The bottom-dwellers of the NFL
The NFL has the potential, almost unique amongst major sporting leagues, to see the most dominant teams fall apart in a year and miss the playoffs a year after making the Super Bowl.
By the same token, it can also see teams which for years couldn't get it together suddenly gel and become forces in the league. But that doesn't work out for everybody. There are a few teams that have toiled in anonymity in recent seasons, a situation that is unlikely to change for those listed below.
St. Louis Rams
No one, except for fans in St. Louis, is holding a lot of hope for the Rams. St. Louis' problems run deep and on both sides of the ball. The team is struggling to run and pass the ball because of their youth and inexperience on the offensive line.
The offensive line has to give for the quarterback to throw the ball downfield and not worry about defenders barreling down on him. They have to do a better job protecting their franchise player and first round draft pick, QB Sam Bradford. The same can be said for the running game. The Rams need a good centre and guard to push defenders back and allow their best player Steven Jackson room to run with the ball. Right now, Jackson is being forced to fight and run through tackles on every single carry. The Rams wrapped up a disappointing season and 2010 won’t be much better.
Detroit Lions
Going down in history is not always a good thing. The 2008 Detroit Lions can tell you that. After all, the Lions have officially been tamed and are the only team in NFL history to go 0-16.
Their next season was an improvement, going 2-14. No question that this team is facing their own share of disappointments. The team has struggled on offence and their defence is just awful. Part of the problems with the Lions is that they do not have an abundance of talent on their roster.
Lions receiver Calvin Johnson is a silver lining on the struggling franchise and tried to reverse the fortunes of his team by racking up 984 yards and 5 TDs on 67 receptions. But football is about making plays and not enough guys did for Detroit.
All Detroit can do now is hope that fortunes change next season. Head coach Jim Schwartz is on the hot seat. No question that a fresh set of eyes at the head coach position might do the Lions some good.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Although rookie head coach Raheem Morris did his best to try and lead Tampa Bay to a respectable season, the team finished 3–13. Lack of experience is an issue for the head coach and the same can be said at the quarterback position. Quarterback Josh Freeman, selected 17th overall in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, found out that raw talent is not enough to be successful in the NFL. He has shown signs of brilliance at times, but like all rookies, was inconsistent during his first year under center.
Tight End Kellen Winslow recovered from a disastrous start last season and produced better numbers once Freeman took over under centre, with 46 catches on 70 targets for 589 yards. He has to be a dominant force in the offence for this team to be successful and to help with Freeman’s learning curve. If these two can build on their rapport, the Buccaneers will have a much better season. But don’t expect playoffs just yet.
Oakland Raiders
How to fix the mess that is now playing out in Oakland? Well at least the Raiders got rid of their number one problem: JaMarcus Russell.
As their first overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Raiders had high hopes that Russell would be able to duplicate his success at the collegiate ranks, where he led the LSU Tigers to a 21-4 record as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. That plan backfired and now Jason Campbell will be the man looking to turn this team around.
The problems in this organization runs far deeper than just at the quarterback position. Players are lacking intensity and have accepted losing. It shows by their sloppy play and poor coaching.
Running back Darren McFadden, another prospect which the Raiders were high on, has been very quiet since he entered the league. With the departure of Justin Fargas, McFadden will have to have a breakout year or things can get real ugly for this team down the road. But if that doesn't happen, or maybe even if it does, Raiders fans can look forward to a long season ahead.
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