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Months of mocks and related analysis did not adequately prepare us for a half-dozen selections in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

NFC West teams made two of those surprise selections: Bruce Irvin to the Seattle Seahawks and A.J. Jenkins to the San Francisco 49ers. I've listed four others in the chart below after consulting with our other seven divisional bloggers.

While it's possible the teams involved made poor decisions in some cases, accounting for the surprise factor, there's no question the rest of us could have done a better job anticipating. I'll set aside the Dallas Cowboys' selection of cornerback Morris Claiborne. We knew Dallas could take a corner, but there was little way we could know the Cowboys would trade into the sixth overall spot to make it happen.

But in breaking down the other surprise selections, we can hopefully avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

Mistaken identity

Jenkins and New York Giants first-round running back David Wilson fall into this category.

We knew the 49ers could target a receiver early. We figured running back would be a position for the Giants to address. We simply misidentified the players they were most likely to select.

I had projected Kendall Wright to San Francisco in a mock draft several weeks ago, but Tennessee selected him 20th overall, 10 spots before the 49ers selected. Stephen Hill and Rueben Randle, among others, were popular projections.

The knock on Jenkins was that he lacked sufficient physical strength. The 49ers are a very physical team. They have valued physical players. Josh Morgan was a physical wideout the team would have retained if Washington hadn't made an over-the-top contract offer.

In retrospect, however, perhaps we should have more closely considered the receivers San Francisco did sign this offseason. Mario Manningham has never been known as a physical player. Ted Ginn Jr. is not physical at all.

The 49ers now have drafted two wide receivers under coach Jim Harbaugh. Ronald Johnson, a sixth-round pick in 2011, was the one before Jenkins. Lack of physical strength was a knock on Johnson coming out of college.

So far, the 49ers have done a very good job evaluating personnel at just about every position, but receiver has been an exception. Perhaps that changes with Jenkins.

For the Giants, Doug Martin was the running back projected as a first-round candidate somewhat regularly. Tampa Bay drafted Martin at No. 31, one spot ahead of where the Giants were picking. That gave this draft three first-round backs, one more than was typically projected.

Scheme considerations

Irvin and Chicago Bears first-round defensive end Shea McClellin fall into this category.

We could put Irvin in the mistaken identity category as well because the Seahawks' need for a pass-rusher was well-established. But the projections commonly assumed Seattle would be looking for a more traditional defensive end, one big enough to hold up against the run.

In retrospect, we should have at least mentioned Irvin as a possibility.

Seattle gave run-stuffing defensive end Red Bryant a $35 million contract this offseason. Bryant is going to start and play early downs for the next few seasons. That meant the Seahawks were in the market more for a player in the "Leo" role filled by leading sacker Chris Clemons.

Irvin is that type of player. The other defensive ends commonly associated with Seattle before the draft were not "Leo" types. They would have projected as eventual starters on the other side, where Bryant appears entrenched.

What the Seahawks needed, from their perspective, was a pure pass-rusher to play a situational role similar to the one Aldon Smith played with San Francisco last season. That player, Irvin, would project as the eventual replacement for Clemons, most likely.

Syracuse's Chandler Jones, a common projection for Seattle in the days before the draft, could have fit that profile. Concerns over a toe injury probably hurt his stock.

In Chicago, meanwhile, the Bears' need for a defensive end was no secret. However, most projections seemed to suggest McClellin would make more sense as a 3-4 outside linebacker, perhaps in Green Bay. In retrospect, however, Bears assistant Rod Marinelli does tend to like smaller defensive ends. Perhaps McClellin should have been considered more strongly as a candidate for Chicago.

Positional evaluation error

I'd throw Stanford guard David DeCastro into this category.

The assumption heading into the draft was DeCastro would not be available when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected with the 24th overall choice. As a result, DeCastro wasn't commonly linked to Pittsburgh before the draft.

But as we discussed on the blog a while back, teams had taken only five pure guards among the top 17 overall selections since 1995. Only one had gone higher than 17th since 1998.

Guards have made significant gains in financial compensation over the years. However, teams still value other positions at a much higher level. Guard was a common projection for San Francisco at No. 30, but the 49ers did not select one until the fourth round.

Conclusion

There's a tendency to criticize teams for making decisions we did not see coming.

That is self-serving.

I'd rather take a closer look at the surprises and find out where the rest of us went wrong.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says during a chat that he thinks the Rams are "seriously considering" making a play for Michael Vick this offseason. Vick would already know the Rams' offense, which Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur brought from Philadelphia. Vick would sell tickets, a challenge for any team coming off a 1-15 record and lacking star power. Shurmur's relationship with Eagles coach Andy Reid could give the Rams access to more reliable information as to how Vick would fit into a new team. Vick would probably be better than any other quarterback on the Rams' roster. General manager Billy Devaney knows Vick from when both were with the Falcons. Those are all reasons for the Rams to consider Vick if the Eagles make the quarterback available.

Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com says former Rams and 49ers coach Mike Martz could be losing interest in coordinating the Bears' offense after the team has reached out to lots of candidates, but not him. Martz: "It sounds like there's something they want to do. I just want to move on. I just worry about Lovie (Smith). I just want to see him do well. That was the reason for my interest."

Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Bears will hear about it if their offense struggles with someone other than Martz as coordinator. Hayes: "Maybe (Jay) Cutler is nixing Martz because Martz was critical of Cutler's demeanor during a news conference earlier this season. Should the quarterback be making this call? Former Lions coach and current Bears assistant Rod Marinelli butted heads with Martz when they both were in Detroit. Are the Bears going to let their defensive line coach scuttle this hire?"

ESPN's Adam Schefter says former NFC West assistants Al Saunders and Jim Zorn are candidates to interview with the Ravens.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says former 49ers punter Tom Wittum, who passed away recently, still followed the team and attended games periodically.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee passes along comments from 49ers president Jed York. York on playing the Broncos in London: "It's a tough trip, and hopefully we'll be able to have an East Coast road game the week before and be able to cut that trip in half and have a 6-hour flight to London as opposed to a 12-hour flight from San Francisco, which I think the San Diego Chargers did a few years ago."

Scott Kegley of 49ers.com checks in with linebacker Patrick Willis and punter Andy Lee as both arrived at the Pro Bowl.

Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel checks in with new Seahawks general manager John Schneider, focusing on how the Packers will adjust without him. Ted Thompson, Reggie McKenzie and John Dorsey will pick up the slack. However, the Packers were admittedly a bit top-heavy after replacing former coach Mike Sherman, who had doubled as GM. Bedard: "McKenzie will become more involved with college scouting leading up to the draft, while Dorsey will be asked to contribute more to pro personnel during the season. Dorsey will deal more with agents, which was a major component of Schneider's duties. Also, Thompson will become more personally involved in trade talks. He often left McKenzie and Schneider to find deals and bring them to his attention."

John Morgan of Field Gulls links to an item with background information on new Seahawks strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says former Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp is the new quarterbacks coach for the Texans. McClain: "Knapp and new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison are replacing Kyle Shanahan. He was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Shanahan’s contract expired, and he went to Washington to become the offensive coordinator under his father, new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times checks in with new Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., who wanted to coach in Seattle or San Francisco if he couldn't remain at USC. He is reunited with Lofa Tatupu. Norton: "Lofa has always been a very special guy to my heart. He was a guy I coached at USC, one of my first years at coaching. It was unfortunate to see him go down last year with the injury, but I'm expecting him to get this defense back to where it was before."

Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle says he thinks Kurt Warner will retire. Rolle: "Judging from conversations that I've had with him I think he understands that he's had a great, Hall of Fame career. I think football has taken its course. But he's the best teammate I've ever had. He's been a leader on and off the field." Warner has said he wants to feel good about retiring. Can he walk away and feel good about it? That is the key question.

Revenge of the Birds' Andrew602 passes along thoughts from Cardinals safety Hamza Abdullah, who played extensively in the divisional-round playoff game after Arizona lost Rolle to injury. Playing with Adrian Wilson was a highlight for Abdullah. Abdullah: "Oh, man, did I learn anything? I could talk to you about two or three hours just strictly on that. Adrian Wilson is a great safety, obviously. ... It's just a privilege. I really believe that God has blessed me to not only be with a great organization but to learn from a veteran like Adrian Wilson. To be honest with you, it doesn't get better than Adrian Wilson."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

INDIANAPOLIS -- Fired 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz isn't the only one who thinks Mike Martz should be coaching in the NFL. 

Martz

Haslett

Patriots coach Bill Belichick, speaking at the combine, also stood up for Martz in lamenting the employment status of several high-profile former coaches. Belichick said it "doesn't seem right" and it "just seems odd" for Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick and Steve Mariucci to be on the outside.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch then followed up with a question about Martz and former Rams head coach Jim Haslett also being out of work.

Belichick: "I feel the same way about that as I do about the head coaches. Mike Martz, there's another Super Bowl winner and Jim Haslett, I have tremendous respect for Jim Haslett and what he has done. I can't really speak for what other teams are doing or not doing. Believe me, I have my hands full trying to just coach the team that I'm on. But it's ... You know, as a coach it's just sort of a little bit of an empty feeling to see people like that not in the game.

Coaches rely upon ties to other coaches in landing jobs. Martz has worked for five head coaches in the NFL. Three are out of the NFL (Chuck Knox, Rich Brooks and Dick Vermeil). The other two -- Rod Marinelli and Mike Nolan -- are no longer head coaches. And one of them -- Marinelli -- fired Martz after two seasons.

Haslett has worked for four head coaches (plus former Saints interim coach Rick Venturi). Three of them -- Art Shell, the elder Jim Mora and Bill Cowher -- are out of the game. The fourth, Scott Linehan, lost his job after four games last season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals face a historic opportunity at Carolina.

John Faherty of the Arizona Republic says more than 1,000 fans showed up at the airport to send off the Cardinals. 

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Anquan Boldin remains questionable after testing his injured hamstring in practice Friday.

Also from Somers, with Bob McManaman: Arizona's rushing attack is averaging an additional 27 yards per game over the last two games. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are considering ways to use safety Antrel Rolle on offense.

More from McManaman: a look at the Cardinals' team chemistry. Also, the Cardinals led the NFL with 17 forced fumbles this season, while Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams hasn't lost one all season.

More from Somers: Keeping an extra wide receiver active could keep defensive lineman Kenny Iwebema from playing.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals and Panthers can't take much from their Week 8 meeting. Too many things have changed.

The 49ers' Walt Harris and Parys Haralson are picking the Panthers to beat the Cardinals. Haralson: "Jake Delhomme is a successful quarterback and I don't think that Arizona defense can shake him like they did the rookie last week. They've got a strong defense that can get pressure, but that Carolina oline is a physical bunch."

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says hiring Scott Linehan as the 49ers' offensive coordinator would make more sense than hiring the other known candidates.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee singles out Linehan as the favorite to win the job as 49ers offensive coordinator.

Also from Barrows: Clyde Christensen's candidacy doesn't seem to mesh with Mike Singletary's emphasis on running the football.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says the Seahawks are closer to naming a defensive coordinator. Head coach Jim Mora will run the defense, however. Farnsworth: "Once a defensive coordinator is hired, the rest of the staff can be completed -- a process [general manager Tim] Ruskell said he would ideally like to have done before the coaches leave for the Senior Bowl practices, which begin in 10 days."

John Morgan of Field Gulls warns against reading too much into the comments Ruskell made to reporters during the week. A year ago, Ruskell suggested the team had no plans to release Shaun Alexander. 

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times says former Lions coach Rod Marinelli is no longer a consideration to become the Seahawks' defensive coordinator. My understanding is that Seattle was talking to Marinelli about joining the staff, but not necessarily as coordinator. The thought was that Marinelli might coach the defensive line.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests Winston Moss and Jim Fassel might not be serious candidates for the Rams' head coaching job. He wonders if the Patriots' Josh McDaniels qualifies as the first legitimate outside candidate. Thomas: "Described as smart and calculating, McDaniels will be picky and selective when it comes to a head-coaching job. As part of that evaluation process he will look more to the structure of a club's front office and the ownership situation than perhaps some other candidates."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks Mike Martz's offensive philosophy stands in contrast to Jim Haslett's intent to make the Rams a run-oriented team. Miklasz: "I give Haslett credit for coordinating such a terrific campaign, reinventing himself on the fly to convince many fans and much of the St. Louis sports media that he's the right man for the job, and that he had absolutely nothing to do with the last three seasons of Rams football. The spin is precious."

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat gives the Rams' linebackers a "D" grade for their performance during the 2008 season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Scott Linehan and Rob Chudzinski should be the top two candidates for the 49ers' opening at offensive coordinator. Both are reportedly candidates to interview, although the team called such talk speculative.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee looks at the 49ers' running backs after Frank Gore. Is DeShaun Foster a solid No. 2?

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic expects pass-rusher Travis LaBoy to return from an ankle injury in the divisional round. Receiver Anquan Boldin's status remains uncertain. Boldin missed practice all week. The Cardinals won't have to make a decision until 90 minutes before kickoff Saturday. That means we might not know until 6:45 p.m. ET on game day. If Boldin plays, will he be able to contribute over the course of a full game? That seems unlikely.

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle says the Seahawks plan to interview Raiders special-teams coach Brian Schneider. The Seahawks are also working on a short list of candidates at defensive coordinator. The Browns' Mel Tucker is on that short list. I do not expect Seattle to make a "name" hire at defensive coordinator. The Seahawks will look for a solid coach, but head coach Jim Mora will run the defense. Expect the arrangement to resemble how Mike Holmgren and Gil Haskell handled the offense in recent seasons. Meanwhile, former Lions coach Rod Marinelli remains a potential candidate as Seattle's defensive line coach, but he his visiting with the Texans and appears to be considering his options carefully. Also: Seattle re-signed receiver Billy McMullen to a future contract.

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com looks at pros and cons associated with hiring Mike Martz as the Rams' offensive coordinator under Jim Haslett. Haslett wants to establish an identity in the running game. Martz is known for his creativity and aggressiveness in the passing game. Haven't we been down this road before? Retaining Haslett and bringing back Martz would hardly represent a clean break from the Rams' past. But Martz's addition might energize fans who miss his high-flying style of offense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Steve from Bellingham, Wash., writes: I read something in your column that frightened me. You suggested that the Seahawks are going to let their best RB go and keep the grossly overpaid, unproductive ones. Please say it ain't so. Julius Jones produced very little in games and game situations that mattered, just like in Dallas. TJ Duckett made several million dollars to touch the ball twice a game. Please, please tell me that the Seahawks have learned from their mistakes and will move to improve, not mediocritize, the running game.

Mike Sando: Maurice Morris is eligible for free agency. The Seahawks moved to sign Jones and Duckett even before they released Shaun Alexander. They even brought in Duckett for a visit a year earlier, when they had no spot for him. General manager Tim Ruskell was clearly angling to change up the running game.

Morris lost his most important supporter when Mike Holmgren left the team. Holmgren was GM when the Seahawks drafted Morris. Holmgren played Morris extensively down the stretch. Holmgren did not immediately find a role for Duckett. With Holmgren gone, the Seahawks appear less likely to re-sign Morris.

We also must consider the financial picture at running back.

Duckett's contract carries $800,000 in salary proration for each of the next four seasons after the Seahawks exercised an option to treat a guaranteed roster bonus as a signing bonus (a common tactic that allows teams to avoid initial salary cap consequences). Duckett has a $2.5 million salary in 2009. He will very likely be on the team.

The Seahawks made a similar move with Jones in November. His contract now carries more than $1 million in proration for each of the next three seasons. His base salary in 2009 is nearly $2 million. He will very likely be on the team.

It's tough to see Morris fitting into that financial landscape, particularly if Seattle is open to selecting a running back with the fourth overall choice in the draft.

That's how I see it, based on the evidence.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Greg from Cleveland writes: Sando, Feel free to post this in your blog or whatever. But I believe in manning up when taking a loss, and I have to say: You were right. The bipolar Cardinals D showed up in a big way [Saturday], and you called it. I'm the one who said you might be "cherry picking," and I think you were.

But your overall conclusion was correct: sometimes the matchups and outcome work for Arizona. The Falcons are not a good enough team to go on the road in the playoffs and survive 3 TOs, multiple blown assignments by the O-line, and failing to get to Warner. I told a friend after the game that we don't deserve to win when coughing the ball up, failing to stop a "must stop" 3rd-and-16 (among others), and allowing Arizona to dictate our play-calling. Home field advantage for a 9-7 team was the major difference, I believe.

Congrats, Cardinals fans. You won, those at UofP Stadium helped, and your team earned it. Falcon Pride!

Mike Sando: That is a classy mailbag submission, Greg. I wouldn't necessarily take credit for "calling" the Cardinals' performance, but hopefully what I wrote put the Cardinals' defense in some perspective, leaving us less surprised when the defense played well Saturday.

The Cardinals can be effective and even formidable on defense when they stay disciplined and focus on tackling instead of going out of their way trying to make big plays. The team's performance late in the Carolina game is a prime example of how the Cardinals become vulnerable on defense when they lose their edge. Another performance such as that one will lead to certain defeat for Arizona. But if the Cardinals play the way they did against Atlanta, I expect them to compete.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic emphasizes the positive in looking at the Cardinals heading into their divisional-round game at Carolina.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Panthers surprised the Cardinals in Week 8 by loading up against the run. Arizona enjoyed a big day in the passing game.

Also from Somers: Recent history gives the Cardinals hope going on the road for the divisional round. Wild-card teams have made it to Super Bowls recently.

More from Somers: Anquan Boldin's injury could affect a chunk of the Cardinals' game plan.

Bob Young of the Arizona Republic wonders why the Cardinals tend to leave their retractable roof closed even when the weather is perfect. I can think of two reasons. One, Kurt Warner prefers the roof closed, and he let team president Michael Bidwill know about it. Two, bright sunshine can blind a small number of fans in part of the stadium.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic takes a quick look at the Panthers.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals prefer the underdog role.

Billy Witz of the New York Times checks in with the most disrespected Cardinal of them all, Edgerrin James.

Brian McIntyre of Scout.com breaks down the Seahawks' defensive participation by scheme and player. Brian Russell played all but one snap on defense, by his count. And there were several plays when Seattle had only 10 defenders on the field. Oops.

Also from McIntyre: A look at offensive participation and personnel use. Ironman Floyd Womack played a higher percentage of offensive snaps than any Seattle player.

John Morgan of Field Gulls says poor quality at the top of the 2009 NFL draft means the Seahawks are less likely to find an impact player there. I had this conversation with a scout Sunday. He couldn't think of a dynamic pass-rusher worthy of the fourth overall pick, unles the Seahawks took a chance on Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says the Seahawks could hire Rod Marinelli. Meanwhile, longtime tight ends coach Jim Lind is expected to retire.

Eric Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks tried to hire Marinelli twice when Mike Holmgren was head coach, but the Bucs denied permission each time. 

William Tomisser of Seahawk Addicts breaks down the Seahawks' situation at running back. Maurice Morris, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett combined for solid numbers, even if the perception was that Seattle didn't get top production from the position.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams have shown "at least some level of interest" in Jim Fassel, Russ Grimm, Jim Schwartz, Mike Munchak, Steve Spagnuolo and Jason Garrett. Winston Moss has already interviewed. The team has received formal permission to interview Todd Bowles, Leslie Frazier, Rex Ryan and Ray Sherman.

Drew Olson of onmilwaukee.com lists Mike Nolan and Jim Haslett as potential candidates to become defensive coordinator for the Packers. Both worked with current Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

Chrissy Mauck of 49ers.com lists the team's players scheduled to become free agents.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat looks at the 49ers' rushing production by play direction. The team ranked fifth among NFL teams in yards per carry up the middle.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says a power running game can help a team succeed without having a top-flight quarterback.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

PHOENIX -- Jim Mora's first scheduled staff meeting as Seahawks head coach was scheduled for Monday, according to outgoing coach Mike Holmgren.

We should expect to learn more about Mora's plans for his staff in the coming days. Some have asked about former Lions coach Rod Marinelli possibly landing in Seattle. Adam Schefter thinks it could happen. Marinelli has ties to the Seahawks' front office.

In St. Louis, the Rams are expected to interview former Giants coach Jim Fassel on Thursday, according to Chris Mortensen. The team has received permission to speak with Todd Bowles, Ray Sherman, Rex Ryan and Leslie Frazier, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Winston Moss already interviewed, and there are no plans for a follow up at this time.

I'll be monitoring the coaching situations in the division from Arizona before returning home Monday night. I'm booked for Carolina and looking forward to the divisional round.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

James from Lincoln, U.K., writes: Now that it is established that Mike Singletary is the 49ers coach now, and will be for years (and that is absolutely the right thing), it appears that he will look to implement a smash-mouth type of offense. Of course winning is the most important thing, especially with the John York effect having crushed this franchise recently.

My only concern is this: When the franchise was successful it had NFL/Super Bowl MVP's/Hall Of Famers under center. The ball was in the air and in the end zone often and it was great to watch. Do you think that this more conservative style of offense will go down well with the team's paying customers? For what it's worth, I cannot stand traditional Bears football.

Mike Sando: Singletary is talking about establishing an identity through the running game. The 49ers will still need good play at the quarterback position to get beyond 8-8 and become a factor in the playoffs. Being able to throw the ball to score points certainly helps a team win in the playoffs, or anytime.

Very few teams have been able to line up and run effectively on a consistent basis against eight in the box. The Ravens did it during their Super Bowl run years ago. They also had one of the all-time great defenses. They also didn't have much playoff success in the following years, leading to Brian Billick's eventual firing.

I would rather have a franchise quarterback and worry about establishing the ground game than have a strong ground game and worry about the quarterback. That said, those two pursuits do not have to be exclusive. I'm sure Singletary wants a top quarterback and a top running game. A top quarterback makes it much harder for opponents to load up against the run. Teams put eight in the box against Peyton Manning at their own peril.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Rams are averaging 9.7 points per game.

Head Coach Hired Team Record New OC PPG Sean Payton 2006 NO 1-2 No 24.0 Dick Jauron 2006 BUF 3-0 Yes 23.6 Mike McCarthy 2006 GB 2-1 No 22.3 Rod Marinelli 2006 DET 0-3 Yes 19.7 Brad Childress 2006 MIN 1-2 No 16.0 Eric Mangini 2006 NYJ 1-1 No 15.0 Gary Kubiak 2006 HOU 0-2 Yes 14.5 Herm Edwards 2006 KC 0-3 Yes 10.7 Scott Linehan 2006 STL 0-3 Yes 9.7

My first thought upon seeing that figure was that a decent NBA player would average as much. For some reason, A.C. Green came to mind. Sure enough, it's close.

Green averaged 9.6 points per game. Unlike the Rams, who have lost 16 of their last 19 games, Green also knew how to rebound.

On to the broader point: The Rams are one of nine teams featuring a head coach in his third season with his current team.

Five of the nine teams, including the Rams, are breaking in a new offensive coordinator this season. Those teams have a combined record of 3-11. Two are failing to score even 11 points per game. Buffalo, which promoted Turk Schonert from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, is the only team of the nine averaging 20 points per game.

The Rams' most pronounced problems are probably on defense. They simply are not competitive. But the offense ranks 31st in yards per game. Other teams with third-year head coaches and first-year offensive coordinators are also lagging. Kansas City ranks 28th in yards per game. Detroit ranks 22nd in yards per game.

The Rams rank last in third-down conversion rate. The Lions rank 28th. The Chiefs and Rams rank near the bottom in points per game.

The chart ranks third-year head coaches by how many points per game their offenses have scored. Averages do not reflect points scored on returns. I've highlighted the five teams with new offensive coordinators. It's not a pretty picture.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers face one of the NFL's least-acclaimed rosters when the Lions visit Candlestick Park in Week 3. Detroit features only three players with Pro Bowl credentials. Kicker Jason Hanson is one of them. One of the others, running back Rudi Johnson, was released by the Bengals.

By my count, the Lions are the only team in the league without a single current or former Pro Bowl player on defense.

The Lions are one of the more confounding teams on the 49ers' schedule this season. A quick look at Detroit's roided-out roster offers a few clues. The Lions' 53-man roster features only four players from its 2005 and 2006 draft classes. The other 31 NFL teams have an average of eight. A league-high seven Lions backups entered the NFL as second-round draft choices.

Eight Lions starters are 30 or older, a figure that ranks tied for second behind Washington. Detroit's starting offensive line is fourth-oldest in the league. Overall, the Lions have the fifth-oldest starters in the league and the seventh-oldest roster. That's not a good sign for a team that hasn't won anything of significance.

Head coach Rod Marinelli built his reputation as a defensive line coach. The Lions are carrying 11 defensive linemen, tied for the league high and two more than the typical team that uses the 4-3. As a result, the Lions are carrying one fewer receiver and one fewer tight end than average.

For more on the Lions, check out Kevin Seifert's NFC North blog. Here's a direct link to Lions-related items on his blog.