2011 Season Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2010 Record: 10-6

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 19

Passing Offense - 17

Rushing Offense - 8

Scoring Offense - 20

Total Defense - 17

Pass Defense - 7

Rush Defense - 28

Scoring Defense - 9

Offense

The Buccaneers took a giant step forward last season, going from the bottom of the league to being a playoff contender. Mike Williams stepped up big-time as their #1 receiver after questions about his dedication when he left his team at Syracuse. Coach Raheem Morris has done a great job taking players with questionable backgrounds in college (from Williams to RB LeGarrette Blount) and turning them into NFL stars. Blount figures to be the feature back in the Bucs offense, and he's got a "smack them in the mouth" running style and he should benefit from more carries this season. He ran for over 1000 yards last season in just 200 carries. If he becomes the full-time feature back and gets over 300 carries, 1500 yards isn't out of the question. Quarterback Josh Freeman is starting to come into his own and may wind up being the best quarterback of the 2009 draft that included Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. 

Defense

The Buccaneers addressed their front 7 in the draft, landing Iowa standout Adrian Clayborn and Clemson pass rusher Da'Quan Bowers. The secondary still remains a question after CB Aqib Talib was arrested during the offseason. The Bucs lost leading tackler MLB Barrett Ruud in free agency. Coupled with the loss of Talib, the Bucs run defense will suffer unless 3rd round pick Mason Foster can step in and be a tackling machine. The Bucs pass rush was 30th in the league last year with only 26 sacks, so you can hardly blame them for doing out and drafting pass rushers with their first two picks.

Intangibles

The Bucs have the tough challenge of playing in one of the hardest divisions in football, having to play the Falcons and Saints twice a year. This year there is the added challenge of playing the Super Bowl Champion Packers in the Bay of Pigs showdown. The one thing the Bucs have going for them is they always have the awesome creamsicle throwback uniforms they can bust out. Damn, we miss the creamsicles and Bucco Bruce. They should go back to those full time.

If the Buccaneers were a Beer, they would be:

Peak Organic Pomegranate Wheat

The Buccaneers are one of the hottest young teams in the league. Similarly, in beer the trend of brewing "organic" beers has become more and more popular in recent years. Beer snobs who only like IPAs that leave your mouth tasting like you ate kitty litter think Wheat beers are for weaklings. However, there is a lot of depth and possibility with wheat beers. It is common for wheat beers to be mixed with fruit, but Peak Organic Brewery is the only one I know of that has used Pomegranate in beer. It's a surprisingly excellent combination of a new trend and some unique/under-rated elements, much like the Bucs team, which is full of young players that were underrated/overlooked coming out of college.

DC Downgrade: Steelers Lose

  7

16

After 6 long months of waiting, football is finally back.

The Steelers win the toss, but it doesn't really matter because with kickoffs at the 35 now, pretty much every kickoff is a touchback.

The starters come out and look sharp with Ben hooking up with Antonio Brown for to get close to midfield. The drive stalls out after Ben can't hit Wallace who has a step on the corner over the top. I think that's the first time I've ever seen Wallace overthrown. Ben gets sacked on 3rd down but Superman makes his glorious return to the lineup by booming a 61-yard punt to pin the Redskins back at their 1.

Rex Grossman comes out firing with play-action passes, picking apart the Steelers defense and moving down the field. Tim Hightower looked pretty good running the ball behind the Skins new offensive line which seemed like they could get away with unlimited amounts of holding. Penn State alum Evan Royster saw some time with the Redskins first team unit and got a few carries. Ike Taylor broke his thumb somewhere in there, but he'll have a month to rehab it before the regular season starts. The Redskins get all the way down inside the 10, but the Steelers defense holds and the Skins send out former Bengal Shayne Graham to kick a chip shot field goal that isn't even close.

Leftwich comes in to replace Ben and, what do you know, throws a WR screen on the first play. Definitely my least favorite play in Arians playbook, and we use it all the time. Gah. Redman pounds out some yards while Pomp reminds us 30 times that Ford sponsored this quarter. Sepulveda rocks another punt after another 3rd down sack.

Tomlin sent the first team defense back out to rectify their gouging on the first drive.

Second Quarter

The defense looks to lock it down, but the Redskins opt to go for it on 4th and 1, picking it up on a quick curl route. Rex goes deep for DUI Stallworth but throws it out of bounds. The defense locks it down when Ryan Mundy lays the lumber on some receiver running down the seam to knock the ball out. Timmons and Mundy were both down after the play. Mundy would return the next drive.

The Steelers go vanilla with Mewelde Moore in the game but gets stoned on a 3rd and short when David Johnson blows a block on 1st round pick Ryan Kerrigan. Sepulveda crushes another one.

We get a look at the future of the D-line with Ziggy and Cam Heyward in the game, but the Steelers backup corners are no match for the Redskins starting WRs, enabling the Skins to move down the field. Crezdon Butler gets picked on by Grossman, and the Skins move their way down into the red zone and eventually cash in when Grossman finds Santana Moss at the goal line.

0-7

The Steelers come out gunslinging with Lord Byron ripping one to Fast Money Antonio Brown on a deep post in between the corner and safety. A roughing the passer penalty puts us on the edge of the red zone, and Isaac Redman just takes over. Redman takes an inside run, pulls a Mendenhall-esque spin move in the hole, bounces to the outside and just outruns the whole Redskins defense to the end zone. Man, he just refuses to be denied. Hell of a block by Antonio Brown to seal the corner.

Suisham gets booed by the Washington crowd as he drills the extra point.

7-7

Suisham can't quite get the kickoff out the back of the end zone, and Brandon Banks decides to bring it out from 9 yards deep, breaking through a hole and juking Suisham out of his cleats before being brought down by Da'mon Cromartie-Smith across midfield. The Skins offense didn't do anything as Stevenson Sylvester gets pressure from the OLB spot. Sylvester, who was billed as an ILB when he was drafted, has looked great playing OLB this year in camp.

Leftwich starts marching the offense down the field, capitalizing on a pass interference penalty and hitting Arnaz Battle on the sideline to move the sticks. The drive stalls out across midfield as Moore can't hang on to a 3rd down pass.

The Redskins 2-minute offense gets some work and is able to move into long field goal range with short passes to Santana Moss. Shayne Graham is still a joke and misses to the right.

Halftime

My son turned 4 months old today. He already knows how to hold a terrible towel.

Antonio Brown had a great first half. Dude was all over the field.

Third Quarter

Former Jet Kellen Clemens who led the 2007 Jets (who finished the season 4-12) to an overtime victory over the Steelers because Arians couldn't figure out how to run the ball effectively against the 29th ranked run defense, came out at QB for the Skins and did nothing.

Homestead Charlie comes in to run the motif offense, resulting in a Kapinos punt that the Redskins muff inside their 5 but recover. Evan Royster shoulders the load, carrying the Skins down the field. Cam Heyward made some really nice plays and started getting into the rhythm of the game, getting penetration on run and pass plays. Stevenson Sylvester busts through on a blitz, forcing a bad pass and a Redskins field goal that Graham Gano makes. Shayne Graham isn't making the team.

7-10

Allegheny grad (Go Gators!) Jeff Verszyla dominates the next segment with an interview of Hines Ward. Arnaz Battle catches a case of the Sweeds and lets the ball bounce off his chest on 3rd down, forcing a punt.

Fourth Quarter

Clemens goes back to the air against the Steelers defense. Ryan Mundy is all over the field, seemingly involved in every tackle, playing like a man possessed. Apparently it's legal to just spike the ball at the feet of a blocking back when you're in the pocket and the back is engaged in blocking. Okay, I guess that's not grounding by the letter of the law, but it certainly looks a lot like grounding. Gano makes another field goal.

7-13

Dennis Dixon comes in, and like both Ben and Byron before him, gets sacked on 3rd down on his first series.

The teams trade 3-and-outs. The most exciting thing that happens is Pomp talking about Baron Batch's blog. Yeah, those of us who have blogs/twitter have been talking about it since he was drafted in April. Somewhere in there, amidst all the corporate sponsorship plugs, the Redskins drive down into the red zone and Gano makes another kick. Graham was 0/2 and Gano was 3/3...I think the Redskins kicking competition is over.

7-16

Edmund Nelson realizes he can draw things on the screen. He draws a square and an arrow. Yes, this was really all that was going on...preseason games really are this boring. Arnaz Battle drops his 30th pass of the game. If Dennis Dixon wanted to be a starter elsewhere in the league, he really didn't look like a starter at all tonight. Dixon makes a Roethlisberger-esque play rolling out of the pocket and completing a pass downfield for a first down to get the Steelers inside the 40 with a minute and a half to go. Dixon can't complete anything else and the Steelers stall out on 4 downs.

Players of the Game:

Offensive Game Ball: Antonio Brown

Defensive Game Ball: Stevenson Sylvester

Honorable Mentions:

Cameron Heyward

Isaac Redman

Ryan Mundy

Donovan Warren

Daniel Sepulveda

Mr. Yuck Sticker of the Game

Injuries

This is the worst-case scenario for a team in preseason. Ike Taylor broke his finger, Ryan Clark got a stinger, and Lawrence Timmons was down after a play. Taylor's injury is probably the most significant, but he'll have plenty of time to heal before September 11 in Baltimore.

Final Thoughts

• Ryan Mundy was all over the place tonight. Great support in the run game and he did a good job making tackles in space downfield.
• Cameron Heyward is going to be great. He showed some flashes tonight, just wait until he learns the system. Cam and Ziggy are going to be unreal.
• Great game by Antonio Brown. He's playing his way into more playing time. Impressive performance all night by Fast Money.
• For how many passes Battle dropped tonight, you can't blame the Steelers for signing Jerricho Cotchery. Battle might not make the team if he keeps playing like this.
• For a down-the-depth chart guy, CB Donovan Warren looked pretty good. He was actually one of the most impressive guys in the secondary. Close coverage and good tackling.
• Sepulveda, oh how we missed thee.
• Thank goodness we only have to listen to the KDKA broadcasts in the preseason, that was just painful.

Gameday: Washington Redskins

7:30pm

FedEx Field

TV: KDKA

Radio: 102.5 WDVE and other affiliates

What to Watch For

1. No injuries

Really, this is the biggest thing about preseason. You want your guys to get reps, but the bigger factor is avoiding a costly injury to a key player that will set your entire season back. Limit the reps for the starters and let's see what these young guys can do in game action.

2. Youth Movement

As is usually fairly typical in the preseason, you look at the Steelers roster and don't recognize half the names on it. But this is the time to shine for guys who are entering their 2nd or 3rd year like CB Crezdon Butler, CB Keenan Lewis, WR Tyler Grisham, LB Stevenson Sylvester, and others. The young guys are going to get a lot of playing time, and this is their opportunity to catch the eye of the coaches and contend for a roster spot. A few years ago before the first preseason game, no one in their right mind thought an undrafted free agent WR from Tiffin would make the team, but Nate Washington had a monster preseason and wound up on the final 53-man roster. Roster spots can be won and lost in the preseason and guys that show big things on special teams will certainly get an advantage.

3. Rookie Adjustment

Everyone always talks about how big an adjustment it is to go from college to the fast-paced NFL. With no OTAs and a limited amount of time to learn the playbook, it will be interesting to see how quick the rookies are able to adjust to the speed of the NFL game and acclimate themselves to the playbook. Guys like DE Cameron Heyward, OT Marcus Gilbert, OLB Chris Carter and OG Keith Williams figure to see a lot of playing time. CBs Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen are battling through some camp injuries and RB Baron Batch suffered a torn ACL in camp this week, sidelining him for the season. This opens the door that previously seemed all but shut for Jonathan Dwyer and John Clay to compete for a roster spot.

4. Position Battles

We detailed some of the position battles going into camp, and with starters like Chris Kemoeatu and Emmanuel Sanders sidelined for this game, guys who are locked into position battles such as Chris Scott, Arnaz Battle, and Limas Sweed should see plenty of playing time. In the secondary, Keenan Lewis and Crezdon Butler should see the field a lot with Bryant McFadden, Cortez Allen and possibly Curtis Brown sidelined (depending on which reports you believe).The Steelers have a lot of tight ends on the roster and are still looking for someone to step up into that #2 spot. They will probably keep 3 tight ends so between Heath Miller and David Johnson (listed as starting FB), there is room for a roster spot to be won here. Once again, the position battles could come down to who can help more on special teams.

5. Jonathan Scott vs Brian Orakpo

The Redskins don't have a lot of stellar players defensively, but OLB Brian Orakpo was 24th in the league with 8.5 sacks last season. With the Steelers cutting Max Starks, Scott is the heir apparent at left tackle and will need to show he can protect Ben's blindside. The Steelers starters figure to only play 10-15 snaps, so Scott's sample size is going to be small in this game, but if the Redskins keep their starters in a little longer, we might get to see rookie Marcus Gilbert go up against Orakpo, which would be a good test of his abilities right off the bat.

Behind Enemy Lines

After the warm reception this segment got last season, we're bringing it back for another go-round this year. Each week we'll ask 5 questions of a blogger or fan from the opposing team to try to give some perspective on what's going on with their team.

This week's guest is our buddy Kevin from Hogs Haven, who has helped us out a lot in the past. If you're looking for some quick Redskins info, hit them up on Twitter @HogsHaven.

1. Obviously this is the first preseason game, so neither team is going to show much in terms to scheme or gameplanning. That being said, what are you looking for from the Redskins for this game to be considered a "success"?

The 2 worst parts of the Redskins team last year were the lines. The defensive line ranked dead last in defending runs up the middle and the Guard play on the offensive side was atrocious. The Skins completely overhauled the DLine (signed Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen) and drafted Jarvis Jenkins (who has been a 1-man wrecking crew in camp so far). We have to see some pressure from our d-line Friday night. Simple as that. On the offensive side, the Skins brought in Chris Chester to play Right Guard and promoted Will Montgomery to Center. We have a lot of youth in these departments so I'll be watching the Oline to see who can hold it down. All of the OLine backup spots are up for grabs on our roster.

2. One of the biggest issues the Steelers are looking at this preseason is depth at outside linebacker. The Redskins have added some depth to their O-line over the last few years so we're looking forward to seeing with the Steelers young pass rushers can do against them. Are there any matchups you're looking forward to watching?

Trent Williams at Left Tackle is very close to being elite and Jammal Brown just got a big deal to stay on at Right Tackle. I expect them to do well in their very limited action and we're cautiously optimistic we have book-end Tackles for the next few years. Left Guard is easily our weakest link (Kory Lichtensteiger) so I'd be hitting that gap all night if I was Dick LeBeau.


3. Which Redskins players are you looking for the most improvement out of during this preseason?

Hopefully Rex Grossman. Ha. My head hurts. If the D-line does their job, then Orakpo and 1st round pick Ryan Kerrigan should be able to get into the backfield. We have some young ballers looking to make the squad at OLB, so I'm anxious to see that (Rob Jackson, Lorenzo Alexander). 3rd round pick WR Leonard Hankerson set a lot of records at Miami, so keep an eye out for him on the field. He's trained with Mark Duper and Cris Carter since he was in High School.


4. Any players lower on the depth chart that might be surprises in the later stages of this game?

Markus White, rookie OLB from FSU, has looked good in training camp. The Redskins drafted 3 Nebraska players all with big play ability: Niles Paul (WR), Dejon Gomes (Safety/PR), and Roy Helu (RB)....they'll be getting some good time.


5. Any other final thoughts?

Please don't bring those hideous, yellow hankeys to our stadium.

Haha yeah, that's not happening. The Towels will be there.

Hard to believe football is finally back.

GO STEELERS!!

2011 Season Preview: Carolina Panthers

2010 Record: 2-14

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 32

Passing Offense - 32

Rushing Offense - 13

Scoring Offense - 32

Total Defense - 18

Pass Defense - 11

Rush Defense - 23

Scoring Defense - 26

Offense

The Panthers had a ton of needs going into the draft, but none bigger than to find a quarterback. Having seen Jimmy Clausen play last year, he just wasn't going to cut it. Cam Newton is a polarizing figure, but the Panthers needed someone that could complete a pass under center. Of the 3 quarterbacks that started games for the Panthers last year, none of them had a completion percentage over 56%. The Panthers did a good job this offseason of retaining the guys they needed to, such as running back DeAngelo Williams, who will benefit tremendously from the return of former Pitt tackle Jeff Otah. Regardless of who is under center, the Panthers are going to have to lean heavily on the run game.

Defense

The Panthers did bring back DE Charles Johnson, who finished 7th in the league with 11.5 sacks last season. They addressed the interior of their defensive line in the middle of the draft, taking big bodies Terrell McClain (South Florida) and Shaun Fua (Stanford). As should be expected of a team that finished last in the league, most of their free agents did not return, but in addition to Johnson they also brought back LB James Anderson, their leading tackler from last season. LB Jon Beason was a Pro Bowler and Dan Connor (Penn St alum) finished 8th on the team in tackles despite playing in only half the games last season. The Panthers added some free agent depth to their secondary which finished 11th in the league. The only big loss is CB Richard Marshall who finished 2nd on the team with 3 interceptions. With McClain and Fua anchoring the middle, the Panthers run defense should be a little better this year, but we're not convinced their pass defense is a top 10 unit, particularly having to face New Orleans, Atlanta and the ever-improving Tampa Bay twice a year.

Intangibles

At first glance, it seems like there's no way that Carolina can compete in this division. But let's remember something: this is the NFC South, where the team that finishes last always sees a marked improvement the following season. Since the division was formed in 2002, the last place team came back and won the division the following season every year until 2008 when the Falcons came up just short behind Matt Ryan. Last season, the Buccaneers didn't follow suit either, but they went from 4-12 to 10-6 and challenging for a playoff spot. So while empirical evidence on the team may be against them, the history of the division is on their side. We're not saying Carolina is set to compete with New Orleans or Atlanta top the division, but behind the "Double Trouble" tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, they could run a ball control offense that enables them to stay in games and have a shot to win at least 6 or 7 this year.

While we're on the topic of the Panthers, we highly recommend reading this: A Three Act Play on the History of Teal

If the Panthers were a Beer, they would be:

O'Douls

It looks like beer, it smells like beer, it tastes like beer, but it doesn't get you drunk. In other words, it's like drinking pee and not getting any of the worthwhile side-effects that at least make the experience enjoyable. Am I describing drinking O'Douls or watching the Panthers play? I don't know, but the analogy works both ways. 

2011 Season Preview: Seattle Seahawks

2010 Record: 7-9

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 28

Passing Offense - 19

Rushing Offense - 31

Scoring Offense - 23

Total Defense - 27

Pass Defense - 27

Rush Defense - 21

Scoring Defense - 25

Offense

The Seahawks ranked next-to-last in rushing offense last season, but don't tell Marshawn Lynch that.

The Seahawks scoured free agency to find more pieces to add to their offense. After Matt Hasselbeck departed for Tennessee, they brought in Tavaris Jackson from Minnesota to um...compete for the starting QB job? Honestly I really don't understand the move, but I guess the Seahawks need someone at QB after passing on one in the draft once again this year. Instead, the Seahawks continued the make-over of their offensive line, drafting tackle James Carpenter (Alabama) and guard John Moffitt (Wisconsin) in the first two rounds. They added an impact receiver by getting Sidney Rice in free agency from Minnesota, but the question remains - who is going to throw him the ball? I guess it will be between Charlie Whitehurst, who had a completion percentage under 60% last year in less than 100 pass attempts, and Tavaris Jackson who has a career completion percentage under 60% and hasn't attempted 100 passes in the last 2 years combined. Leon Washington, who led the league in return TDs, will return and the Seahawks will need some more offensive contributions out of the return game if they want to compete again this year. 

Defense

The Seahawks defense is really nothing to write home about, and considering that two of their top 3 tacklers from last year (LB Lofa Tatupu and SS Lawyer Milloy) still remain unsigned as free agents, the 'Hawks defense is going to need someone to step up and fill the void. Rookie free safety Earl Thomas had a great year last season and needs to avoid a "sophomore slump" as he looks to build on a season where he led the team with 5 interceptions. The Seahawks didn't add any free agents of note on defense and they picked 3 defensive backs in rounds 5 and 6 of the draft, but those 3 will likely only be special teams players this year. If the Seahawks were trying to build a defense to "suck for Luck," then they might be succeeding, but with how bad their division is, you never know.......

Intangibles

In any other division in the league, the Seahawks would be picked to finish last. But in the wild, wild, NFC West (which could easily be won with a 9-7 record), you've got to think that anything is possible. If we were betting on it, we'd pick the Seahawks to finish last. But then we'd look at the Cardinals and 49ers and think there's at least an even-odds bet one of those teams will be just as bas as Seattle. So really, who knows. They could be sitting in the top spot picking Andrew Luck next April, or they could be hosting a playoff game for the second consecutive season.

If the Seahawks were a Beer, they would be:

LaBatt Blue

Much like the Seahawks, LaBatt Blue comes from way up north, somewhere far away from where pretty much everyone else is located. On some occasions, LaBatt Blue seems like the right beer to go with, and there are always times of the year (usually hockey season), when LaBatt is on special. An "off-and-on" type beer seems apropos for the Seahawks franchise which has fluctuated between being Super Bowl contenders and picking in the top 5 of the draft.

2011 Season Preview: St Louis Rams

2010 Record: 7-9

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 26

Passing Offense - 21

Rushing Offense - 25

Scoring Offense - 26

Total Defense - 19

Pass Defense - 19

Rush Defense - 17

Scoring Defense - 12

Offense

The fact that the Rams offense ranked in the 20s in every major statistical category and the team still had the opportunity to win the division and have a home playoff game going into the last week of the season speaks volumes about just how bad the NFC West was last season. To help give last year's first overall pick Sam Bradford some more weapons in the passing game, the Rams went out in free agency and brought in WR Mike Sims-Walker from Jacksonville and RB Jerious Norwood from Atlanta. They also signed guard Harvey Dahl (formerly of Atlanta to help up front). They also added weapons by drafting Lance Kendricks (TE-Wisconsin) and Austin Pettis (WR-Boise St). Rams weren't that far from winning the division last year and should contend again this year, especially if Steven Jackson can stay healthy for the whole season. Jackson has put up 6-straight 100-yard rushing seasons despite only playing a full season twice in that span. As a sleeper, watch out for WR Danny Amondela who new OC Josh McDaniels might employ in a Wes Welker slot receiver type role.

Defense

The Rams took some big steps to improving their defense this offseason by drafting former North Carolina DE Robert Quinn in the first round of the draft and safety Quintin Mikell in free agency. Mikell was a good pickup who will aid the Rams run defense. He's not afraid to stick his nose in the pile, finishing 28th amongst defensive backs in tackles last year. The Rams defense was better in 2010 than in 2009, and should be even better in 2011. Their corners are still somewhat of a question mark, but luckily they play in the worst division in football. The Rams pass rush should be even better with Quinn this year than it was last year, when they finished 7th in the league with 43 sacks. 

Intangibles

The Rams play in the worst division in football and came a quarter away from winning the division last year. They had more injured receivers last year than Albert Pujols home runs, which didn't serve rookie QB Sam Bradford very well. With a healthy receiving corps and a stable of running backs to help take some of the weight off Steven Jackson, the Rams should be the favorites to win the NFC West, even if it's with an 8-8 record.

If the Rams were a Beer, they would be:

Michelob Ultra

There's nothing really spectacular about Michelob Ultra, but when you compare it to the other slate of beers that Anheuser-Busch make, I suppose it would be best of the bunch. Similarly, the Rams aren't really anything spectacular at the moment, but when you compare them with the other teams in their division, well, they most certainly have an even-odds shot at coming out on top.

2011 Season Preview: San Francisco 49ers

2010 Record: 6-10

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 24

Passing Offense - 18

Rushing Offense - 19

Scoring Offense - 24

Total Defense - 13

Pass Defense - 24

Rush Defense - 6

Scoring Defense - 16

Offense

To call the 49ers 2010 campaign "disappointing" would be the under-statement of the century. The team was hyped up as he heir apparent to the NFC West crown after the mass exodus from Arizona after 2009. The 49ers responded by losing their first 5 games out of the game behind an anemic offense that committed 15 turnovers in the first 5 games. The running game was supposed to be the strength of the team, but Frank Gore battled through injuries and only broke the 100-yard mark 4 times in 11 games. The 49ers re-signed former #1 overall pick Alex Smith to a 1-year, $5 million deal, seemingly giving him one last chance under center before they hand the reigns over to this year's second round pick, Colin Kaepernick (Nevada). Smith was 8-12 as a starter over the last two years, after starting his career 11-19. Since 2009, his completion percentage improved to around 60% and his Touchdown to Interception ratio has been in the positive for the first time in his career. The addition of Michael Crabtree helped, but he is recovering from a foot injury and recently signed Braylon Edwards is a drop machine.

Defense

The 49ers defense was supposed to be the strength of their team last year but were unable to generate turnovers and couldn't stop the pass. Their front 3 in their 3-4 front generated more sacks (10) than their starting outside linebackers (6.5). The 49ers failure to rush the passer was one of their biggest downfalls and led to the drafting of Aldon Smith (Missouri) in the first round. Smith should make their pass rush better, and Patrick Willis is a tackling machine on the inside. Their secondary still needs help as they released CB Nate Clements who led the team in interceptions last year. The 49ers really didn't do much this off-season to improve a team that was a disappointment last season.

Intangibles

To talk about the 49ers chances this year, you have to realize just how bad the NFC West still is. San Francisco picked in the top 10 of the draft, but only missed out on the division title by 1 game. To say that the 49ers aren't competitors in the NFC West is ludicrous, but to say they'll be any better than a 9-7 team would be a gigantic stretch. You've got to think that Colin Kaepernick will be starting by the end of October, particularly if new coach and QB developer Jim Harbaugh

If the 49ers were a Beer, they would be:

Blue Moon

Blue Moon was a trendy choice over the last few years, but in reality, it was a specialty beer brewed by the same people who make Coors Light. For those who know beer, Blue Moon isn't anything spectacular. In a given bar, it might be the best beer on tap, but if you're going to the store, chances are you're not taking home a 6-pack or a case of it.

2011 Season Preview: Arizona Cardinals

2010 Record: 5-11

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 31

Passing Offense - 31

Rushing Offense - 32

Scoring Offense - 26

Total Defense - 29

Pass Defense - 23

Rush Defense - 30

Scoring Defense - 30

Offense

The 2010 Season was marked by the Cardinals inability to move the ball either through the air or on the ground. Derek Anderson, John Skelton, Max Hall and Richard Bartel all saw time at quarterback for the Cardinals last year. The Cardinals spent 4 of their 8 draft picks on offensive skill positions then traded their top corner, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie to the Eagles for quarterback Kevin Kolb. The jury is still out on Kolb, but he can't be any worse than the combination of guys the Cards had last year. The Cardinals still lack a consistent running back that can produce, as former first round pick Beanie Wells has been injury-stricken. That could be a product of the Cards horrendous offensive line, which will need to improve to protect their new franchise passer. Despite trotting out one of the worst line of quarterbacks in NFL history, the Cardinals had the 11th most pass attempts in the league and were last in rushing attempts. Second round draft pick Ryan Williams from Virginia Tech should help, but the line will need to improve their run-blocking if the Cards are going to have any success on the ground. You can never under-estimate Larry Fitzgerald, one of the best receivers in the league, but with Boldin leaving for Baltimore last year and Steve Breaston heading to Kansas City this year, Fitz is going to see a lot more double coverage without a secondary option in the Cardinals passing attack. Todd Heap could be that option, if he can stay healthy for the whole season.

Defense

To call the Cardinals defense porous last year would be say you might find holes in some Swiss Cheese. They wisely spent their first round pick on cornerback Patrick Peterson (LSU) and added 2 linebackers and a defensive lineman in later rounds. The Cardinals defense has been decimated by free agency departures since their Super Bowl year. Despite giving up a crapload of yards and points last year, the Cardinals were opportunistic, finishing 8th in the league in turnovers. Incredibly, the defense scored 10 touchdowns last year off of interceptions and fumble recoveries.

Intangibles

Larry Fitzgerald is a complete receiver capable of taking over a game. He now has a quarterback that can get him the ball, but someone else is going to have to step up in the Cardinals passing attack to take the pressure off Fitz. The defense can't shoulder the burden of scoring points again this year, as they scored as many touchdowns (10) as Cardinals quarterbacks threw last year and more touchdowns than Cardinals backs ran for (9). The biggest thing the Cardinals have going for them in 2011 is that they play in the worst division in football. As bad as they were last year, they weren't eliminated from the playoff race until Week 16 last year.

If the Cardinals were a Beer, they would be:

Rolling Rock

Rolling Rock was an easy choice for "Pittsburgh West" - something that was originally from Pittsburgh but then moved elsewhere while still trying to capture the essence of Pittsburgh and promote itself as "Pittsburgh-esque." For the record, seeing "Latrobe Brewing  Co" and "St. Louis Missouri" next to each other makes no sense, kinda like seeing Alan Faneca or Joey Porter in a Cardinals jersey.