What five worst teams need to do

Slimdust

In a league where the Carolina Panthers asked Vinny Testaverde, who turned 44 on Tuesday, to save their season and where Green Bay's Brett Favre is playing more like he's 28 than 38, it is easy to say the NFL is all about quarterbacks. You either have them or you don't.

And that's a good starting point when selecting the NFL's five worst teams, who happen to be the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders.
Yes, yes, the Falcons have two more wins than the Rams, but at least St. Louis has a quarterback and a big-time running back. The Rams have simply been overwhelmed by injuries and poor coaching and everything else that impacts an eight-game losing streak.

The Final Five have a lot more issues.


The Jets
I called the Jets a fraud of a potential playoff team in late September when it became evident that management over-rated their talent level based on a magnificent first-year coaching job by Eric Mangini. Given one of those weak schedules, Mangini's team won 10 games in 2006 and even shocked the mighty Patriots in Foxboro. They boldly sent a second-round pick to Chicago for Thomas Jones and believed their running game was secure.

But this team slowly began to unravel, starting with the Pete Kendall contract war, and far too many players are unhappy with Mangini's iron-hand approach to everything in life. Kendall's trade created a lack of cohesion on the offensive line and Jones never has gotten untracked. Jonathan Vilma, a talented linebacker, was lost for the season, but he was also one of several players who wished they were playing a 4-3 system. Now, who knows if Vilma will be around next season.


How to Fix 'Em: The Jets should have started Kellen Clemens from the beginning in order to find out if he's the quarterback of the future. They need to shore up the offensive line and also find a pass rusher, considering they have only nine sacks all season, tied with the Panthers and Bills for the NFL low. GM Mike Tannenbaum is great doing the salary crunching, but there are huge questions about his talent evaluating. Maybe Mike should consider hiring a top evaluator.


The 49ers
This team had so much promise in training camp because there isn't a tougher warrior than Frank Gore. But San Francisco has become unbearable to watch on offense and third-year starter Alex Smith's passing is either affected by a bad shoulder or he's become one of the worst quarterbacks in the game. The 49ers have more three-and-out series than any NFL team and their best offensive weapon lately has been punter Andy Lee. They are last in total offense (218 yards a game, or 210 yards less than New England) and last in passing.

Yes, they have injuries, too, but they made a lot of moves to improve the offensive line and also the receiving corps. The 49ers have struck out at almost every turn, discovering that Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie weren't worth pursuing. And what about tight end Vernon Davis? He was the best physical specimen in the 2006 draft and most games he's strictly a blocker; what's up with that?

How to Fix 'Em: Assuming Mike Nolan isn't fired, he better find either a new offensive coordinator or a new quarterback. The 49ers have lost seven straight and the losses figure to mount. Trent Dilfer is more a coach than a backup, and maybe Nolan should clean house in this department and start over. They need playmakers on the outside and they also must find a way to make Davis perform like Kellen Winslow Jr. in Cleveland. And if he can't handle it, you have to say that Nolan and Scot McCloughan struck out big-time with their top picks, the lone exception being linebacker Patrick Willis.


Atlanta Falcons
OK, we probably should give Bobby Petrino and this bunch a mulligan considering the havoc that Michael Vick unleashed on this franchise. But despite the recent wins, the Falcons have serious questions for the future. Warrick Dunn could be in his final season and Jerious Norwood doesn't look like an every-down back. Petrino prefers Byron Leftwich to Joey Harrington (who doesn't?), but what does that say about the future? Can you really count on Leftwich, who has worse ankles than the Fat Lady in the carnival sideshow?

Petrino ripped into his receivers this week because of their inability to gain any yardage after a catch. There is also the issue of cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who seems to want to play for anyone but Petrino. This franchise has to get this malcontent issue resolved while knowing players of Hall's skills don't come along very often.

How to Fix 'Em: If Petrino stays, he must be given more influence in personnel matters. This team needs to get a new quarterback, running back and also a game-breaking receiver. They wasted money on Joe Horn, but they may be forced to re-stock the locker room via free agency. If they don't correct these offensive holes, it will be a while before Atlanta contends in the NFC South.


Miami Dolphins
This franchise is capable of running the table (16 losses) in the opposite direction of the 1972 team, the one former coach Don Shula continues to defend against today's mighty Patriots. This franchise went years without developing any star players and now first-year coach Cam Cameron and GM Randy Mueller are paying the price. In fact, the Dolphins have been dysfunctional for several years now and the only bright hope, running back Ronnie Brown, is rehabbing a torn ACL.

The personnel blunders are endless, beginning with fragile quarterback Trent Green to obnoxious linebacker Joey Porter to failing to realize the importance of lost receiver Wes Welker. Those three moves alone should get any general manager fired.

How to Fix 'Em: Frustrated Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga has two options: he should either sell this troubled franchise or clean house one more time. Miami has been rumored to be up for sale for years now, but the cupboard is pretty bare for any prospective buyer despite the NFL's television largesse. Huizenga has started over before and the results weren't very good last time with Nick Saban now at Alabama. There were always major quarterback issues and that's why Jimmy Johnson and Saban couldn't fix this franchise and win a championship. The next quarterback is John Beck and Cameron better find out if he's the guy right away.


Oakland Raiders
The curious thing about this team is that they might have a franchise quarterback sitting on the bench in JaMarcus Russell, but no one really knows because he hasn't played. Yes, Lane Kiffin, the youngest-ever NFL coach, has the Raiders playing hard for the most part, but his offense has scored only five touchdowns in five consecutive losses. I mean, where's the guru?

Kiffin has preferred starting Josh McCown when he's healthy simply because he grades higher than Russell and Daunte Culpepper on the game-plan test. The trouble is the Raiders need someone who can accurately throw passes instead of being able to win some quiz show. What's scary is that Oakland is very thin at wide receiver and that Rob Ryan's defense has taken a step back from its impressive play last season. Kiffin likes Justin Vargas as a competitor, even though he may not be as talented as Dominic Rhodes or Lamont Jordan.

How to fix em: The Raiders have a bare-bones personnel department and owner Al Davis has given Kiffin and his ally, Mark Jackson, a lot of flexibility, which could be a mistake because there's a big difference between recruiting the best high school players for USC and determining who might be a great NFL player. But can Davis turn his personnel department over to anyone but himself? That seems unlikely.

Kiffin should start Russell as soon as possible and find out whether he can play and how he meshes with the current roster. Oakland needs someone like Randy Moss (oops) and if Jordan and Rhodes are sent packing, well, they need another running back, too. The offensive line needs another tackle and the secondary needs two safeties and Davis has to figure out a way to pay Nnamdi Asomugha, one the game's best young cornerbacks.


foxsports.com

Suntan Superman

WC's Resident Samoan

I don't know how much you can blame Nolan for all the turmoil in SF. He's not even been able to keep Coordinators around. First he gets Mike McCarthy who takes the GB Head Coach job, then Norv Turner, who gets the Chargers head Coach job. It's hard to expect championships from a young coach who can't keep his friggin' coordinators. Especially with young developing talent instead of established veterans.

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Twist of lEMOn

If theres one thing the Raiders don't need its a New Running back >_<