San Francisco 49ers and 10 Teams Who Must Start From Scratch in 2011
The San Francisco 49ers may have worked their way back into playoff contention this season, but no one can say that the team's future is all fine and dandy.
There are tons of issues that need to be fixed before San Francisco can climb back up to the top of the NFC West.
The 49ers aren't the only ones who need to be completely rebuilt though.
There are numerous teams in the NFL who will need a total overhaul before the 2011 NFL season.
So who are they?
Let's take a look at 10 teams who must start from scratch in 2011.
10. Indianapolis Colts
1 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: I know what you're thinking: why is Indianapolis on this list? Well, 7-6 can be considered "rock bottom" if you are the Colts. They haven't been in this situation since Peyton Manning became Peyton Manning, and it's pretty obvious why. The Colts are terrible in the two aspects of the game that usually define playoff-caliber teams.
Indianapolis ranks dead last in rushing yards (79.7 per game) and 29th in rushing yards allowed (141.1 yards per game). The Colts have relied too heavily on the passing game and that "bend but don't break defense," and it's come back to bite them.
How They Can Rebound: Jim Caldwell seems like a nice guy...and that's the problem. He just doesn't appear to have that passion it takes to be a head coach, and he needs to go because of it. The Colts should bring in a more fiery guy to take control of that team.
Although Manning is like an offensive coordinator out there--and a very good one at that--the team can't simply rely on the pass week after week. And it's not because of the personnel--Joseph Addai and Donald Brown are quality running backs. The Colts need to alter their offensive philosophy, and that means hiring a new coach and offensive coach staff as well.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Less than a year. Like I said, the talent is there and the Colts have had a boatload of injuries this year. I'm not saying the team needs to replace a ton of its player. Indianapolis just needs to "start from scratch" with a balanced offense in 2011, or this 7-6 record will become the rule rather than the exception.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
2 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: The Bengals have a number of solid pieces in place, but the team's performance has still suffered for two reasons: the lack of a pass rush and the play of Carson Palmer. Though Marvin Lewis should certainly take his fair share of the blame for Cincinnati's woes, Palmer has cost his team multiple games this season with untimely interceptions.
Palmer keeps turning the ball over, and Cincinnati's defense can't get any type of pressure on the quarterback. The Bengals are dead last in the NFL in sacks, and that lack of a pass rush has put too much responsibility on the team's talented cornerbacks, causing them to get burned in the process.
How They Can Rebound: If the team isn't satisfied with Palmer, now's the time to pull the plug. Draft a quarterback--there are four first-round caliber gunslingers in this year's draft class--and find a way to acquire a pass-rushing defensive end.
The team will also need to continue to upgrade its offense through the draft like it has been because Terrell Owens is 37 years old (and on a one-year deal) and Chad Ochocinco isn't going to be around forever.
The Bengals may also want to consider bringing in a new coach to replace Lewis.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Two years. The Bengals have a lot of talent on offense and on defense as well, but it could be a long road back if Ochocinco, Palmer and Owens are gone sooner rather than later.
If the Bengals do stick with Palmer and he overcomes these woes, it shouldn't take the Bengals long to be a playoff-caliber team again.
8. Miami Dolphins
3 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: At 7-6 in one of the toughest divisions in football, it isn't panic time in Miami. They've got a top-five defense and some solid players on both sides of the ball. But the Dolphins also have some major issues on offense.
They only rush for 106.2 yards per game, Brandon Marshall has been incredibly ineffective all season, and Miami scores just 17.3 points per game, only Carolina is worse. The Dolphins continue to get sloppy play form Chad Henne, and Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown have struggled mightily throughout the entire 2010 season.
How They Can Rebound: There's not much that needs to change on Miami's defense, but the Dolphins would benefit from bringing in a new offensive coordinator and instituting a massive overhaul of the team's offense. Brown and Williams will need to be replaced sooner rather than later, and it's becoming more and more apparent that Henne isn't cut out to be a starting quarterback.
If Miami does find a way to upgrade at the running back position (Mark Ingram, maybe?) and at the quarterback position, the Dolphins will be a force to be reckoned with.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Two years. Miami's defense is good enough to cover up the team's offensive inconsistencies, and the Dolphins may in fact be just a quarterback away from being a contender. If they can somehow find a way to improve that position in the next year or two, then watch out for Miami.
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7. Denver Broncos
4 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: Josh McDaniels got caught in Spygate II, and got the ax from Denver. But the Broncos' woes extend beyond the coaching position. Kyle Orton has played terrible after that tremendous start, and the team's defense ranks 31st in rushing yards allowed (150.3 per game) and dead last in points allowed (28.9 per game).
The loss of Elmis Dumervil earlier in the year has had a monstrous impact on Denver's defense, and the Broncos haven't been able to run the ball at all in 2010. They rank 29th in the league with 89.7 yards per game.
How They Can Rebound: Obviously the team will have to bring in a new coach, which is a good place to start if you want to change a team's culture. The Broncos should hire a coach with previous experience who's offense is more fitting to the team's personnel.
The Broncos will also have to commit to Orton, figure out what the hell to do with Tim Tebow, and draft players that can have immediate impacts in positions of need. The first thing that comes to mind is a run-stuffing defense tackle. Someone like Nick Fairley, perhaps?
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Two years. The Broncos have some talented players on offense, and Dumervil's absence affected the team more than you might think. But the Broncos will need a drastic overhaul on the defensive front and in the running game, even along the offensive line, to turn around their fortunes.
6. Buffalo Bills
5 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: When's the last time the Buffalo Bills had a good quarterback? Since Doug Flutie, or even perhaps Jim Kelly. Though Ryan Fitzpatrick has played well at times, he just isn't the long-term solution. The Bills only score 19.7 points per game, the offense ranks 26th in total yards, and the team's running game is good but not great.
Despite those obvious problems, it's Buffalo's run defense that has really screwed them over in a big way. The Bills have hung tough with plenty of more talented teams, but they allow a league-worst 165.8 rushing yards per game. They let their opponents run wild and run up the score in the process (allowing 26.1 points per game).
How They Can Rebound: Buffalo's pass defense has been solid all season, so the team could really bolster its defense by adding a beast in the middle. By drafting someone like Auburn's Nick Fairley or Marcell Dareus, the Bills would not only drastically improve their run defense but would take some pressure off their defensive ends in the passing game as well.
Of course the one thing we all can expect the Bills to do is draft Andrew Luck if they get the first overall pick. He's a can't-miss prospect, and he would turn around the team quick like Matt Ryan did with Atlanta.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Two years. Buffalo has the league's No. 4 pass defense, they have some very good talent on offense (Steve Johnson, Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller), and they've played almost well enough to be a 6-7 team this season. They're closer to being a nine-win team than you might think.
5. San Francisco 49ers
6 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: Since the 49ers lost Jeff Garcia and drafted Alex Smith, most of the team's issues have centered around the quarterback position. Smith just hasn't been able to give any type of consistency to San Francisco's offense, and Mike Singletary's played quarterback shuffle there for far too long.
And Singletary is another problem for the 49ers. His coaching style has led to clashes with some of the team's top players, his offense scores three points less per game than his defense allows, and the No. 1 defense in 2009 has fallen off considerably in 2010.
How They Can Rebound: Two people have to go in San Francisco: Singletary and Smith. The 49ers upper management has to realize it made a mistake drafting Smith and move on. The same goes with Singletary, whose short stint in San Francisco has gone on far too long.
The 49ers need to bring in a new coach and draft a quarterback to replace Smith, preferably one in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Two or three years. The 49ers could pull a St.Louis. That is, they draft a young quarterback--Ryan Mallett, maybe?--and throw him into the fire right away. San Francisco has the defense and offensive pieces for Mallett to succeed there, assuming the right coach is hired.
4. Seattle Seahawks
7 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: The Pete Carroll era in Seattle isn't ending after just one year, but he'll be hoping that the Seahawks get turned around as quickly as possible. The trade for Marshawn Lynch hasn't worked out well (the Seahawks rank 31st in rushing yards), Seattle gives up about five points per game more than the team scores, and the Seahawks rank 30th in passing yards allowed.
Seattle has been way too inconsistent, having been on the wrong end of two 30-plus point blowouts and losing five other games by at least 15 points.
How They Can Rebound: With all due respect to Matt Hasselbeck, he has to go and the team has to replace him with a young quarterback who's in for the long haul. The Seahawks also need to bring in another running back and some offensive line, secondary and defensive line help.
Much of this will have to do be done through the draft, but the Seahawks will have to do whatever it takes to improve its pass rush, its secondary and its run game. Perhaps drafting a mobile quarterback (Cam Newton, anyone?) could help in the running game as well.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Three years. Hasselbeck is obviously on the decline, so the Seahawks will likely be working in either Charlie Whitehurst or another young quarterback. Either way, Seattle's got too many glaring weaknesses for this slump to end overnight.
3. Washington Redskins
8 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: The Washington Redskins became a 5-8 team because of a long list of issues, but here's the gist: Albert Haynesworth has acted like a moron ever since putting on a Redskins uniform, the team has no No. 1 wide receiver and hardly has a No. 2, Washington can't stop the pass (giving up 260.5 yards per game), and they can't stop offenses in general (dead last in yards allowed per game).
Washington also can't run the ball (96.9 yards per game), and they even used Joey Galloway at wide receiver this year. Joey. Galloway.
How They Can Rebound: Well, the Redskins need to cut ties with Clinton Portis and bring in another running back through the draft or a trade. They also need to get rid of Haynesworth somehow (preferably in a trade that gets them some draft picks and a quality player in return), and they have to do something to upgrade with their secondary and wide receiving corps.
Draft, trade, steal. Whatever. Just do whatever it takes to put someone other than a 5'9" Santana Moss on the field as your top offensive threat.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Three to four years. Washington just gave Donovan McNabb a huge contract, but he's on the decline and has virtually no weapons to help him out. It will take more than two drafts and a couple of trades to upgrade that offense and secondary enough to have them seriously contend in the NFC East.
2. Arizona Cardinals
9 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: When you lose guys like Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin and Kurt Warner in the same offseason, what else can you expect? The Cardinals have been atrocious in all aspects of the game in 2010, ranking 25th or lower in every major statistical category on offense and defense.
A big reason why that's happened has been the revolving door at the quarterback position between Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton. But Arizona also failed to adequately replace those huge losses they suffered prior to the regular season. That has led to a defense that gives up 27 points per game, 8.3 more than Arizona's offense scores.
How They Can Rebound: I don't think Ken Whisenhunt has to go right now. Arizona's first priority should be the quarterback position. The Cardinals should probably swing a trade for a solid veteran gunslinger and draft one in the first round as well.
The Cardinals literally have issues at just about every position, but it all starts with the quarterback. Bringing in a highly touted prospect not named Matt Leinart could get that team back to where they were just a year ago.
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Three to four years. It's almost a guarantee Arizona will be working in a new quarterback next year, but the Cardinals will also probably be playing several young or rookie players. With most of the team's best veterans now elsewhere, it will take a while for this team to be a contender again.
1. Carolina Panthers
10 of 10
How They Hit Rock Bottom: Carolina's defense has some solid pieces, and the Panthers actually aren't too bad overall on the defensive side. But they still allow 26 points per game, which is more than double the amount of points the team's offense scores (12.6 points per game).
I don't care if your defense is the NFC Pro Bowl team, it's going to be hard to win scoring that many points. Of course a lot of the team's offensive woes are because of the inexperience at the quarterback position, injuries (Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams), and just an overall lack of talent on that side of the ball.
How They Can Rebound: John Fox's contract expires, so the team should make a pitch to a big-name coach, Bill Cowher being the first choice. Bring Cowher to Carolina, draft Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick and either trade him for a ton of pieces or keep him (and realize Jimmy Clausen isn't the answer).
The Panthers will have to rebuild through the draft and try to swing a trade for a No. 2 wide receiver opposite Smith. Carolina also has to get a healthy DeAngelo Williams back (who's a free agent this summer).
How Long It Will Take to Rebuild: Three to four years. Carolina will possibly have a new head coach and a new quarterback, which is the right start. But Smith is injury-prone and on the decline, Williams and Jonathan Stewart might be gone, and the team's offense needs a ton of work.
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