A new idea I had in order to help me go through the NFL team's rosters and examine all the personnel and coaching changes, etc., one-by-one. I'm going to look at two teams head-to-head in seven key categories (my bias on what is 'key'). The team that gets my vote in each category gets a 'win'…the first team to 4 wins moves on to the next round. Just a quick, hopefully fun, way to take the temperature of each team heading into the 2023 preseason.
The seven categories…it's actually six because one category is so important that it's worth double:
1-2) The quarterback comparison…the winner of this gets 2 wins, or if too close to call it could be a 1-1 split.
3) O-Line -- Judging which team has the better O-Line…the most critical aspect of a team after the QB.
4) Cornerbacks -- After O-Line, I think the most critical position is shutdown corners (or not having any).
5) Head Coach/Organization -- A battle of which coaches will get in the way less, to some degree but also an edge given to teams that will attract free agents or be a desired destination in trades…and what teams are filling the stadium for home games, etc. Everything rolled into one judgment call.
6) Offensive Weapons -- Which team has the better, scarier RB-WR-TE group.
7) Kicker -- If it comes down to #7, of course the kicker should make the determination...as the kicker often determines the winner of a 59+ minute war prior with a last second make/miss.
As we lead into each category and tap a winner -- I'm also listing the major add/loss for each team in the offseason so far, just to eyeball it as a list.
Is this a brilliant way to judge teams over another? Who knows! But it struck me as something fun to do while studying each team this preseason, after the majority of offseason moves have been made.
BAL major adds: WR Beckham, WR Agholor, LB T. Simpson, WR Zay Flowers
BAL major losses: OG Ben Powers, TE Oliver, DE C. Campbell
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PIT major adds: OT Brod. Jones, LB Holcomb, CB P. Peterson, WR A. Robinson, CB Porter, TE D. Washington, LB Herbig, DT Benton
PIT major losses: CB Sutton, SAF Edmunds, LB Spillane
QB (2x): It pains me to type it…but Lamar Jackson gets the double-win start here. You have to assess him as better than Kenny Pickett right now. Pickett may surpass him in the future, but I can't claim it for 2023 ahead of the season.
BAL starts out with a (2-0) lead.
O-Line: Half+ of the Ravens O-Line are recognizable top NFL names that I can recall scouting them for their drafts and remembering their NFL work…but I hardly know the names or remember even really scouting deep on most of the Steelers O-Linemen, even as I'm staring right at their depth chart. Strong edge to the Ravens.
BAL takes a commanding (3-0) lead.
CBs: Both of these secondaries leave a lot to be desired…it's what is going to make both teams potentially the #3 and #4 in the division this season. I mean, the Ravens spend all their energy chasing every WR with a pulse…begging them to come play for them, and yet they're totally fine with Rock Ya-Sin as a starting CB this season (projected)? I'll side with Porter-Peterson-Sullivan/the Steelers here.
BAL still holds the lead (3-1).
HC/Organization: Both coaches have been quality in the NFL for years. No edge either way, really.
These two organizations are at a real disadvantage in the modern era. No one respects them like the 'old days' and neither city is a desirable (for a player with options) place to go play…and neither is a real Super Bowl favorite/threat type team for veteran players to jump in and try to win a title.
I give the edge to Baltimore because Lamar Jackson has a weird sway over the media, so they feel more title threat possible than the Steelers -- which attracts talent there, which matters as we go through the season and players are available in trade or with post-June 1st cut free agents about to be available. Very slight edge in an ugly battle here to Baltimore.
The Ravens clinch the series (4-1).
Weapons: If I could have one WR off either team (if I were an NFL GM/HC) it would be George Pickens. If I could have one RB…it might be J.K. Dobbins or Jaylen Warren. If I could have one TE, it would have to be Mark Andrews. So, I just chose 1.5 players from both teams…that didn't work to settle this debate, per se.
OK, if the RB group is about the same. Edge at TE to Baltimore, but it's not as big of a gap as one might think. WR group…tough call. It's really close between these two teams. Making a gut call, I'd take the Steelers WR-RB-TE group over the Ravens. Freiermuth-Washington could be better to NFL-have than Andrews…but Andrews is FF cool.
Ravens still the series winners at (4-2).
Kicker: I mean…it's Justin Tucker. End of comments.
Ravens defeat Steelers (5-2) and will go on to face the Bengals for the AFC North title.
