Intro: 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 quarterbacks 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.
NO major adds: QB Carr, DE Shepherd, DT K Sanders, TE Moreau, RB J. Williams, WR Harty, DT Breese, DE Foskey, OG Saldiveri, WR A.T. Perry
NO major losses: LB Elliss, DT Onyemata, DT Tuttle, DE Davenport, TE Trautman,
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SF major adds: DT Hargrave, PK Moody, SAF J. Brown, OC Brendel
SF major losses: OL McGlinchey, QB Garoppolo, DE Ebukam, DE Omenihu, DB J. Ward, CB Moseley
QB (2x): Brock Purdy, fully healthy, wins…but we don’t know if this is Purdy, or Lance, or Darnold. Derek Carr ‘does’ zero for me as an NFL QB…he’s as generic as they come. I’ll take my chances with any of the SF QBs over Carr.
49ers take a quick (2-0) lead.
O-Line: The Saints have a great O-Line on paper, but last year it was all banged up/missing games due to injury. The 49ers had some injury issues too, but they still were a top 10 yards per carry in the run game and in least sacks allowed per pass attempt O-Lines…and the Saints were not.
However, I’m going to lean Saints here, because they have an all-star cast starting, when healthy. The 49ers O-Line has been slipping a bit the last few years and Mike McGlinchey is gone.
SF still holds a (2-1) lead.
CBs: CB is the weak spot of the 49ers, but it may be the Saints best trait with Lattimore-Taylor-Adebo.
The Saints tie it up (2-2).
HC/Organization: People have been leaving the Saints organization for the past two years, while the 49ers have an air of respect as one of the top organizations in the league with their assistant coaches being hired away/in demand. And then Kyle Shanahan is 100x better as a head coach than Dennis Allen and his bad staff. Big win for SF.
49ers take the lead (3-2).
Weapons: SF is way better at RB. SF is way better at TE. SF has an edge at WR. All roads point to San Fran.
49ers take the series win (4-2).
Kicker: Rookie Jake Moody vs. experienced/solid Wil Lutz…you have to give the lean to the proven kicker.
49ers close it out (4-3)…a lot closer than I would’ve expected…and if Purdy were/is not available for 2023…the Saints may have snuck this win.
Upcoming Matchups (next round):
PHI v. SF in the NFC Finals
CIN v. KC in the AFC Finals
