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David Garrard's contract agreement with the Miami Dolphins could leave Alex Smith with one fewer option beyond returning to the San Francisco 49ers.

That is but one way to look at the situation.

It is also possible the Dolphins went after Garrard upon realizing Smith wasn't serious about signing with them and was instead focused on the 49ers.

Either way, all signs point to Smith re-signing with the 49ers, one way or another. The move is the only logical one for all parties.

Hearing Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh gush about their starting quarterbacks can create confusion over their teams' intentions.

How serious are Carroll's Seattle Seahawks and Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers about moving into the future with Tarvaris Jackson and Alex Smith as their respective quarterbacks?

Both coaches have had their quarterbacks' backs, and then some. Even before Seattle rebounded from a 2-6 start to reach 7-7, Carroll said he could envision Jackson as the Seahawks' long-term starter. Harbaugh recently called Smith a Pro Bowl-caliber player and long-term answer at quarterback for the 49ers.

What coaches say does not always line up with what NFL owners pay.

Smith has earned a raise, but would the 49ers pay him what Pro Bowl quarterbacks typically earn?

Fourteen QBs earned Pro Bowl honors over the 2009-10 seasons: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Cassel, Brett Favre, David Garrard, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Michael Vick and Vince Young.

Most were playing under and/or subsequently earned massive contracts.

Jackson is entering the final year of a contract that scheduled to pay him $4 million in base salary. Smith is earning $4 million in base salary this season.

Those salaries represent good money for backup quarterbacks.

The 49ers should be able to keep Smith without paying him what those Pro Bowl passers earned. They've already paid millions to him as the No. 1 overall choice in the 2005 NFL draft. Smith has expressed in the past an interest in rewarding the 49ers for an investment that did not work out as intended before this season.

Smith has proven to be a good fit for the 49ers under Harbaugh. Jackson is fitting with Seattle under Carroll. I suspect both have come on strong with their public support to combat lingering negative perceptions about both quarterbacks.

If Jackson or Smith were obviously franchise quarterbacks and long-term solutions behind center, their coaches wouldn't have to convince anyone. It would be obvious. The praise from Carroll and Harbaugh has likely helped both quarterbacks exceed outside expectations no matter what their teams have in mind for them beyond this season.

Good morning. It's a busy one here as I compile and tabulate our Power Rankings heading into Week 2. The rankings haven't been kind to the NFC West for some time, and it's looking like a couple teams from the division are heading south based off results from opening week.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down some of the reasons we should expect the Rams to drop, and all of them are related to injuries. Thomas: "All in all, it was the worst injury outcome from any one game that Steve Spagnuolo could recall as Rams head coach." We've gone over the injuries in great detail already and there will be plenty of opportunities to do so again. For now, let's quietly move along to the next item.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch does not change the subject entirely. He looks at how the Rams could have been caught without a quarterback Sunday. Spagnuolo: "I thought [Sunday] was a real learning experience, not just for the players, but for the coaches as well. It was a learning experience for me on the quarterback situation. ... And I'm not sure how we'll handle it going forward."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says losing Danny Amendola for an extended period would hurt the Rams more than some might realize. Miklasz: "Sure, Amendola is limited in scope. He's not a downfield threat, per se. Since the start of last season he's averaged only 8.2 yards on his 90 receptions. But Amendola has emerged as a constant go-to guy for QB Sam Bradford. The young Bradford knows that Amendola will read the defense, adjust if necessary, run the correct routes, be where he's supposed to be, and catch the football. That's an important resource for an inexperienced NFL quarterback."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times runs through what we should have learned from watching the Seahawks in Week 1. Problems on special teams would be particularly problematic if they continued, he notes. O'Neil: "Special teams was the strength of this team last year whether it was Leon Washington running back three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2010, nearly running a punt back or Seattle consistently shifting field position in its favor through solid coverage units. The Seahawks' special teams won Seattle's Week 3 game against San Diego last season, and while special teams didn't lose the season-opener in San Francisco, it cost the Seahawks a chance to win. Was this an aberration or a sign of decline among the special-teams units."

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times is not expecting quick improvement from Seattle.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com runs through the major themes of the day from Seahawks headquarters, including this one: "After being off Tuesday, the players will return to an East Coast schedule on Wednesday because they’re playing in Pittsburgh this week. The walk-thrus on Wednesday and Thursday will begin at 10:15 a.m. -- or 1:15 p.m. EDT. Practice those days will start at 11:45 PT."

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals are focused on improving their defense. McManaman: "Against the Panthers, the Cardinals defense delivered on new coordinator Ray Horton's promise to blitz and attack. The Cardinals sacked Cam Newton four times, hit him seven times and had nine tackles for a loss. With that kind of pressure, they also managed to stuff Carolina's running game, holding the Panthers to 74 yards. But the secondary struggled all day. There were several missed assignments. There were too many players out of position. And it didn't help that the Cardinals were using two young, new starters at cornerback, Patrick Peterson and A.J. Jefferson."

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic looks at how new Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb is earning teammates' trust. Boivin: "Poor body language was an issue last season. After a game, when a player was asked about the team's quarterback play, he often would shift his feet. Pause. Force a compliment. Not Sunday. During a postgame radio interview, wide receiver Early Doucet kept talking about the look in Kolb's eye and how he's the type of leader you want to follow." Noted: Kolb's personality does appear to lend itself to leadership. That jumped out to me right away upon visiting Cardinals camp. He put up big numbers in his first game and came away with a victory. That is more than any other quarterback in the division can say coming out of Week 1.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Jim Harbaugh's comments about the 49ers getting no recognition dovetail with what Bill Walsh once said during the first few years of his 49ers tenure. Maiocco: "The 49ers were coming off a 6-10 season. The 49ers took a huge step forward with a monumental 45-14 over the Dallas Cowboys at Candlestick Park. In those days, the only national highlight show took place at halftime of "Monday Night Football," with Howard Cosell narrating. When the 49ers-Cowboys highlights were not shown, Walsh used the snub as fuel for motivating his players. The 49ers won a rematch with the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game, and won the organization's first of five Super Bowls. Coincidentally, the Cowboys are coming to Candlestick Park on Sunday. And another victory should attract some attention around the country." Noted: Harbaugh has a pretty firm grasp of 49ers history since the Walsh era. I wouldn't be shocked if his comments were calculated, even though Harbaugh has to realize his current team differs from the one Walsh took into that 1981 season.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers' depth at receiver isn't as good in reality as it appears on paper. Also, the agent for free-agent quarterback David Garrard suggests several unnamed teams are interested in his client, with a new one emerging recently. Noted: Sounds like the agent wants to enliven a soft market.

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat offers thoughts on Harbaugh's style.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the 49ers will have to open up their offense against superior opponents.

David Garrard's agent has suggested the recently released NFL quarterback will likely wait until next week before considering his options.

Teams are deep into their Week 1 game plans and not ready to make a full-season commitment to another player at such a critical position. Signing Garrard for Week 1 would force a team to guarantee his salary for the season. Teams with unsettled quarterback situations will have a better feel for where they stand next week.

The Seattle Seahawks have already said they're not interested in Garrard or in shaking up their quarterback situation. The San Francisco 49ers haven't been as definitive.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee thinks Garrard still has the athleticism at age 33 for 49ers coach Harbaugh to find him appealing. Barrows: "He rushed 66 times for 279 yards last season and scored five touchdowns on the ground. His accuracy was terrible in the preseason -- only 50 percent -- but last year he completed 64.5 percent of his throws. That's nearly 5 percentage points higher than Alex Smith. The bigger factor is opportunity. There are two rookies behind Smith. Kaepernick, while still very much the team's future quarterback, struggled at times in the preseason." Noted: I haven't considered Garrard to have Harbaugh's type of athleticism at this stage, but in re-evaluating that impression, it might just be that Garrard doesn't seem to make the best use of his athleticism. Our Scouts Inc. evaluation on Garrard, available to Insider subscribers, says he gets sacked too frequently because he doesn't feel the rush very well. Of course, Smith hasn't had the greatest feel for such things, either. Adding Garrard would complicate things for the 49ers, but it would also upgrade their prospects on paper. Would the potential upgrade make the disruption worthwhile? That question is tougher to answer.

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks' Pete Carroll wants a game manager at quarterback, one reason Seattle appears unconcerned heading into the season with Tarvaris Jackson behind center. Brewer: "The Seahawks are now far removed from the philosophy of former coach Mike Holmgren, a QB guru, who believed that the right quarterback can both carry a team and hide some of its warts. The defensive-minded Carroll brings a different perspective. The Seahawks' era of the game manager is undoubtedly here." Noted: The Seahawks presumably would like a better quarterback, one capable of carrying their team. They didn't think Kevin Kolb or any of the others available to them this offseason fit that description well enough to invest massive sums in them. If Carroll intends to employ average to below-average quarterbacks for the long term, good luck to him.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times profiles Jackson. O'Neil: "For all the criticism he took, the Vikings were 10-10 in games he started and he owns a better career passer rating (76.6) than Kevin Kolb (73.2), the quarterback Arizona gave up the NFL equivalent of a firstborn son to acquire. The truth is, Minnesota wanted Jackson to succeed. He was picked by coach Brad Childress, and the Vikings traded up to acquire him. If things had worked out in 2008, when Jackson began the year as the starter, Favre wouldn't have entered the equation. Jackson's five years in Minnesota were enough to cast question on his durability and his accuracy."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune explains why he thinks the Seahawks could move James Carpenter to guard in Week 1, with Breno Giacomini taking over at right tackle. Boling: "They're scraping around to try to find a way to be the best they can this Sunday and they'll worry about future implications later. Breno's footwork seems to have improved a great deal, and that allows him to be more efficient in using that natural strength. And, yes, he's got some nasty to him. This is not a guy who will allow Darnell Dockett to dig his elbow into his quarterback's throat." Noted: Giacomini seems to be the one initiating trash talk with defensive linemen during one-on-one drills. He's not lacking for confidence.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals will tailor their game plan for strong safety Adrian Wilson, who is playing for the first time since suffering a torn biceps tendon one month ago. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton: "Is he going to be a little rusty? Yeah, I expect him to, but we'll try to cater the defense to him and make sure he's not asked to do something he hasn't done in practice. One thing that that kid does is he comes downhill very hard, so you can expect him to come down hill very hard." Noted: Wilson continues to amaze. We've periodically heard about quarterbacks playing despite torn biceps tendons, but their situations have been different. Quarterbacks can play with a torn tendon if the tendon is one of the two attaching near the shoulder. By all accounts, Wilson's injury affects the one tendon attaching nearer his elbow. If that one tears completely, there's no playing through it.

Also from Somers: Horton says he is "very comfortable" with where the Cardinals are defensively after not giving up big plays early in preseason games. Noted: The first two games of the regular season set up favorably for the Cardinals' defense. They face Cam Newton, a rookie making his first NFL start, in the opener. They then face Washington, another team without an established passer.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Patrick Peterson is excited about being the Cardinals' primary punt returner heading into the season. Noted: Serving as a return specialist gives Peterson another way to impact games beyond his role at cornerback. He's shown during the preseason an ability to make big plays with the ball in his hands. He has playmaking instincts. I'd expect him to break a long return before long.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says expectations are rising for Rams quarterback Sam Bradford. Miklasz: "Bradford's overall play eroded down the stretch after alert opponents wisely began clamping down on his receivers' favorite routes in a successful ploy to take away his preferred go-to plays. And Bradford hardly was surrounded by an esteemed cast of playmakers in 2010. We can't dismiss that obvious factor. It was all a part of a rookie's education as part of a team-wide rebuilding project. I didn't use the numbers to disparage Bradford. He ran the system that was set up for him and he played well. More than that, Bradford transcended much of the statistical analysis by performing with a veteran's calm." Noted: The Rams have said they're not concerned about the talent at wide receiver. That does put the pressure on Bradford and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to produce.

RENTON, Wash. -- Just finished up with coach Pete Carroll from Seattle Seahawks headquarters. A few related thoughts and observations:

• No interest in David Garrard: Carroll said the Seahawks are very much set at quarterback heading into the season. They won't change their quarterback situation before the game Sunday and they will not pursue former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Garrard. An injury could obviously change the team's thinking, but there should be no more speculation over the Seahawks' plans at quarterback. They'll go into the season with Tarvaris Jackson as their starter.
• What Jackson offers: Asked what he learned about Jackson during preseason, Carroll said Jackson demonstrated poise, an ability to communicate calmly and clearly during games and very good throwing accuracy, particularly on the move. Jackson's detractors will question that last part, for sure, as well as the Seahawks' overall approach to the position. Carroll does not seem to care, at all. Carroll: "The poise is there and the kind of mentality that you like to see in a guy was evident. I think our players sensed it. I think our players have really picked up on that and I think that is why they chose him captain. They can feel what kind of competitor he is."
• Harbaugh-Carroll fallout: Carroll quickly and strongly addressed a suggestion there was "obvious frustration" with San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh when Harbaugh, then at Stanford, famously went for a two-point conversion against Carroll's USC team despite holding a commanding late-game lead at the time. I think there's obvious frustration with repeated questions about the matter. Carroll: "There was no frustration. The media said that. The guy on the other sideline gets to do whatever he wants in any situation and I have no problem with whatever. It doesn't matter to me. I'm not one of those guys that reacts and is going to gripe about how a guy played a game or coached a game in the fourth quarter. I've been in so many of those situations where people think you are running the score up or you're not playing your guys to run the score up to get recognition in polls and all that. A guy gets to do whatever he wants. Nothing fazes me about that."
• Injury update: Left guard Robert Gallery (knee) and receiver Sidney Rice (shoulder) will not practice Wednesday. Other injured players, including running back Marshawn Lynch and linebacker David Hawthorne, will be back at practice. It's clear the Seahawks wanted Lynch to enter the season with fresh legs.

Need to wrap this up here. My chat window begins at 4 p.m. ET.

Football fans can appreciate it when the game becomes personal for players.

For fans who invest emotionally in a game, it can be tough seeing players socialize like best buddies on the field immediately following what was, by all accounts, a hard-fought game. Bad blood courses through the most compelling rivalries.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Cardinals revisits the animosity that once existed between current Cardinals teammates Joey Porter and Todd Heap. The two are on good enough terms now. They're teammates, after all. It wasn't always this way. Bickley: "Their relationship soured early in the 2004 season, after Heap injured his ankle near the end of the first half. He hobbled to the line of scrimmage, in no condition to play. The Ravens decided to spike the ball and stop the clock. Everyone seemed to acknowledge the concession, only Porter didn't play nice. On the snap, he pushed Heap backward, and the tight end toppled over in pain. He would be gone for many weeks after and played only six games that season." Noted: NFC West teams haven't kept their players together long enough or become consistently good enough to create similar rivalries. Here's hoping that changes over the next couple of years. Having Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh in the division helps. Perhaps the 49ers' Donte Whitner can get something going with Zach Miller.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com goes back 10 years to the morning Cardinals players and coaches awoke to the 2011 terrorist attacks.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says it's tough to predict which player will lead the Seahawks in receptions this season. Noted: Mike Williams, Sidney Rice and Zach Miller haven't been on the field together long enough for anyone to get a feel. The team could conceivably need Miller to help in protection more than anticipated.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks have absolutely followed their mantra to get younger, faster and stronger. Boling: "When the Hawks open Season 2 of the Carroll/Schneider era Sunday at San Francisco, there will be more rookies or first-year guys on this roster (12) than holdovers (10) from when they arrived." Noted: The Packers have managed to win big while maintaining one of the very youngest rosters in the league. Of course, having an elite quarterback makes everyone's plan appear more feasible.

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says St. Louis appears better positioned to keep the Rams in town. Burwell: "While there is no chance any politician in his right or wrong mind on the state or local level will attempt to approve a new stadium for the Rams, there is some very smart talk about providing Kroenke with something that could be just as good to a billionaire real estate developer: land. Give a real estate developer land and let him determine what he wants to do with it. While the conventional wisdom has always been that the best piece of property to offer [Stan] Kroenke would be the vacant Chrysler factory off Interstate 44 in Fenton, a much smarter play being discussed involves real estate development right downtown adjacent to the Dome." Noted: Giving away land to a billionaire will not sit well with everyone. Catering to owners is part of the game for cities hoping to keep their professional sports franchises, however.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams' opener against the Eagles is just about sold out.

Also from Thomas: thoughts on the Rams' decision to release receiver Donnie Avery. Thomas: "I was mildly surprised that Avery was released, even factoring in that he wanted to be traded. I think the Rams need his kind of speed at WR. I do think the fact that Austin Pettis was a Josh McDaniels pick and a third-round pick at that, helped keep him here. And I agree with the thought that in this lockout offseason, how can you pass judgement on a guy based on five weeks of practice and the preseason? No doubt, picking WRs seems to be a hole in Billy Devaney's game, but I was told that Avery was a Scott Linehan pick more than a Devaney pick." Noted: The Rams' drafted rookie receivers were going to earn roster spots unless they absolutely bombed in camp or otherwise demonstrated they would never make it in the NFL. Avery was a one-dimensional receiver playing for a coordinator who values versatility at receiver above just about everything else.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Jim Harbaugh's presence was the only reason Alex Smith re-signed with the 49ers. Smith never meshed with former coach Mike Singletary, making clear he would prefer a calmer sideline presence, for one.

Also from Maiocco: Michael Crabtree's availability for Week 1 remains in question, as do starting spots in the secondary.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News thinks David Garrard would help both NFL teams in the Bay Area.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says Jerry Rice thought Smith would sign elsewhere this season, and that Smith will never elevate teammates' play around him.

Gwenn Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle says some of Smith's best games have come against the Seahawks.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee expects more blitzes from the 49ers this season.

The Seattle Seahawks have reveled in their roster activity since Pete Carroll took over as coach following the 2009 season.

"Carroll and general manager John Schneider made 284 roster transactions in 2010 and are continuing to shape a roster with bigger, faster, talented young players this season," the team's weekly in-season news release says. "Of the 53 players currently on the active roster for this week's game, only 10 were with the team in 2009."


This matches the information I've tracked for every NFL team. The Seahawks are not the only ones to have made a nearly complete makeover since 2009. Every NFC West team ranks among the NFL's top 10 in most new players since the final week of the 2009 regular season.

A few numbers within the numbers:

• Five players who started for Seattle in Week 17 of the 2009 season remain with the team. Cleveland (six), Buffalo (seven), Carolina (eight), Washington (eight) and New Orleans (eight) are the only other teams with fewer than 10. The Saints were an exception because they rested some starters in that final game.
• Seattle (five), Detroit (five), St. Louis (five) and Baltimore (six) have the fewest backups from 2009 Week 17 remaining on their rosters. Philadelphia (seven) and Washington (seven) were not far behind.
• The most consistently strong teams over the past few years naturally rank near the bottom in turnover. They've had good players, for the most part, and kept a lot of them.

The chart below breaks down the new players by team. By new players, I mean those who weren't on the 53-man roster or injured reserve in Week 17 of the 2009 season. These numbers are through Monday, plus a move or two from Tuesday, including David Garrard's release.

If NFC West teams are improving, they'll retain their coaches and turnover numbers should decline over time.

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David Garrard completed 64.5 percent of his passes with 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.

One player in Seattle Seahawks history -- Matt Hasselbeck in 2005 -- met those single-season standards for completion percentage and touchdowns without exceeding 15 interceptions.

Two players in San Francisco 49ers history -- Joe Montana four times and Steve Young three -- did the same.

The 2005 Hasselbeck is gone from Seattle and is not coming back. Montana and Young have long since taken their places in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Does that mean the Seahawks and 49ers should be pushing their way to the front of the line for Garrard now that Jacksonville has released the veteran quarterback? Making the case for "yes" is much easier than taking the other side.

I'll be a little surprised if either team lands Garrard, however.

The Seahawks have held firm to their belief that Tarvaris Jackson's familiarity with their offense will help them navigate a difficult period coming out of a lockout. They likely wouldn't be willing to pay Garrard significantly more than they're paying Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst during this transition season. If they wanted a 30-something veteran behind center -- Garrard is 33 -- they would have re-signed Hasselbeck, in my view. And Garrard lacks the mobility Seattle has sought from its quarterbacks under coach Pete Carroll.

Update: Seattle's quarterbacks coach, Carl Smith, was the Jaguars' offensive coordinator for the 2005-06 seasons. Garrard was with the team at that time. That's one connection to keep in mind, although Seattle still appears unlikely to get involved.

The 49ers could use a veteran backup and/or someone to compete with Alex Smith. Coach Jim Harbaugh liked Garrard coming out of college and valued him as a third-round choice at the time, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. That was a long time ago. Garrard lacks the mobility Harbaugh valued so much when targeting Colin Kaepernick in the draft this year. But if the question is whether Garrard would make the 49ers better at the position, the answer is yes.

System-wise, Garrard might fit better in Arizona, but he wouldn't get onto the field there without an injury clearing the way.

Garrard was scheduled to earn more than $8 million in salary this season. He'll earn much less with another team this season. He would offer the best value as a signing after Week 1, at which point his salary would not be guaranteed.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc., says he's not a Garrard fan, in part because Garrard stares down receivers. But after calling Jackson the worst starter in the NFL, he thinks Seattle would be better off with Garrard. He thinks the 49ers should have some interest as well.

Jesse Reynolds, an Arizona Cardinals fan deadlocked in a debate over quarterbacks, turned this way for a resolution.

"I have searched everywhere but haven't been able to find the data that supports (or contradicts) my argument that the Cardinals were one of the most-blitzed teams last year because no one feared our quarterbacks," Jesse wrote to me via Facebook. "Could you help find the numbers? I'm sure other NFC West teams' fans would love to know their numbers, too."

Blitz numbers usually tell us which defenses were more aggressive. But if we flipped our perspective, as Jesse suggested, we could find out which quarterbacks commanded the most respect, at least by this measure. Where to turn? Keith Hawkins of ESPN Stats & Information put me in touch with colleague Jason Starrett, who came through with numbers for all 32 teams and for 40 individual quarterbacks.

Thanks to Jason, Jesse is going to win his argument by a knockout.

Opponents blitzed the Cardnials 37.2 percent of the time overall, the sixth-highest percentage in the league. Oakland (39.8), St. Louis (39.4), Chicago (38.4), Carolina (37.5) and Baltimore (37.5) faced blitzes more frequently.

We defined blitzes as plays when defenses rushed five or more defenders.

As the first chart shows, Max Hall, John Skelton, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford -- all rookies playing for losing teams season -- faced blitzes most frequently.

As the second chart shows, five highly experienced quarterbacks -- Peyton Manning, Jake Delhomme, Drew Brees, Matt Hasselbeck and Tom Brady -- faced blitzes least frequently.

Hall and Skelton combined to start seven games for Arizona. Teammate Derek Anderson ranked 17th among the 40 players listed in terms of being blitzed most frequently.

In looking at the charts, a few names showed up in surprising places.

The San Francisco 49ers' Smith ranked higher than expected on the list of quarterbacks facing blitzes less frequently. Was he really "commanding respect" the way Brady commanded respect? Of course not. Does he really qualify as a wily veteran such as Delhomme or Hasselbeck? The answer is "no" on that front as well.

Likewise, quarterbacks such as Hill and Henne wouldn't provide a strong deterrent to blitzing, would they? Why would Green Bay's Rodgers face blitzes more frequently than them?

Other variables come into play. Some teams blitz more frequently than others regardless of opponent. A quarterback facing these teams more frequently would see his numbers shift accordingly.

How well an offensive line picks up blitzes could influence how a defense attacks. How well receivers adjust to blitzes could matter, as could the confidence a defensive coordinator has in his secondary during a given week. A quarterback's running ability and ability to read defenses accurately could factor.

Overall, I'd say it's telling to see the Cardinals' Hall and Skelton blitzed so frequently, particularly relative to the numbers for the more experienced Anderson. It's also telling to see some highly experienced quarterbacks blitzed so infrequently by comparison.

The St. Louis Rams made tremendous statistical gains on defense last season. Kerry Byrne breaks down some of the differences from 2009 to 2010 in his recent piece for SI.com.

Are coach Steve Spagnuolo and the Rams headed for even better things on defense in 2011 after using their first-round pick for defensive end Robert Quinn?

"The Quinn pick told the football world that Spagnuolo intends to win in St. Louis much the way he won in New York -- with a dominating group of Defensive Hogs," Byrne writes. "The unit he'll put on the field in 2011 has the potential to be the very best in the league."

Michael from St. Louis pointed out Byrne's piece to me via Facebook and questioned whether the Rams' defense would actually join the NFL's elite this season. I think Byrne is on the right track. Spagnuolo does have the Rams' defense headed in the right direction.

I do see question marks, however. James Hall and Fred Robbins enjoyed unusually strong seasons for their ages. Can the Rams bank on more of the same? The defense also lost safety Oshiomogho Atogwe to the Washington Redskins in free agency.

Opposing personnel matters, too. Some of the statistical gains St. Louis made from 2009 to 2010 reflected which quarterbacks the team faced.

The chart ranks the Rams' opposing quarterbacks by their passer ratings against St. Louis in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The team's 2010 performances against Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Josh Freeman and Matt Cassel stand out as notable, although the Rams were 1-3 against those quarterbacks.

The Rams benefited in 2010 by removing Kurt Warner (twice), Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Brett Favre (2009 version) and even Vince Young (2009 version) from their schedule. They face Rodgers, Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Vick, Eli Manning, Tony Romo and Joe Flacco this coming season.

One of the biggest St. Louis Rams fans I know raised the possibility nearly a month ago.

The San Francisco 49ers had held on for a 23-20 overtime victory over the Rams despite having five players commit six penalties for offside or encroachment. Were the 49ers really that undisciplined? Or was Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford really that persuasive with his cadence? Yes, and yes.

"Maybe Bradford has a better hard count than we thought," Rams fan Brian wrote via Facebook page Nov. 14.

The comment came to mind Thursday during the NFC West chat.

"Do you think you could run an analysis on how many offsides, neutral-zone infractions, etc., that have been caused by the different QBs across the league?" MG from Portland asked. "I swear I've seen Bradford create more of those than Marc Bulger ever did, and I am curious how he ranks within the division, conference, league, etc."

I loved the idea and reached out to Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information. Hank put together a file linking starting quarterbacks with opposing penalties for offside, encroachment and neutral-zone infractions. The file was not perfect; a starting quarterback would get "credit" for penalties committed after he left the game. But the overall numbers would still tell us what we wanted to know. Starting quarterbacks tend to finish as well.

Turns out Bradford was the starting quarterback in games when opponents committed 27 such penalties. The number was no higher than 19 for any other quarterback in the league.

The first chart breaks down the penalties by opponent. Note that the Rams' three most recent opponents have committed none. Their first nine opponents committed at least one in every game. Is the word on Bradford getting around? Might his totals plateau as opponents become more familiar with his cadence?

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The second chart breaks down totals for quarterbacks around the league. I made four penalties the cutoff. Again, counts tie starting quarterbacks to opponents' penalties committed for offside, encroachment and neutral-zone infractions.

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Following up an earlier item, I've put together charts showing where NFL quarterbacks rate when throwing against eight-man boxes and loaded boxes (those where potential rushers outnumber blockers).

The first chart ranks the 12 quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts throwing against eight-man boxes. Most of these quarterbacks play for teams with top running backs.

Thanks to Allison Loucks of ESPN Stats & Information for providing the numbers.


The second chart shows where quarterbacks rate against loaded boxes (more potential rushers than blockers).

I expanded this chart to include quarterbacks with at least 15 attempts. This allowed the Arizona Cardinals' Derek Anderson and Max Hall to qualify for inclusion.

Matt Hasselbeck's career as a quarterback sneaker probably ended Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks' veteran passer suffered cracked bones in his left wrist during an unsuccessful -- and unsightly -- plunge over the left side on fourth-and-1. Hasselbeck rolled over the left side of his line, falling to the ground for no gain.

I've never considered Hasselbeck to be an effective sneaker. At his best, the Seahawks had the offensive line and running backs to convert in those situations. Seattle's offensive line isn't overpowering opponents this season. Marshawn Lynch has zero yards on 11 goal-to-go rushes, for example. The team has had injury issues at fullback, where Michael Robinson isn't a traditional blocking back, anyway.

The Seahawks do not feel good about their prospects in short-yardage situation. By my count, Seattle has used three-receiver personnel 12 times in 21 snaps from third- or fourth-and-1, including five times in the team's last seven opportunities.

Still, running Hasselbeck on a sneak made little sense because Hasselbeck was coming off a concussion, and he was facing an Arizona defense featuring Adrian Wilson, a big hitter. He probably wasn't going to charge into the defensive front with all his might.

Coach Pete Carroll suggested he erred in making or approving the call.

The Seahawks have attempted only three quarterback sneaks with Hasselbeck since the 2008 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They converted twice.

The chart shows quarterbacks with at least 10 attempts, with sneaks defined as quarterback non-scrambles up the middle on third- or fourth-and-1.

A weekly review of how teams performed in relation to last week’s Power Rankings (with new rankings scheduled for Tuesday):

So much for ESPN.com's NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 10.

Lower-ranked teams won eight of 13 games through Sunday night. The Washington Redskins would make it nine of 14 with a home victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football" (ESPN, 8:20 p.m.).

The third-ranked Atlanta Falcons' victory against the top-ranked Baltimore Ravens makes them an early favorite to emerge as the new No. 1 team when our four panelists -- me, John Clayton, Paul Kuharsky and James Walker -- submit ballots following the Monday night game. The chart shows how we voted last week, with red lettering identifying teams that lost in Week 10.

The New England Patriots fell from No. 1 to No. 6 last week after losing at Cleveland. Their impressive victory at second-ranked Pittsburgh in Week 10 moves them back into the conversation for best team in the league.

These have been fleeting designations in recent weeks, however. Three teams -- Baltimore, New England and Pittsburgh -- have held the top spot in the past three rankings. New Orleans and Indianapolis held the top spot previously.

Three of the top four teams lost in Week 10. The only winner, Atlanta, defeated another team in the top four.

A closer look at the fallout ...

The reckoning: Eight games featured lower-ranked teams beating higher-ranked teams in Week 10.

• (3) Atlanta 26, (1) Baltimore 21: Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco showed their fourth-quarter mettle in a classic matchup.
• (6) New England 39, (2) Pittsburgh 26: Tom Brady's fiery displays lent additional meaning to an important victory for New England.
• (30) Dallas 33, (4) New York Giants 20: The Cowboys might want to look into firing their coach every week.
• (17) Miami 29, (11) Tennessee 17: The Dolphins' victory came at great cost on the injury front. Losing Jake Long would hurt badly.
• (29) Denver 49, (14) Kansas City 29: Todd Haley's finger-wagging refusal to shake Josh McDaniels' hand adds to the rivalry.
• (20) Jacksonville 31, (15) Houston 24: David Garrard has 11 touchdown passes, two interceptions in his past five starts.
• (28) San Francisco 23 (21) St. Louis 20: The 49ers' Troy Smith is averaging 11.7 yards per attempt in two starts.
• (32) Buffalo 14, (27) Detroit 12: Shaun Hill has attempted at least 50 passes twice this season. Detroit lost each game by two points.

Still to play: Philadelphia at Washington "Monday Night Football" (ESPN, 8:20 p.m. ET).

My early favorite for the No. 1 spot: Atlanta, but New England will get strong consideration.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck provided insight Wednesday into how newly acquired running back Marshawn Lynch might help the Seattle Seahawks' entire offense, not just its running game.

"I don’t know if we’ve ever had a guy like him," Hasselbeck told reporters, noting that T.J. Duckett was more of a short-yardage specialist than an every-down power back. "This makes it a lot tougher for people to defend us. It gives us a huge opportunity in play-action, it gives us huge opportunities with the naked bootleg and just all kinds of things."

The play-action reference was appropriate. Hasselbeck owns the NFL's lowest passer rating in play-action situations among quarterbacks with at least nine such attempts, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The chart breaks down the 32 qualifying quarterbacks.

"You really get a boost from getting a guy like (Lynch)," Hasselbeck said. "He brings something to our team that we didn’t have: a big, powerful, strong back who loves football, has a good football IQ, and complements Justin (Forsett) and what he does well, and so it’s exciting to have him."

Even when the Seahawks were an elite rushing team, Shaun Alexander wasn't known for breaking tackles or punishing defenses.