There are no flawless teams in the NFL this year.
Vapormax Clearance Sale
. I suppose you could say there are never any truly flawless teams, but
2016 is atypical. There was not a single team heading into Week 13
ranked in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive DVOA. There were
four last year. Even the obvious favorites -- your Cowboys and Patriots
of the world -- have holes on their rosters, caused either by injuries
or other personnel choices.Yet we know teams can overcome these sorts of
problems. The Broncos were 25th in offensive DVOA and first in
defensive DVOA last year and won the Super Bowl. You need a lot of
things to go right for your weakness to either turn into a strength or
somehow remain undetected or unexploited by an underwhelming opponent.
Its impossible to predict who will be the luckiest between now and the
Super Bowl, but somebody will.With the playoffs no longer in the
distance, lets look at some of those issues. Organizations cant do much
to fix personnel problems now, unfortunately, but a well-timed benching
or a run of good health from previously injured talent can mean the
world. So lets run through the 15 teams with the best chance to make the
postseason?per ESPNs Football Power Index, and identify their biggest
current weakness heading into the final stretch of the 2016 campaign.The
order:?These are ranked based on the likelihood the key weakness might
sink each teams playoff hopes. And that starts, coincidentally, with
last years champs ...15. Denver BroncosThe Problem: quarterback
healthWho would have thought we would find ourselves sitting here in
December worrying about how an injury to Trevor Siemian might impact
Denvers playoff hopes? And yet here we are, and those concerns are
founded. First-round pick Paxton Lynch simply hasnt been very good this
year; after looking competent filling in for an injured Siemian against
Tampa Bay, Lynch has been dismal in his first two professional
starts.Facing the limited pass defenses of Atlanta (on Oct. 9) and
Jacksonville (on Sunday), Lynch has gone 35-of-59 for 327 yards with a
touchdown and a pick. His passer rating of 73.2 is bad, and his
opponent-adjusted QBR is even worse. Its an absurdly low 14.5; the
second-worst quarterback since Lynchs Week 5 start, Josh McCown, nearly
doubled Lynchs rating at 27.3. For whatever physical traits he
possesses, Lynch looks timid and ready to flee the pocket at any moment.
The Jaguars locked him down in throwing situations on Sunday, as the
Broncos failed to convert a single third down try after picking up one
on a third-and-3 on the second possession of the game.Hes been pressured
at the fourth-highest rate of any passer since Week 5 in those two
starts, which doesnt help matters, but part of that is on Lynch. Hes
being pressured on 39.7 percent of his dropbacks despite opposing teams
sending blitzes just 16.4 percent of the time. Siemian, meanwhile, is
being pressured on 34.1 percent of his dropbacks, but it has required
teams to send blitzes nearly twice as frequently (30.5 percent).The good
news for the Broncos is that they should get Siemian back from a foot
injury soon, and theyve been through this before. They won a Super Bowl
last year with worse quarterback play than what they were getting out of
Siemian, who looked impressive during the second half of their Week 12
shootout with the Chiefs. There are other issues here -- notably their
run defense, which was 24th in DVOA heading into this week after
finishing fourth last year -- but Lynch is likely to return to the bench
for the remainder of the season soon enough.14. Oakland RaidersThe
Problem: run defenseWhile the Raiders roared back on Sunday to solidify
their position atop the AFC West with a 38-24 comeback victory over the
Bills, the game put their biggest weakness into perspective. With
starting defensive tackle Stacy McGee missing, Oakland was gashed by one
of the leagues best running games. Buffalo ran the ball 30 times for
212 yards on Sunday, producing their biggest play (a 54-yard scamper by
LeSean McCoy) and all three of their touchdowns on the ground.This isnt a
new problem for the Raiders. While theyve had issues at cornerback off
and on this season, the run defense has never really been there. Dan
Williams arrived from Arizona to be the focal point of their rush
defense last season, but Williams lost his starting job in camp and had
to fight to get it back during the season. Neither he nor Justin Ellis
have been great on the interior. Oakland has also been trying to get by
at middle linebacker after parting ways with vet Curtis Lofton and with
Ben Heeney hitting injured reserve; Perry Riley and rookie sixth-rounder
Cory James have alternated snaps and starts. Theres no consistency, and
even the guys you would expect to make plays against the run havent, as
we saw when Tyrod Taylor flew past a crashing Khalil Mack on a
zone-read keeper for a score on Sunday.This Bills game was a microcosm
in another way: Notably, the Raiders were gashed on the ground and still
won comfortably. Run defense is less important than ever, and for
Oakland, its even less of a concern by virtue of the AFC bracket. Who
are they going to play in the playoffs who might be scary on the ground?
There were four teams from the AFC among the top 10 of the DVOA
rankings for rushing offense heading into Week 13, and three of them are
likely to miss the playoffs: the aforementioned Bills, Jets and
Dolphins. The fourth? The Raiders.13. Kansas City ChiefsThe Problem:
passing offenseJustin Houston already solved Kansas Citys biggest
problem through the first half of the season by providing a second
pass-rusher alongside the emerging Dee Ford. Now, with Ford, Houston and
Tamba Hali all available to rush the quarterback, the Chiefs pass rush
suddenly looks scary. It knocked Matt Ryan down nine times on 36
dropbacks Sunday, and Houston looks every bit his old, dominant self
after returning from knee surgery.Now, the Chiefs have to be concerned
with throwing the football. Theyre never going to be a dynamic passing
attack, but they need to be functional if only to take some of the
pressure off their running game. Theyve been without Jeremy Maclin for
several weeks, and Tyreek Hill has emerged as a wideout who can make big
plays out of nothing on screens and jet sweeps, but the Chiefs are
going to need more out of Alex Smith than theyve gotten in recent
weeks.Smiths archetype is no secret. When hes on his game, Smith is
concise and hyperfocused on avoiding turnovers, creating plenty of short
completions and moving the ball with his feet. He hasnt been that guy
recently. Smith has now turned the ball over in three of the last four
games since returning from a concussion, including a crucial
interception in the end zone against the Buccaneers in the teams only
loss over that stretch. On Sunday, it was a strip sack by Vic Beasley on
a play in which Smith held the ball too long under pressure on
third-and-3.The margin of error with Smith is generally razor-thin: You
cant be as conservative as Smith typically is unless you avoid turnovers
almost entirely. This should improve naturally (he hadnt turned the
ball over in any of his three prior starts). Maclin will also help. The
sample size with Smith is large enough to suggest that this is likely an
aberration, and the Chiefs have been good enough to win three of these
last four games, despite Smiths mistakes.12. New York GiantsThe Problem:
rushing offenseThere simply arent any big plays lurking in the legs of
New Yorks running backs, at least without Shane Vereen in the fold. The
Giants arent creating anything on the ground. Only three teams have
failed to record a run longer than 25 yards this year: the Giants, Colts
and Rams. Big Blue has just 19 gains of 10 yards or more on the ground,
which ranks 30th in the league. On Sunday, they got one when Paul
Perkins went for 18 yards in the third quarter.Vereen is hardly a
burner, but he should at least help the Giants as they try to find
somebody who can make players miss in the open field and create extra
yardage. The Giants also probably need to go into next season and
address the right side of their offensive line, where veteran guard John
Jerry and 2015 seventh-rounder Bobby Hart are starting. Giants runners
are averaging just 2.04 yards per carry before contact so far this year,
the fourth-worst rate in the league. Right now, their best hope is to
end up against the weak run defenses of the Falcons and Lions in Round 1
and go from there.11. WashingtonThe Problem: run defenseWhile
Washington has been able to control the line of scrimmage on offense,
the same has not been true on defense. Washington is lost on run defense
this year. Heading into Sundays game with the Cardinals, Washington
ranked dead last in rush defense DVOA. Arizona curiously responded to
this by throwing the ball 46 times, and Washington did hold the
Cardinals to 3.7 yards per carry, but David Johnson produced 84 yards on
his 18 rushes without ever cracking a run longer than 14 yards.Quite
simply, Washington doesnt do very much well against the run. It was 29th
in the league against power situations and 32nd in allowing
second-level yards, allowing teams to pick up steady chunks of yardage
past the line of scrimmage. On first-and-10, Washington is allowing an
average of 4.96 yards per carry, ahead of only the 49ers and Raiders.
Those teams allow bigger plays, but in terms of steadiness, Washington
is worse: It has allowed teams to pick up new first downs on 15.9
percent of those runs, the highest rate in football.Washington was
deeper along its defensive line last season, but let Terrance Knighton
leave to start Kedric Golston at nose tackle. Golston made it two games
before going on injured reserve. Knighton visited with Washington in
October but did not re-sign with the team, and Washington has been
starting the undersized Ziggy Hood at nose tackle with limited
success.The reason Washington comes in ahead of (i.e. worse off than)
the Raiders on this list is scheduling. Washingtons hope is to make it
as a wild card, and even a win there would mean Washington is then in
line for a Round 2 matchup against the Cowboys or the Seahawks, both of
whom can run the football well. Dallas just ran the ball for 163 yards
and three scores against Washington on Thanksgiving; Ezekiel Elliott and
company would love another crack at their divisional rival and its soft
underbelly in January.10. Pittsburgh SteelersProblem: pass rushWhile
the Steelers basically have been forced to go with a youth movement in
their secondary, their cornerbacks have mostly held up unless left on
islands to cover for five or six seconds at a time. The bigger issue for
Pittsburgh has been troubling opposing quarterbacks in the pocket. The
Steelers just arent getting after passers on defense. Theyre pressuring
the opposition on just 25.5 percent of their dropbacks this season,
ranking 24th in the league.The team is still shockingly dependent upon
38-year-old outside linebacker James Harrison, who leads the team with a
mere five sacks. The team leader in knockdowns is defensive end Stephon
Tuitt, who has had to shoulder a larger role with star end Cameron
Heyward out for the season. The Steelers best hope is the returning Bud
Dupree, who made his way back into the lineup in Week 12 and recorded a
quarterback hit on Scott Tolzien. When were marking progress by
individual knockdowns, though, things look bleak.9. Dallas
CowboysProblem: pass rushSecond in a series! If you thought the Steelers
had an ineffective pass rush, just wait until you see the Cowboys.
Dallas is pestering opposing passers on just 20.7 percent of their
dropbacks, the second-worst rate in the league. The Cowboys are almost
entirely dependent upon blitzes to bother QBs; when they dont blitz,
their pressure rate falls to 18.1 percent, also the second-worst rate in
the league. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they only blitz 18.8 percent
of the time, which is the fourth-lowest rate in the league.Dallas
secondary has been surprisingly effective this season, with Morris
Claiborne in particular taking a leap forward after years of mediocrity
before going down with a serious groin injury. You might argue that the
Cowboys are unlucky to be without second-round pick Randy Gregory, who
is suspended, with another suspension costing them fellow second-round
end DeMarcus Lawrence for four games early on in the season.Its also
fair to say the Cowboys treat their defensive line the same way Seattle
treats its offensive line under Tom Cable. The Cowboys are perennially
trying to save money somewhere to afford stars at other positions, and
with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, they have an excellent line
coach with experience in turning other peoples trash into treasure.The
metal detector hasnt really gone off this year, unfortunately. Tyrone
Crawford leads the team with 3.5 sacks, and Benson Mayowa has been the
best edge rusher, with three sacks and five knockdowns in eight games.
Lawrence has a knockdown in five of his six games this season, but the
Boise State product has just one sack. So many things have gone right
for the Cowboys, but their pass rush has been stagnant during this
wildly impressive season. Lawrence is probably their best candidate to
make some noise.8. New England PatriotsProblem: pass rushHey, see a
trend developing? The Patriots have a problem getting after the
quarterback as well, and its the biggest reason why their defense ranked
28th against the pass before comfortably handling the Rams and rookie
quarterback Jared Goff on Sunday. Goffs two interceptions were both
unlucky, but the second one came when Goff was hit on the arm in the
middle of his throwing motion by Jabaal Sheard. Sheard recorded one of
New Englands nine quarterback knockdowns on the day, an impressive
number for a defense that had recorded a total of just 48 hits across
its 11 previous outings.To some extent, the Patriots had been unlucky.
They were getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but it wasnt
turning into sacks. Before Sunday, the Patriots were 12th in the league
in pressure rate, but 24th in sack rate. When they did get pressure,
they turned just 17.3 percent of those opportunities into sacks, which
ranked 29th in the league. Against the Rams, that number jumped to 26.7
percent, fifth in the league for Week 13.Their luck should improve, and
while they will likely look back and wish they still had Chandler Jones
for this season, they should at least be deep enough with pass-rushers
to roll out fresh defenders into January. Sheard, who was a healthy
scratch against the 49ers in Week 11, had the aforementioned hit and
three pass deflections this time out. Kyle Van Noy, acquired from the
Lions, had a sack in Week 11 and has stood out as a rusher. Chris Long
had a sack and three knockdowns in his revenge game against the Rams.
Theres still not a lot of production here, but there are names and
bodies, which means hope.7. Tennessee TitansProblem: left cornerbackThe
worst is probably over for the Titans, who were struggling for weeks
with sub-replacement-level performance from 2015 free-agent addition
Perrish Cox, who was being torched for big plays seemingly once per
drive. The situation quickly became untenable, and the Titans were
likely right to waive Cox after a brutal performance against the Bears
in Week 12. He appeared to be getting worse, and while there may have
been an injury in play, the Titans were likely going to cut their
embattled corner after the season, so there was little point in pushing
him to injured reserve.The problem: No promising option is lurking
behind Cox on the bench. The Titans inserted rookie fifth-rounder
LeShaun Sims into the lineup for Cox at times against the Bears and
promoted 2016 Mr. Irrelevant,?Kalan Reed, off the practice squad when
they cut the veteran disappointment, but its likely going to be
Valentino Blake playing on the outside with Brice McCain remaining in
the slot. Thats just a recipe for the leagues better passing attacks
finding and exploiting a weak spot in the lineup play after play; the
Patriots and Raiders should be able to pick Blake apart, even if hes an
upgrade over Cox.6. Tampa Bay BuccaneersProblem: field goal kickingField
goal kicking was a genuine problem for the Buccaneers in 2015, when
Kyle Brindza cost the Bucs dearly before giving way to the veteran
mediocrity of Connor Barth. The Bucs kickers cost them?17.5 points of
field position last year, the worst figure in the league. The Bucs
overreacted to their problem in the way that one would decide to replace
a spent light bulb by tearing down the entire kitchen. They traded up
in the second round to grab Florida State star Roberto Aguayo, who was
supposed to put their minds at ease.Well, that hasnt happened. Aguayo
has missed two extra points and seven field goals in 12 games, going
15-of-22 despite attempting (and missing) just one field goal from
beyond 50 yards. Heading into Week 13, he had cost the Buccaneers 10.8
points of field position with his kicks, the worst rate in the league.
Thats a number which wont rise after he pulled a 31-yarder wide right
against the Chargers on Sunday.Its too early to judge Aguayo, but lets
not pretend the Buccaneers are treating Aguayo like just another kicker
here. If he had been drafted in the seventh round or signed off the
waiver wire and performed exactly the same, the Buccaneers would have
cut him weeks ago and picked a veteran option off the scrap heap. They
havent done that, of course, because they invested what amounted to a
high-second-round pick in Aguayo after accounting for the trade up.
Aguayo may eventually prove to be a solid kicker, but the Bucs will be
sweating every single time he lines up over the next two months. They
bought peace of mind and came away with more anxiety.5. Atlanta
FalconsProblem: cornerbacksJust as the Falcons finally found a pass rush
in the form of Vic Beasley, injuries sapped the rest of their pass
defense. Adrian Clayborn, the teams poor mans Michael Bennett, is out
for several weeks (if not longer) with a torn meniscus. More
distressingly, star cornerback Desmond Trufant tore a pectoral muscle in
a Thursday night game against the Buccaneers and is done for the
season, a crippling blow for a team which relied on Trufant at times to
either shut down a side of the field or follow a No. 1 wideout around
the formation.There isnt much behind him. 2015 second-rounder Jalen
Collins has the size Dan Quinn wants, but he showed little as a rookie
before being suspended to start the 2016 season. Robert Alford hasnt
adapted well to Quinns scheme and is the weakest cornerback of Atlantas
trio, and is being outplayed by undrafted rookie Brian Poole. The
Falcons are another injury away from looking at meaningful snaps for
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, and thats too close for anybodys comfort.The good
news: The rest of their schedule isnt exactly filled with great passing
attacks. The Falcons have the Rams, 49ers and Panthers on the docket
over the next three weeks. The Saints are obviously a concern if Week 17
is a meaningful contest, though, and its scary to think about the
Falcons without Trufant against Washington, Green Bay or Dallas in
January. Their best solution is just to keep the pass rush going and
hope that it can mask the question marks behind it at corner.4.
Baltimore RavensProblem: offenseYeah, it seems like a broad problem, and
its weird to say after they nearly dropped 500 yards of offense on what
was supposed to be a playoff contender in the Dolphins on Sunday, but
the Ravens have been unable to form a coherent offensive identity all
season. They were 30th in offensive DVOA heading into the Dolphins game,
with mediocre raw results against what had been the leagues easiest
schedule of opposing defenses.Theres been nothing for the Ravens to hang
their hat on: Their offensive identity has been throwing checkdowns
into the flat on third-and-long. This is a team that would probably like
to throw the ball downfield, given the presence of Mike Wallace,
Breshad Perriman?and Joe Flacco, but the offensive line hasnt been good
enough in pass protection to hold up for those deep throws. Terrance
West looked promising, running the ball 88 times for 414 yards (4.7
yards per carry) in his first six games, only to tote the rock 75 times
for a mere 236 yards in the ensuing six contests, an average of 3.2
yards per attempt. They Ravens have managed to be conservative and turn
the ball over 17 times in 12 games.The toughest stretch of their
schedule is coming up, with the Patriots, Eagles and Steelers on the
other side of the field, and it will make or break Baltimores season. If
the Dolphins game exhibited a new level of performance for the Ravens,
they could be hitting their offensive stride at the right time. More
likely, given how poor theyve been on offense for most of the season,
Sunday was an aberration.3. Seattle SeahawksProblem: free safetyThis
problem was going to be offensive line until Sunday night, when future
Hall of Famer Earl Thomas broke his leg in a blowout victory over the
Panthers. Pete Carroll suggested that Thomas could return in six weeks,
which would get him back during the playoffs, but even that seems like a
remarkably optimistic timeline.Theres no replacing Seattles star
safety. There likely isnt anybody in the league who could step in and do
what Thomas does as the center fielder in Seattles Cover 3. The
Seahawks dont always play Cover 3, but its at the heart of what they do,
and nobody covers a wider range or takes away as many possible routes
over the middle as Thomas does. Some teams cant do with two deep
safeties what Seattle can do with one. Hes irreplaceable in a way that
nobody else on Seattles roster, short of Russell Wilson,?would be.The
good news is theres so much incredible talent on this defense that it
might be able to get by without Thomas. Their ceiling is lower now, of
course, but the Seahawks just got Michael Bennett back, and the best way
to cover for a hole in the secondary is with a great pass rush. Carroll
is also one of the greatest defensive backs coaches in NFL history, so
if anybody can coach up Steven Terrell into a serviceable safety
overnight, its him.2. Detroit LionsProblem: entire pass defenseIt would
be virtually unprecedented for a team with a pass defense as bad as
Detroits to make a deep run in the playoffs, especially in the modern,
pass-happy NFL. The Lions were 31st in defensive DVOA and dead last in
pass defense heading into Week 13, with their struggles only masked by
facing the leagues easiest slate of offensive attacks. If youre a Lions
fan who wants to argue against their problems, you are probably going to
bring up their four-game winning streak, in which the Lions have
allowed an average of just over 15 points per game. Thats good. It also
included two games against the misfiring Vikings and one against the
Jaguars broken?passing attack. The one game nobody can argue with came
on Sunday, when the Lions held the high-powered Saints to just 13 points
while picking off Drew Brees three times. That will be enough to push
the Lions off the bottom of the DVOA table, although it might only be
past the Browns into 31st.The disconcerting issue comes with Detroits
pass rush. Remember when I mentioned the Cowboys own the leagues
second-worst pressure rate? The Lions are the ones below them. When the
Lions dont blitz, theyve managed to bother opposing quarterbacks a mere
13.8 percent of the time. Dallas, in 31st place, is at 18.1 percent,
almost as close to league average (23.7 percent) as they are to Detroit.
The Lions sacked Brees only once on Sunday, and while he missed time
with a high ankle sprain and has been unlucky given his 12 quarterback
knockdowns, Ezekiel Ansah still doesnt have a sack in 2016. Kerry
Hyder?has been the teams only noticeable pass-rusher, and after
recording five sacks in his first four games, he has just two sacks
since.The Lions should have two more weeks before they have to buckle
down, given that they play the Bears and the struggling Giants offense
before what might be a division-deciding game against the Packers.
Theyll likely be facing a Cowboys team with nothing to play for in Week
16 before heading to the postseason, but their defense simply hasnt been
very good. The Saints game could be a new baseline of success. Maybe
Ansah goes on a tear, or the team gets better once DeAndre Levy returns
from his quad injury. Most likely, though, the Lions will be sending one
of the leagues worst defenses to the postseason. Its hard to imagine
that ending well.1. Houston TexansProblem: quarterbackThe most difficult
problem to overcome, of course, is having a replacement-level
quarterback. Brock Osweilers numbers were inflated by a garbage-time
drive in the snow, and he didnt throw any interceptions, but he was
playing a very beatable pass defense in Green Bay on Sunday and couldnt
even average 6 yards per attempt.Backup Tom Savage was unavailable in
Green Bay while suffering from an infection in his elbow, but even if
hes healthy, Savage isnt going to be a significant upgrade. Osweilers
the guy in Houston until 2018, and hes just not playing at a
championship-caliber level. If you point to Osweilers last team as a
good example of a club that won the Super Bowl with ugly play at
quarterback, remember that those Broncos had the leagues best defense
and great special teams and went three games while throwing just one
interception.You have to do just about everything else at an elite level
to win with a quarterback that bad, and the Texans arent a team of that
caliber. They were 14th in defensive DVOA heading into Sundays game
against the Packers and 31st on special teams, and would need Osweiler
to swear off interceptions like a New Years resolution for four
postseason games to win a Super Bowl. The Texans chances of making it to
the postseason are down to 47.3 percent, but even if they do make it,
its more likely they get knocked out at home in the first round by the
second-place team in the AFC West than advance very far given what
theyre getting from the games most important position.
Nike Off White Vapormax Nz
.C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference.
His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the
Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just
his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later.
Nike Vapormax Wholesale
.
The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their
last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on
Tuesday.
http://www.airvapormaxnz.com/vapormax-off-white-sale-nz.html
.C. United of Major League Soccer.
United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry
draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers and free-agent center Timofey Mozgov
have reached a verbal agreement on a four-year deal worth $64 million, a
source told ESPN.The deal was first reported by The
Vertical.The?Cleveland Cavaliers?traded two first-round picks to the
Denver Nuggets for Mozgov in January 2015.His two seasons with Cleveland
were relative opposites. In 2014-15, the 7-foot-1 center averaged 10.6
points and 6.9 rebounds in 46 games. He started all 20 games during the
postseason, in which Cleveland lost to the Golden State Warriors in the
NBA Finals.This pastt season, Mozgov saw his role significantly reduced.
Nike Vapormax Plus Nz.
He averaged 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds during the regular season and
just 1.2 points in 5.8 minutes during the postseason, which saw him play
a combined 25 minutes in the Cavs seven-game Finals win over the
Warriors.LeBron James tweeted his congratulations to Mozgov on
Friday.Mozgov turns 30 on July 16.Information from ESPNs Ohm Youngmisuk
was used in this report.
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