Saints Most Likely To Overcome 0-2

Playoffs!?!? We’re talking about playoffs?  We’ve only played two weeks.  The following teams just hope they can win a game. 

It’s well-known how it’s a tough climb in the NFL from a 0-2 start.  There are a couple teams that could rebound from this rough start, but most of these teams just hope to find respectability as the season moves forward. 

Which team has the best opportunity to bounce back?  I believe it’s the New Orleans Saints.  Although the secondary has been vulnerable downfield, they should settle down in the next few weeks.  I don’t think we’ll see much improvement from their defense this season.  Most of their problems have been an offense that hasn’t found any rhythm this far.  It all starts with the offensive line.  They’ve struggled thus far.  Jammal Brown is getting beat at left tackle.  Jeff Faine has struggled to get push inside.  And they haven’t worked hard enough to establish a run game behind Deuce McAllister.  If the Sean Payton can build off McAllister on the ground, it allows him to return Reggie Bush into a diverse role to create favorable matchups with his athleticism. 

What about the Philadelphia Eagles?  I don’t think its time to panic yet.  The Eagles have traditionally been a slow starter under Andy Reid.  Donovan McNabb looks like a quarterback struggling to find his rhythm again, but he hasn’t had many opportunities to get the ball to receivers struggling to get separation.  We’ll give this team some time to find its identity again, but this could be a tenuous situation to watch later in the year – especially with all the drama surrounding McNabb.  Stay tuned. 

Does St.Louis or the New York Jets have any hope?  The Rams face a tough uphill battle.  The offensive line is banged up early in the season.  This unit could recover if they find a right tackle.  Milford Brown clearly isn’t the answer.  Struggles upfront will continue to disrupt the timing of their passing game.  Marc Bulger is taking too many hits.  On defense, they are playing without their two starters at cornerback until Tye Hill gets healthy again and Fahkir Brown returns from suspension. 

Eric Mangini did a tremendous job protecting his personnel and finding a way for the Jets to perform better than its talent last season.  But the offensive line is a mess.  They couldn’t upgrade at right tackle.  They don’t have a legitimate starter at left guard.  D’Brickashaw Ferguson is till struggling with his lack of bulk on the left side.  The pass rush have been non-existent.  Rookie Darrelle Revis looks like the real deal at cornerback.  Their best hope is that the offensive line becomes respectable in the next few weeks and allows Thomas Jones to establish a steady run game. 

Which teams have no hope?

New York Giants: The defense has the same holes as last season.  They have no secondary, which has been further exposed with Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive schemes.  Michael Strahan is trying to find a rhythm after missing the entire pre-season.  This is a situation that could get ugly. 

Atlanta Falcons: Bobby Petrino needs time to find the right pieces for his system.  I believe the offensive line could struggle most of the season with their new power blocking scheme.  Byron Leftwich could help them gain respectability at quarterback later this season.

Miami Dolphins: This franchise hasn’t had much continuity in recent seasons and they’ve missed on a lot of first round picks over the past several years.  Cam Cameron will need time to find players to fit into his scheme for the long-term and develop an offensive line.  The defense is overrated – mainly due to a subpar secondary. 

Oakland Raiders: Lane Kiffin has this team going in the right direction.  That’s hard to say with a 0-2 start, but they are playing more competitive football and finally have some direction.  Kiffin will need time to build an offense around JaMarcus Russell over the next couple seasons. 

Kansas City Chiefs: This is an old team that badly needs to turn the page.  Brodie Croyle’s subpar camp was an early setback.  I respect Brock Huard as a short-term quarterback, but he’s not in much position to succeed here.  They haven’t adequately replaced their big loses along the offensive line the past two seasons.  Rookie Dwayne Bowe will have normal growing pains at wide receiver.

Buffalo Bills: Everyone knew they would struggle to stop the run, but injuries have further decimated their defense.  They’re going to struggle throughout the season.  They have some intriguing young players on the offensive side of the ball, but the right side of line is shaky.  And the jury remains out on J.P. Losman at quarterback.  Some within their organization feel better about rookie Trent Edwards in the future. 

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