
If Harvin suffers another injury or if Lynch starts to break down, the Seahawks will need a little help on offense. A few gimmick plays designed for Pryor won’t solve all their problems, but it won’t hurt.
The Rams Will Finish with a Better Record Than the 49ers
This doesn’t mean that Shaun Hill will lead the Rams to the playoffs. It just means that St. Louis has the defense to get to the vicinity of .500, and the 49ers will disappoint.
The Rams’ plan right now is for Shaun Hill to start in place of Sam Bradford, who tore his ACL in a preseason game against the Browns and is out for the season. Hill is surrounded with promising talent. Running back Zac Stacy came on strong in the second half and went for 973 rushing yards last year. Speedy wide receiver Tavon Austin, the No. 8 overall pick in 2013, caught 40 passes and has the potential to score any time he touches the ball. Kenny Britt, who the Rams signed as a free agent, figures to be their No. 1 receiver. Britt caught 42 passes in each of his first two seasons for a combined 12 touchdowns, then tore his ACL in 2011. The Rams are counting on him to regain his form. He caught three passes for 73 yards through the first three preseason games.
On defense, the Rams were third in the NFL last year in both sacks (53) and yards per rush (3.7). They’ve added rookie Aaron Donald to the front seven. He had a sack and a forced fumble in the Rams’ 33-14 Week 3 preseason win over the Browns, and he didn’t even start.
The 49ers, meanwhile, have some holes to patch in their first season at Levi’s Stadium. They will be missing two vital cogs in their defense for the early part of the season. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman will start the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, according to Pro Football Talk, and will miss at least the first six games. Even when he returns, he still could have lingering effects from his torn ACL in last year’s NFC championship game.
Another linebacker, Aldon Smith, is facing a suspension of up to eight games after facing weapons and DUI charges earlier this year, according to Pro Football Talk. Smith and Bowman combined for 13.5 sacks last season.
The offense also faces some questions. The 49ers don’t have a true deep threat. Their leader in yards per reception last season was Vernon Davis, a tight end. Anquan Boldin is a possession receiver. He’s a very productive possession receiver with 85 catches last season, but still not a vertical threat. Michael Crabtree averaged 14.9 yards per reception in the five regular-season games he did play in 2013, and 13.5 in the playoffs.
Running back Frank Gore ran for 1,128 yards last season, but he’s entering his Age-31 year. The 49ers must be wary of a decline. Finally, Colin Kaepernick’s playing style exposes him to injury. If he misses any time, the 49ers will have to turn to Blaine Gabbert. There are a number of potential problems on offense which could turn into a perfect storm.
Whatever happens, enough will go wrong for the 49ers that they’ll be looking up at the Rams in the NFC West standings.
This Will Be Jim Harbaugh’s Last Season as 49ers Head Coach
The 49ers’ subpar season, whether it culminates in a missed playoff berth or a loss in a wild-card game, will be the impetus for the end of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure as 49ers head coach.
Harbaugh is entering the fourth year of his five-year contract. Harbaugh isn’t happy with the $5 million a year he’s getting after leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012 and the NFC championship game in 2013, according to CBSSports.com. There are no planned negotiations until after the season. By then, Harbaugh will lose leverage and the mercurial coach will get the money he wants elsewhere.
Johnny Manziel Will Start by Week 6
Brian Hoyer has started four games in his five-year career, so it’s not a question of if but when Johnny Manziel will take over as the Browns’ starting quarterback in 2014.
The schedule, not Browns coach Mike Pettine, decided the Browns’ opening-day starter.
The Browns visit Pittsburgh in Week 1. The Steelers are 17-2 against rookie quarterbacks since Dick LeBeau became their defensive coordinator in 2004, according to ESPN.com. Manziel had about as much a chance of starting on Sept. 7 as he does of leading a prayer group.
It doesn’t get much easier for the Browns in weeks 2 and 3. They host the Saints, ranked fourth in the NFL last season at 305.7 yards allowed per game. The Saints held Andrew Luck and the Colts to 10 points in the first half of their Week 3 preseason game at Indianapolis. Cleveland then hosts the Ravens on Sept. 21.
Then comes the bye in Week 4. If Cleveland starts 0-3, that’s the perfect chance to regroup, name Manziel the starter and keep him from vacationing in Vegas. The Browns are at Tennessee in Week 5. Manziel could make his debut there or in Week 6 when the Browns host the Steelers.
Either way, Manziel would play at home for the first time with the Browns’ most despised rival in town on Oct. 12. That would make for an electric atmosphere and put a little more bite in the Dawg Pound’s bark.
After that is a relatively easy portion of the Browns’ schedule. They go to Jacksonville, then host Oakland and Tampa Bay. The Browns could boost Manziel’s confidence with a win or two during that stretch.
Mike Pettine Won’t Be Fired After the Season
It’s bold to predict any kind of coaching stability in Cleveland, especially after first-year coach Rob Chudzinski was abruptly fired after the final game of the season last year.
Does this mean the Browns will be this year’s rags-to-riches story in the NFL? No. It just means that the Browns will head in the right direction and Johnny Manziel will spread enough pixie dust to give Browns fans hope for the future.
Pettine will match predecessors Pat Shurmur and Eric Mangini, who both had two-year stints as Browns head coach.
Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley Will Have a Classic Sideline Shouting Match
The Steelers have yet to see the playoffs since Todd Haley became offensive coordinator in 2012, so the least they could do is treat their fans to an entertaining sideline confrontation between Haley and Ben Roethlisberger.
Haley is known for such dust-ups during his time as offensive coordinator in Arizona and head coach at Kansas City. So far in Pittsburgh, even though his relationship with Roethlisberger has been frosty, he hasn’t provided much YouTube material.
Pittsburgh’s offense is supposed to shift into high gear this season. Roethlisberger will run more no-huddle behind the same offensive line that allowed him to be sacked just seven times in the last seven games last year.
Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, if they can stay out of trouble, figure to give the Steelers a potent thunder-and-lightning combination at running back.
The problem is that no one has taken command of the No. 2 receiver role opposite Antonio Brown. Markus Wheaton, drafted in the third round last year, is the front-runner. He was nothing special through the first three preseason games, catching five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Lance Moore, signed from the Saints, is more of a slot receiver. He sat out the Steelers’ Week 3 preseason game and was scheduled to sit out the preseason finale with an undisclosed injury. Fourth-round draft pick Martavis Bryant has potential but isn’t ready to make an impact early in his rookie season. Darrius Heyward-Bey, who the Steelers took a flier on during the offseason, is on the roster bubble.
Without a legitimate second receiver, Brown will be see double and (possibly even) triple coverage, and will come nowhere near the 110 receptions he posted last season.
That would put a wrench in the Steelers’ plans for a high-octane offense. If the frustration comes to a boil it could lead to a pay-per-view spectacle between Haley and Roethlisberger.
The Panthers Will Miss the Playoffs
The Carolina Panthers were one of the NFL’s surprise teams in 2013, going from 7-9 to 12-4. However, many teams with an unexpected spike in their win total one year come back down to earth the following year (see 2011 Chiefs, 2013 Redskins and 2013 Vikings).
The Panthers will be the latest team to fall into that pattern.
Sure, Steve Smith is 35, but releasing a leader like him is a mistake for a team on the rise trying to take the next step. Smith caught 836 passes in 13 seasons with the Panthers. He bled teal. The Panthers without Steve Smith is like Van Halen without David Lee Roth.
Not only does this leave a void in terms of intangibles, but Smith led Panthers receivers with 64 receptions last season. Also gone are Brandon LaFell (49 catches) and Ted Ginn (36 catches).
Kelvin Benjamin could be a rookie-of-the-year candidate and free-agent pickup Jerricho Cotchery caught 10 touchdowns last season, but it’s asking a lot of them to duplicate all the productivity that was lost.
It will be even more difficult with a banged-up quarterback throwing the ball to them, especially if that quarterback misses any time.
Cam Newton’s ankle still isn’t 100 percent after surgery in March, and his ribs were fractured in the Panthers’ 30-7 loss to the Patriots in Week 3 of the preseason. The Panthers’ offense didn’t score with Newton on the field in the two preseason games he did play.
To make matters worse, Newton’s blind-side protector, left tackle Jordan Gross, retired after 11 seasons. His replacement, Byron Bell, ranked 136th out of 142 offensive tackles through the first three preseason games, according to Pro Football Focus.
The future is bright in Carolina. But this isn’t the year they make a run at the Lombardi Trophy.
The Falcons Won’t Rebound
After three straight playoff seasons, the Falcons’ 4-12 record last year was just a blip on the screen. They’ll be playing in January in 2015, right?
Wrong.
The Falcons’ revival has been one the NFL’s biggest assumptions during the 2014 offseason. But it’s not going to happen, not after the hard knocks the offensive line has absorbed in the preseason.
Left tackle Sam Baker is out for the season with a knee injury, forcing rookie Jake Matthews to Matt Ryan’s blind side. Pro Football Focus ranked Matthews the fifth-worst out of 142 offensive tackles through the first three preseason games.
Backup Mike Johnson is also lost for the year with a foot injury.
Not only that, but the Falcons are still without a playmaker at running back at the present time. Steven Jackson, 31, gained just 543 yards in 12 games last season and is dealing with hamstring problems. Rookie Devonta Freeman isn’t getting many snaps with the first team. He’s stuck on the depth chart behind Jacquizz Rodgers, who’s basically a third-down back, and Antone Smith, who has six career carries. Freeman could become the team’s bell cow in the future. But for now, it could be hard for Atlanta to run the ball which could render them one-dimensional.
A healthy Julio Jones won’t do the Falcons much good if they can’t protect Matt Ryan or move the ball on the ground.
The NFC North Will Set a Record for Total Points Scored
Lions and Packers and Bears–oh my!
And let’s not forget the Vikings.
Those four teams will combine to score more points than any teams in the same division since the NFL went to four-team divisions in 2002.
The AFC West holds the record with 1,754 points last season. No surprise there, considering the record 606 points the Broncos put up last season.
Second is the NFC North in 2011 with 1,727 points. Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford had a lot to do with that.
Jay Cutler? No so much. But now Cutler has a year under his belt working in Marc Trestman’s offense and the league’s most potent 1-2 wide receiver combination at his disposal. The Bears were the only team with two receivers in the top 10 in receptions last season. Brandon Marshall was fifth with 100 and Alshon Jeffery was 10th with 89.
The Packers have a healthy Randall Cobb joining Jordy Nelson, and Eddie Lacy is poised to become an elite NFL running back.
Golden Tate, who caught 64 passes in Seattle last year, joins Calvin Johnson in Detroit. Johnson led the Lions with 84 receptions last year. Reggie Bush was second with 54 catches, and no other receiver caught 40 balls. The addition of Tate gives Stafford a legitimate receiving tandem.
And the Vikings hired Norv Turner to run their offense. He’ll help make the NFC North the most prolific offensive division in the NFL no matter who his starting quarterback is.
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