The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs, and turnovers. For this reason, I created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game:
(2x Yards per pass)
+ (2x Yards per carry)
+ (.5 First downs)
- (Penalty yards/10)
- (2.5 Turnovers)
- (Opposing Team's Trench Counter)
Click here for more information on the Trench Counter
For the 2008 season, our weekly team rankings were based solely off this formula and below are the final results from the regular season, as well as each team's average yards per game and rank in offensive and defensive pass and rushing. Additionally, each team's point differential per game and strength of schedule are listed.
*Playoff teams in italics
1. Baltimore Ravens: 7.3
Off. Passing: 175.3 (28th), Off. Rushing: 148.5 (4th), Def. Passing: 179.7 (2nd), Def. Rushing: 81.4 (3rd), Point Diff: 8.8 (1st), SOS: 5th
Joe Flacco had a surprisingly effective 80.3 passer rating because in training camp new head coach John Harbaugh intimated that the rookie out of Delaware wasn't close to being ready. Derrick Mason had 1,037 yards and Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Ray Rice combined to rush for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns.
But this team was built upon and won based off their defense. They had 26 interceptions (Ed Reed alone had nine, including two for TD's), gave up just four touchdowns and 58 first downs via the run. The Ravens' defense essentially scored 46 of the team's 385 points counting turnovers for touchdowns and two safeties.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6.5
Off. Passing: 206.3 (17th), Off. Rushing: 105.6 (23rd), Def. Passing: 156.9 (1st), Def. Rushing: 80.3 (2nd), Point Diff: 7.8 (5th), SOS: 1st
With Willie Parker ineffective, highly touted rookie Rashard Mendenhall out for the season injury and Ben Roethlisberger flat on his back 46 times, the Steelers won the AFC North because of James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu.
Pittsburgh gave up just 3.9 yards per play, which was a 0.5 yard difference from the second ranked Eagles. Only 19 total touchdowns were scored against Dick LeBeau's squad.
3. New York Giants: 6.2
Off. Passing: 198.6 (18th), Off. Rushing: 157.4 (1st), Def. Passing: 196.2 (8th), Def. Rushing: 95.8 (9th), Point Diff: 8.3 (3rd), SOS: 16th
Eli Manning inched up the pack of quarterbacks, but he still remains right around the NFL median, so it was the running game that put the Giants in position to put points on the board. Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs were first and third respectively in yards per carry, rushing for 1,025 and 1,089, respectively. Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer and Steve Smith all had over 550 yards, offsetting the loss of Plaxico Burress.
Defensively, the Giants plugged Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka into the Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan holes and they responded by combining for 20 sacks.
4. Philadelphia Eagles: 5.6
Off. Passing: 244.4 (6th), Off. Rushing: 106.1 (22nd), Def. Passing: 182.1 (3rd), Def. Rushing: 92.3 (4th), Point Diff: 7.9 (4th), SOS: 15th
The Eagles were the NFL's box of chocolates in 2008, with frustrating inconsistency. Donovan McNabb had a very good season considering the receivers he worked with and the ineffectiveness of a running game that averaged just 3.5 yards per carry.
But the Eagles' defense offset that with allowing just 3.5 yards per carry themselves; MLB Stewart Bradley had a huge hand in that statistic. Trent Cole wasn't a Pro Bowler again, but he did have nine sacks and 59 tackles, while Darren Howard had 10. In the secondary, Asante Samuel and Brian Dawkins were Pro Bowlers and were very effective.
5. Carolina Panthers: 5.6
Off. Passing: 197.4 (19th), Off. Rushing: 152.3 (3rd), Def. Passing: 211.7 (16th), Def. Rushing: 119.5 (20th), Point Diff: 0.4 (8th), SOS:
The Panthers were a tale of two seasons or a tale of two DeAngelo Williams. Looking back on the season, it is nearly impossible to imagine the Panthers' being held to under 125 yards rushing, let alone under 50, which happened in losses in Week 3 at Minnesota and Week 6 at Tampa Bay. The Panthers gained over 200 yards on the ground four separate times and averaged 34 points per game in those contests.
While Williams and Jonathan Stewart suffocated defenses with their running game behind a line that featured Pro Bowl left tackle Jordan Gross and rookie Jeff Otah at the other tackle spot, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith frequently connected for 1,421 yards, while Mushin Muhammad returned to Carolina for 923 yards. Though they were 19th in total yards passing, they were fourth in the NFL in yards per attempt with 7.3.
Julius Peppers had 14.5 sacks to follow-up his down year last season and Jon Beason also made the Pro Bowl, who is the reserve at MLB behind '07 draft mate Patrick Willis.
6. Minnesota Vikings: 4.6
Off. Passing: 184.8 (25th), Off. Rushing: 145.8 (5th), Def. Passing: 215.6 (18th), Def. Rushing: 76.9 (1st), Point Diff: 2.9 (13th), SOS: 4th
The Vikings' defense and running game was good enough to compensate for the decision to start Gus Frerotte over Tarvaris Jackson in the majority of their games. Adrian Peterson wasn't quite as dominant on a per game basis as he was as a rookie, but he did lead the NFL in rushing and scored 10 touchdowns. Bernard Berrian was part of the Minnesota passing game that was sporadic, though he did average a very good 20.1 yards per reception and seven touchdowns. Vishanthe Shiancoe also scored seven touchdowns.
Free agent Jared Allen did not disappoint at all with 14.5 sacks while making the Pro Bowl. Kevin Williams also made the Pro Bowl and had 8.5 sacks at the defensive tackle position, while Antoine Winfield played an excellent corner. Leslie Frazier's defense gave up volume on yards, but were ranked 5th in passing TDs allowed and eighth in yards per attempt.
7. New England Patriots: 4.5
Off. Passing: 223.1 (12th), Off. Rushing: 142.4 (6th), Def. Passing: 201.4 (11th), Def. Rushing: 107.7 (15th), Point Diff: 6.3 (6th), SOS: 32nd
The Patriots won 11 games and missed the playoffs controversially, but they also had the easiest schedule in the NFL. With the loss of Tom Brady in the first game of the season, they probably deserved the good fortune of playing the AFC West and NFC West.
Matt Cassel eventually played well at quarterback with a QB rating of 89.4, not too far off from Brady's career average of 92.9. The Patriots were very good on the ground as well and there was yet another shift in the franchise to rely more upon their offense than the defense.
They were decidedly middle of the pack, but they gave up a second to worst mark of 27 passing TDs. They did, however, get younger with Jerod Mayo looking very legitimate at linebacker as the Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Brandon Meriweather had 57 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two sacks.
8. Miami Dolphins: 4.3
Off. Passing: 227.0 (10th), Off. Rushing: 118.6 (11th), Def. Passing: 227.8 (25th), Def. Rushing: 101.3 (10th), Point Diff: +1.8 (16th), SOS: 23rd
With Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano, the acquisition of a whole new Chad Pennington, the old Joey Porter, the Wildcat, the eventual emergence of number one overall pick Jake Long, +17 turnover differential, winning nine of their last 10 games and a myriad of other factors, the Dolphins went from 1-15 to the 11-5 winners of the AFC East.
Pennington was second in the NFL in passer rating with a mark of 97.4. He was extremely efficient and set the perfect tone for this team that relied on keeping the ball. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were a very good combo at running back and they got a nice step forward from Ted Ginn, while Anthony Fasano scored seven touchdowns.
Porter had 17.5 sacks and the team had 40 overall, but their front three largely struggled to reach the quarterback.
9. Tennessee Titans: 4.0
Off. Passing: 176.2 (27th), Off. Rushing: 137.4 (7th), Def. Passing: 199.8 (9th), Def. Rushing: 93.9 (6th), Point Diff: 8.8 (2nd), SOS: 6th
How could the team with a 13-3 record and the second best point differential be ninth? Because the defense was very good, but not the Pittsburgh kind of elite and they were relatively average offensively.
Kerry Collins had an 80.2 passer rating and had an interception percentage of 1.7. Chris Johnson was a dominant rookie back, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and also caught 43 balls for 260 yards. Justin Gage only had 34 catches, but he had a 19.1 yards per catch average and six touchdowns. Michael Roos and Kevin Mawae were two of the brilliant cogs in a very good line.
Albert Haynesworth once again was the NFL's premier defensive tackle, making 8.5 sacks and causing general havoc. Cortland Finnegan was excellent at corner with five interceptions, while Chris Hope had four at strong safety. Michael Griffin had seven interceptions and 47 tackles at free safety in his second season.
10. Atlanta Falcons: 3.5
Off. Passing: 208.5 (14th), Off. Rushing: 152.7 (2nd), Def. Passing: 220.4 (21st), Def. Rushing: 127.5 (25th), Point Diff: 4.1 (11th), SOS: 21st
Matt Ryan threw a 62 yard touchdown with the very first pass of his career, which really set the tone for the kind of season Atlanta would have in 2008. As great as Ryan was, it was the Michael Turner acquisition that made offensive success attainable. Turner was a true workhorse, leading the NFL in rushing attempts while finishing second in yards and TDs. Ryan, meanwhile, wasn't exposed too frequently as the Falcons were 29th in pass attempts. But Roddy White became a Pro Bowler, catching 88 balls for 1,382 yards (a franchise record) and seven touchdowns. Michael Jenkins also had a nice season with 777 yards.
John Abraham easily had the best season of his career, recording 16.5 sacks and forcing four fumbles. But the Falcons' opponents were just about as effective running the ball against them as they were with it themselves.
11. San Diego Chargers: 2.4
Off. Passing: 241.1 (7th), Off. Rushing: 107.9 (20th), Def. Passing: 247.4 (31st), Def. Rushing: 102.6 (11th), Point Diff: 5.8 (7th), SOS: 31st
Though the Chargers had an 8-8 record, they did have the 7th best point differential in the NFL and had the misfortune of losing six games by five or fewer points.
Philip Rivers led the NFL in passer rating, which came just in the nick of time as LaDainian Tomlinson faded/injured. Vincent Jackson had a breakout season, catching 59 balls for 1,098 yards and seven TDs, while Antonio Gates had eight TDs.
Shawne Merriman missed the entire season, which took a lot of the juice out of San Diego's defense, which was clearly bad against the pass (247.4 yards per game), but perhaps not that bad (6.3 yards per attempt, which was 21st in the NFL). Jyles Tucker, Merriman's replacement had 5.5 sacks and Shaun Phillips had another solid season with 7.5 sacks and 52 tackles.
12. New York Jets: 2.1
Off. Passing: 206.4 (16th), Off. Rushing: 125.3 (9th), Def. Passing: 234.5 (29th), Def. Rushing: 94.9 (7th), Point Diff: 3.1 (12th), SOS: 25th
The funny thing about Brett Favre's tenure in New York was that there was once a point when things were going swimmingly. The Jets dominated the Titans 34-13 in Week 12, which put them to 8-3 and in complete control of their destiny. But they would go on to win just one more game and their season ended with Pennington's revenge in Week 17.
Favre had 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, while Thomas Jones become a Pro Bowler, with 1,312 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles got nearly equal attention.
Newcomer Kris Jenkins made the Pro Bowl at defensive tackle, as did Darrelle Revis.
13. Washington Redskins: 1.9
Off. Passing: 189.1 (23rd), Off. Rushing: 131.0 (8th), Def. Passing: 193.4 (7th), Def. Rushing: 95.4 (8th), Point Diff: -1.9 (22nd), SOS:
The Redskins were largely able to move the ball, Clinton Portis ran well in the first half while Jason Campbell played above average, largely mistake-free football; but their ability to score inside the red zone was well below average. To compound matters, Shaun Suisham went 26-for-36, which was the worst field goal percentage in the NFL.
Washington's defense was very solid overall in terms of stopping the run and the pass, but they were 30th in takeaways with just 18 and 28th in sacks with 24. Andre Carter and Jason Taylor didn't get nearly enough pressure on the quarterback from the ends, combining for 4.5 sacks. London Fletcher had a very good year at linebacker, leading the team in tackles with 96. Though clearly not explosive and full of playmakers like a Baltimore, the Redskins' had the best unit of any defense not in the playoffs.
14. Indianapolis Colts: 1.8
Off. Passing: 255.9 (5th), Off. Rushing: 79.6 (31st), Def. Passing: 188.1 (6th), Def. Rushing: 122.9 (24th), Point Diff: 4.9 (9th), SOS: 2nd
So many of the Colts' problems in 2008 came with the run, both on offense and defense, but Peyton Manning recovered from his preseason surgery to produce enough smoke and mirrors to win his third MVP and get Tony Dungy into the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. Joseph Addai has gone from a 4.8 yard per rusher as a rookie to 4.1 last season and 3.5 in 2008. Always a dual threat back, Addai was limited to just 25 catches and 206 yards out of the backfield. Dominic Rhodes had more total yards from scrimmage and two more touchdowns. Four Colts had over 600 yards receiving, with Reggie Wayne being the focal point with 1,145 and Dallas Clark the secondary option with 848. Anthony Gonzalez and Marvin Harrison shared 117 balls.
The Colts were below average in sacks with 30, but that can't be blamed on Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis who were as good of a defensive end combo as any other in the NFL and combined for 21.5 sacks. The loss of Bob Sanders for ten games really hurt their run defense with the size of the impact he makes up in the box. But their defense progressed nicely after a horrible September and allowed just six touchdowns in the air all season, six fewer than the Titans and Steelers who each allowed 12 and were tied for second in the category.
15. New Orleans Saints: 1.3
Off. Passing: 311.1 (1st), Off. Rushing: 99.6 (28th), Def. Passing: 221.7 (23rd), Def. Rushing: 117.8 (17th), Point Diff: 4.4 (10th), SOS: 13th
The Saints may have been the unluckiest team in the NFL in 2008, which forced Drew Brees' historical season to become an end of the year sidenote. By my FIC statistic, Brees was the
NFL's best player in 2008. But Sean Payton's club lost six games by five or fewer points and instead of going 11-5 or 10-6, they were 8-8.
Reggie Bush nudged up just slightly his yards per carry, but his return to form as a receiver and as a punt returner injected a lot of teeth into the Saints. He was unfortunately limited to 10 games, but it allowed Pierre Thomas to really be featured as a 4.8 yards per carry rusher.
Marques Colston was also limited to nine games, but he still managed 760 yards, while Lance Moore had 79 catches and 928 yards. Robert Meachem joined Devery Henderson as deep threats, each averaging over 24 yards per reception. Jeremy Shockey was disappointing with 50 catches for 483 yards and no touchdowns.
The Saints play at a fast pace, which doesn't do their defense any favors, but they weren't any better on a per play basis than they were in totality. Gary Gibbs' lost corners Tracy Porter and Mike McKenzie due to injuries and the Saints were beat deep with far too great of frequency. The secondary can share some of that blame, but the pass rush was very weak and the line didn't get much help behind them from the linebackers.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1.2
Off. Passing: 226.2 (11th), Off. Rushing: 114.8 (15th), Def. Passing: 187.3 (4th), Def. Rushing: 118.8 (19th), Point Diff: +2.4 (15th), SOS: 20
Florida is a state where people go to retire, but Jeff Garcia and Warrick Dunn had excellent seasons at 38 and 33 respectively. Garcia had a 90.2 passer rating, while Dunn rushed for 786 yards on 186 carries. Earnest Graham didn't play out the season, but Cadillac Williams came back from injury and filled in down the stretch. Antonio Bryant returned to the league after a 2007 absence and caught 83 balls for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns, filling in for the injured, also elderly Joey Galloway. Tampa Bay frequently got into the red zone, but their conversion percentage was much more Oakland than Indianapolis.
But this season will be remembered for giving up 299 yards on Monday night against the Panthers and 192 to the Raiders in Week 17 when all they had to do was win to reach the playoffs.
Though still a good unit, the vaunted Tampa Bay defense is getting very long in the tooth and will lose Monte Kiffin to his son in Knoxville.
17. Arizona Cardinals: 1.2
Off. Passing: 292.1 (2nd), Off. Rushing: 72.6 (32nd), Def. Passing: 221.3 (22nd), Def. Rushing: 110.3 (16th), Point Diff: .1 (18th), SOS: 21st
Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston all had excellent seasons in 2008. That wide receiver trio became the fifth team in NFL history to each have over 1,000 yards receiving, while Warner had a 96.9 passer rating and 30 TDs to 14 interceptions. Their running game, however, was not nearly as effective. They were last in yards and went away from Edgerrin James in favor of Tim Hightower who consistently found the end zone, though he had a very weak 2.8 yards per carry average.
The defense was better against the run than the pass, as opposing quarterbacks had a 95.4 rating and threw for 36 touchdowns. Strong safety Adrian Wilson was the focal point of the defense and was aided by a very good season at DT by Darnell Dockett and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie finished strong and should make a big step forward in 2009.
18. Chicago Bears: 0.4
Off. Passing: 191.3 (21st), Off. Rushing: 104.6 (24th), Def. Passing: 241.2 (30th), Def. Rushing: 93.5 (5th), Point Diff: +1.6 (17th), SOS: 11th
Kyle Orton was the solution more than the answer at quarterback while Matt Forte was a horse for the Bears in all facets of the offense and was the
leader at running back in FIC. As a team, the Bears were 25th in passer rating, the lowest by any team to finish over .500. Orton surely didn't have much to work with for targets to throw to. They lost Bernard Berrian to the Vikings and their three leading receivers were a converted returner (Devin Hester), a tight end (Greg Olsen) and their running back (Forte). Hester was certainly valuable in their passing game, but he had three touchdowns, compared to eight in 2007 and five in 2006.
The Chicago defense was good against the run, but gave up a lot of longs passing plays. They were 30th in yards allowed, but were 2nd in the NFL in takeaways with 32 and therefore had the 10th best passer rating against them with a mark of 75.8. The ability to force turnovers was largely a deodorant for a deteriorating defensive unit.
19. Green Bay Packers: 0.2
Off. Passing: 238.3 (8th), Off. Rushing: 112.8 (17th), Def. Passing: 202.8 (12th), Def. Rushing: 131.6 (26th), Point Diff: 2/4 (14th), SOS: 12th
Aaron Rodgers replaced Brett Favre just about as good as anyone outside of Steve Young could muster. He had a 93.8 passer rating and threw for over 4,000 yards, 28 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. Ryan Grant became the featured back and he had over 1,200 yards, but his yards per rush dropped from 5.1 to 3.9 and he had four fewer TDs. Greg Jennings had 1,292 yards and nine TDs, while Donald Driver had 1,012 yards and five TDS. The offensive line gave up 22 sacks one year after giving up just 12.
Penalties really killed the Green Bay defense with a league-high 33 first downs given up due to penalty, though they significantly decreased the total number of penalties. The loss of Cullen Jenkins really hurt their ability to pressure the quarterback, though Aaron Kampman did an unreal job trying to pick up the slack. A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett both had down years from 2007, while in the secondary Charles Woodson and Nick Collins were excellent.
20. Houston Texans: 0.0
Off. Passing: 266.7 (4th), Off. Rushing: 115.4 (13th), Def. Passing: 214.0 (17th), Def. Rushing: 122.6 (23rd), Point Diff: -1.8 (21st), SOS: 8th
The Texans were ranked third in total yards, but like the Saints, Broncos and Patriots (1st, 2nd and 5th respectively), they all missed out on the playoffs. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton can become a nice big three that will consistently score points.
Richard Smith's defense was a migraine of a mess and it quickly cost him his job. Mario Williams had 12 of Houston's 25 sacks and didn't receive much help from Amobi Okoye. DeMeco Ryans decreased his production in both tackles and sacks for the second consecutive season.
21. Dallas Cowboys: -0.9
Off. Passing: 236.8 (9th), Off. Rushing: 107.7 (21st), Def. Passing: 187.7 (5th), Def. Rushing: 106.6 (12th), Point Diff: -0.2 (19th), SOS: 14th
The Cowboys were a popular choice to win the Super Bowl throughout the offseason and through the first three weeks of the season, but the glitter quickly faded on a nutty team enduring it all under a combination of intense hype and scrutiny. Jason Garrett was demoted from offensive boy genius to your run of the mill offensive coordinator as Dallas had 33 turnovers (2nd worst) and didn't at all maximize his deep array of weapons.
Tony Romo suffered that pinkie injury and he played to a 67.9 passer rating, while throwing six interceptions and getting sacked 12 times. Marion Barber became the lead back due to the departure of Julius Jones to Seattle and also suffered injuries, while his yards per carry dropped from 4.8 to 3.7 and was badly fumble prone. The loss of Felix Jones, who had an unreal 266 yards in just 30 carries (8.9 average) before suffering a season-ending injury. Terrell Owens and Jason Witten both had nice seasons, but both had drops in production while allegedly luring each other into a love triangle with Romo. Aggressively and costly, they acquired Roy Williams from Detroit (
a move I didn't particularly like at the time) and he did not find a place within the offense whatsoever. Upgrading Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin with Williams was not a move that was really going to make or break 2008 for Dallas.
The Cowboys were solid on defense, which surely was one of the main reasons why Wade Phillips gets to see another year. The pass rush of DeMarcus Ware (20 sacks), Greg Ellis (eight sacks), Bradie James (eight sacks) and Jay Ratliff (7.5 sacks) compensated for the secondary injuries/suspensions/overall deficiencies. They dropped from 13th to 20th in points allowed.
22. San Francisco 49ers -1.1
Off. Passing: 211.2 (13th), Off. Rushing: 99.9 (27th), Def. Passing: 219.2 (20th), Def. Rushing: 106.8 (13th), Point Diff: -2.6 (3rd), SOS: 18th
Mike Martz came in and turned the 49ers into a passing team and they were 13th in yards and 23rd in passer rating a year they were dead last in the NFL in both categories. J.T. O'Sullivan looked like their quarterback for a few weeks (against Seattle and Detroit), but when Mike Nolan was fired he tapped Shaun Hill, who had a better passer rating than Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb and Jay Cutler. Hill has a good pocket presence and he made the most of receivers that were either long of tooth or short on talent. Frank Gore rushed for over 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season, but his numbers were still more Jim Hostler than Norv Turner.
Patrick Willis was once again everything any team would ever want from an inside linebacker and Nate Clements is a very good, albeit overpaid corner, but the weaknesses at defensive end and outside linebacker are incredibly glaring. They had 30 sacks, which was just below average, but standing in the pocket is something that opposing quarterbacks don't exactly lose sleep about on Saturday nights. Against the run, the Niners were ranked ninth on a per rush basis and were 16th in yards per pass.
23. Denver Broncos: -2.8
Off. Passing: 279.4 (3rd), Off. Rushing: 116.4 (12th), Def. Passing: 228.5 (26th), Def. Rushing: 146.1 (27th), Point Diff: -4.9 (25th), SOS: 29th
In what ended up being Mike Shanahan's final season in Denver, Jay Cutler gunned the ball 616 times for 4,471 yards and 25 touchdowns. But he also threw 18 interceptions and had a relatively average passer rating of 86.0. The Broncos only rushed for 116.4, but were third in the league in yards per rush with 4.8 despite having to shuffle in and out Peyton Hillis, Michael Pittman, Selvin Young and Tatum Bell.
The Broncos exclusively won games when
Cutler played MVP football and lost when he didn't, largely because their defense was unreliable and untalented. Opposing quarterbacks had a 97.3 passer rating and as a whole they yielded 6.1 yards per play, which was second in the NFL.
24. Buffalo Bills: -3.1
Off. Passing: 190.0 (22nd), Off. Rushing: 115.1 (14th), Def. Passing: 203.3 (13th), Def. Rushing: 121.6 (22nd), Point Diff: -0.4 (20th), SOS: 27th
The narrow wins against Oakland and Jacksonville early in the season were far more telling than the victories over the Rams and Seahawks and they eventually became one of three teams in NFL history to begin the season 5-1 and then go on to have a losing record. Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and Lee Evans proved good enough just to be mediocre and as conservative as Dick Jauron desires.
The Bills were very inadequate rushing the passer (29th in sacks) and consistently lost the turnover differential battle.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars -4.6
Off. Passing: 208.3 (15th), Off. Rushing: 110.9 (18th), Def. Passing: 224.1 (24th), Def. Rushing: 106.8 (13th), Point Diff: -4.1 (24th), SOS: 3rd
Though there could never be as much noise for disappointment on the St. John's River over the Jaguars as there is in Valley Ranch for the Cowboys, the gap between expectations and the results was just as wide. The Jaguars went from 7th in yards to play in 2007 to 21st this season. David Garrard's passer rating dropped substantially from 102.2 to 81.7 while Maurice Jones-Drew had a drop in efficiency and Fred Taylor was back to his normal self after finally making the Pro Bowl in 2007.
The defensive unit took a similar step backwards as the offense, dropping from 7th in passer rating against to 28th. Rashean Mathis had four interceptions, but the team was second worst in takeaways with 17 and their pass rush was barely out of the bottom 10.
26. Kansas City Chiefs: -4.7
Off. Passing: 195.6 (20th), Off. Rushing: 113.1 (16th), Def. Passing: 234.3 (28th), Def. Rushing: 158.9 (30th), Point Diff: -9.3 (29th), SOS: 26th
Via various mean, seven different Chiefs threw a completed pass in 2008, but it was Tyler Thigpen who was the primary guy. His passer rating of 76.0 isn't going to call off the dogs searching for a quarterback, but it did keep them as competitive as a 2-14 team can be. If they weren't playing from behind so frequently they then could have taken better advantage of their running game, which was second in yards per rush with 4.8. Kansas City also had the very best tight end in the game in Tony Gonzalez, who had 96 catches for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Chiefs' defense was dead last in sacks with just 10 with Tamba Haili recording three of them. Rookie Glenn Dorsey didn't really make the kind of impact at defensive tackle as many were expecting.
27. Cincinnati Bengals: -4.8
Off. Passing: 150.4 (30th), Off. Rushing: 95.0 (29th), Def. Passing: 205.4 (15th), Def. Rushing: 120.1 (21st), Point Diff: -10.0 (30th), SOS: 26th
The 2008 season was essentially a completely lost one for Carson Palmer, who suffered a shoulder injury. Ryan Fitzpatrick did as well as he possibly could, but a 70.0 passer rating is a 70.0 passer rating. T.J. Houshmandzadeh remained the more professional Beaver/Bengal wide receiver, catching 92 balls for 904 yards, while Chad Johnson distracted away 2008 with 540 yards. The Bengals pulled Cedric Benson off of the Lake Travis police blotter and he responded with 747 yards on 214 carries, proving to be far more effective than Chris Perry.
The Benglas' defense wasn't utterly horrible on a per play basis, giving up 5.1 yards, which was 11th overall. Getting to the quarterback was a rare occurrence, however, as the team had 17 total sack and Antwan Odom, John Thornton and Nedu Ndukwe each had three.
28. Seattle Seahawks: -5.9
Off. Passing: 163.6 (29th), Off. Rushing: 110.5 (19th), Def. Passing: 259.3 (32nd), Def. Rushing: 118.7 (18th), Point Diff: -6.1 (26th), SOS: 19th
With Shaun Alexander already gone, Mike Holmgren on his way out and Matt Hasselbeck beaten up, Seattle really began transitioning out of the era that took them to Super Bowl XL. Seneca Wallace had an 87.0 passer rating while both Julius Jones and Maurice Morris averaged at least 4.3 yards per carry. John Carlson became on of the NFL's best young tight ends and was their leading receiver, while Bobby Engram, Deion Branch and Koren Robinson were all underwhelming.
The Seahawks had 35 sacks, but gave up a passer rating of 94.6, which easily was the worst amongst teams with that many sacks. Brandon Mebane and Darryl Tapp each had 5.5 sacks and Josh Wilson had four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. As a whole, Seattle's defense will need to get bigger.
29. Cleveland Browns: -7.1
Off. Passing: 148.8 (31st), Off. Rushing: 100.3 (26th), Def. Passing: 204.6 (14th), Def. Rushing: 152.0 (28th), Point Diff: -7.4 (27th), SOS: 9th
The Browns were on the doorstep of the playoffs in 2007 and it all unraveled in 2008. Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski combined to post a team passer rating of 53.5, easily the worst (by 10.8) in the NFL. Largely because of the continued fine play of Joe Thomas, the Browns only gave up 24 sacks (8th best in the NFL). Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. combined for just 1,301 yards and struggled badly.
Shaun Rogers came over from Detroit and made the Pro Bowl with 4.5 sacks and 61 tackles. D'Qwell Jackson led the team in tackles with 95, but the Browns gave up a 6th worst 5.7 yards per play.
30. Oakland Raiders: -7.6
Off. Passing: 148.1 (32nd), Off. Rushing: 124.2 (10th), Def. Passing: 201.3 (10th), Def. Rushing: 159.7 (31st), Point Diff: -7.8 (28th), SOS: 30th
The 41-14 loss to Denver was just about as embarrassing as a loss could get, but then a three-week enduring Lane Kiffin drama made Oakland a kind of drama in which all sorts of things that should never happen happened. On the field, JaMarcus Russell had a 77.1 passer rating and though he has great of an arm as anyone, his accuracy and feel for the game still has a long ways to go. He wasn't helped out much by his receivers, especially Javon Walker and Ronald Curry who were both injured and horrible. Zach Miller went another step forward as a promising young tight end, while Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush were able to very effectively run the ball.
As always seems to be the case with the Raiders, their defense was heavily penalized and cost themselves 30 first downs. DeAngelo Hall's tenure in Oakland was short-lived and neither Tommy Kelly or Gerard Wilson weren't (and couldn't) be worth the money. Nnamdi Asomugha cut off virtually half the field and was the primary reason why the Raiders were so successful against the pass.
31. St. Louis Rams: -9.8
Off. Passing: 184.2 (26th), Off. Rushing: 103.1 (25th), Def. Passing: 217.2 (19th), Def. Rushing: 154.7 (29th), Point Diff: -14.6 (31st), SOS: 17th
The Rams visited the red zone 29 times and converted for a touchdown on just 10 of those occasions, both of which were worse in the NFL. Marc Bulger had a 71.4 passer rating and two more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (11). Steven Jackson got his big contract and rushed for 4.1 yards per carry and 9.5 yards per reception. Torry Holt was far from his usual self, catching just 64 balls for 796 yards.
Though clearly well beyond the years, James Hall had 6.5 sacks while Leonard Little had six sacks. Rookie Chris Long had four sacks and 32 tackles. The Rams haven't had a good defense for quite a while now and their offense was especially not well-equipped enough to balance that out in 2008.
32. Detroit Lions: -12.0
Off. Passing: 185.0 (24th), Off. Rushing: 83.3 (30th), Def. Passing: 232.3 (27th), Def. Rushing: 172.1 (32nd), Point Diff: -15.6 (32nd), SOS: 10th
The Lions were historically bad and nothing could cushion that reality, but playing against the NFC South and AFC South didn't do them any favors.
Not that the Lions were an offensive powerhouse, but it was really on defense in which they lost 16 games like they did. Detroit was 3.2 points per game worse than the Rams who were 31st in points allowed, while they gave up over 404.4 yards per game. The Steelers' defense, in comparison, were first in the NFL in yards allowed with 237.2 and 13.9 points.
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