Week 17
12/30/09
Notable Injuries
- DE Ty Warren, NE - aggravated an ankle injury on Sunday and
is expected to miss this week.
- DT Brett
Keisel, PIT - left early Sunday after aggravating a neck
injury. Rookie Ziggy Hood replaced him.
- DE Kenyon Coleman, CLE - left Sunday's game with an ankle
injury.
- DE Jimmy Wilkerson, TB - done for the season with a torn
ACL. A disappointing end for a player who was capitalizing on
his first extended stretch as a starter.
- DT Pat Williams, MIN - a surprise scratch on MNF, apparently
to rest a lingering elbow injury. Watch for his status this
week.
- OLB Brian Cushing, HOU - broke a finger on Sunday, but it
shouldn't stop his campaign for DROY continuing this week.
- OLB Aaron Curry, SEA - remains doubtful this week after missing
Sunday with a shoulder stinger in his left arm and a hip pointer.
- OLB Rey Maualuga, CIN - the impressive rookie is done for
the season with a broken left ankle.
- MLB Larry Foote, DET - missed Sunday with, ironically, a
foot injury. Rookie DeAndre Levy got the start in his place.
- ILB Channing Crowder, MIA - is done for the season after
suffering a right foot injury on Sunday. Reggie Torbor replaced
him. There is concern it is a Lisfranc fracture, which will
be a lingering problem in to 2010.
- OLB Bryan Scott, BUF - he'll miss his second straight game
due to a concussion.
- CB Charles Tillman, CHI - done for the season after suffering
broken ribs and a lung contusion when teammate Craig Steltz
missed a diving Viking and caught Tillman with a direct helmet
hit in the side on MNF. Corey Graham should start in his place.
- CB Rashean Mathis, JAX - sat out the second half after aggravating
his groin injury.
- S Ed Reed, BAL - was inactive for the fourth straight week
with hip/groin and foot problems, but is expected to play this
week in their must-win finale.
- S Troy Polamalu, PIT - despite missing the second half of
the season with a sprained left PCL, he still hasn't been ruled
out for the season with the team clinging to playoff hopes.
- S Jairus
Byrd, BUF - the impressive rookie and his league-leading
9 picks are done for the season due to a groin injury.
- S Reed Doughty, WAS - expected to miss the season finale
after suffering a high ankle sprain Sunday. Kareem Moore would
replace him.
- S, CHI - all top three safeties are injured. Kevin
Payne (ankle) and Al
Afalava (knee) were inactive on MNF and remain questionable
this week. Danieal
Manning suffered a calf injury on a kick return and is expected
to miss the season finale. It should be Josh
Bullocks and Craig
Steltz who start again and see plenty of work at Detroit.
Defensive
Line
- With two sacks, including his fourth forced fumble of the
season, at Philly on Sunday Denver OLB Elvis Dumervil took a
commanding lead with 17 sacks on the season. For the third time
in the last four games, Minnesota DE Jared Allen was held sackless
and he remains sitting on 13.5 for the year with just three
in the second half of the season. Despite once again seeing
limited work, Indianapolis DE Dwight Freeney posted two sacks
and caught up to Allen with 13.5 on the season. New Orleans
DE Will Smith had his third sack in the last three games and
is at 13 sacks.
- Despite matching a single-game best with three sacks on Sunday,
giving him 10 sacks on the season, Buffalo DE Aaron Schobel
continues to say he is considering retirement after the season.
After a disappointing 2007 and injury-shortened 2008, Schobel
has had a nice return to form this season at age 32.
- After being demoted to a back-up role at the beginning of
December, New York Giant DE Osi Umenyiora responded with a sack
in Week 14 and Week 15 as a situational pass rusher. However,
after a goose egg in their embarrassing loss at home to Carolina
on Sunday, he apparently held his tongue long enough and was
critical of his limited role. He is under contract through 2012
and the team said they have no desire to trade or release him.
This one should calm down over the offseason.
- With DE Adewale Ogunleye done for the season, and likely
for good in Chicago, Mark Anderson got the start and racked
up a sack. Gaines Adams and rookie Jarron Gilbert also saw work.
- Cincinnati NT Domata Peko is expected to return after missing
the last four games after knee surgery.
Linebacker
- Limited by shoulder and hamstring problems, Atlanta MLB Curtis
Lofton had just one tackle and fell to third in the league
in tackles with 129. With his seventh double-digit tackle game
of the season, Carolina MLB Jon
Beason jumped to a tie for second with Washington MLB London
Fletcher at 134. San Francisco ILB Patrick
Willis continues to lead the league with 147 tackles.
- Cleveland OLB Matt Roth racked up another sack and half on
Sunday, giving him four in the five games since joining the
Browns.
Defensive Back
- Arizona S Adrian Wilson continued his strong finish to the
season with a sack and a pick on Sunday. It was his fifth pick
of the year, a new single-season best, and the 23 pick of his
career. The sack gave him 20.5 on his career, moving him in
to the elite 20-20 club. He is just the 10th player in NFL history
to record 20 sacks and interceptions in their career.
- Philadelphia CB Asante
Samuel and New Orleans S Darren
Sharper each had a pick on Sunday to give them 9 on the
season, moving in to a three-way tie for first with Buffalo
rookie S Jairus
Byrd, who will remain stuck on 9 after going on the IR last
week.
- After a disappointing performance on MNF, Minnesota CB Antoine
Winfield said he previously aggravated his cracked foot.
He's remained productive from a fantasy perspective, partially
because teams aren't afraid to challenge him. He could be a
scratch this week to heal for the playoffs.
- With his 8th pick of the season, Philadelphia CB Asante
Samuel join New Orleans S Darren
Sharper and Green Bay CB Charles
Woodson within to within one of league leader Buffalo rookie
S Jairus
Byrd. After 7 picks in the first half of the season, Sharper
only has one in the second half.
- The depth in the secondary in New Orleans got a boost when
CB Tracy
Porter returned to the starting lineup after missing several
weeks with an MCL sprain and Randall
Gay returned from a hamstring injury. They started, pushing
first-round pick Malcolm
Jenkins to the nickel and Mike
McKenzie to the bench. The team hopes to get their other
starter, Jabari
Greer, back from a sports hernia soon and should emerge
stronger for the opportunity the absences offered Jenkins and
the addition McKenzie has been.
- Pittsburgh SS Troy
Polamalu has missed six games with a strained PCL in his
left knee, but may return this week - watch for updates.
- Kerry Rhodes is back in the starting lineup for the Jets.
- A rare highlight for Detroit happened on Sunday when rookie
S Louis Delmas returned his first career pick 100 yards for
a TD.
Pro Bowl Analysis
NFC Defense
DE - Jared
Allen, MIN; Julius
Peppers, CAR; Trent
Cole, PHI
DT - Darnell
Dockett, AZ; Kevin
Williams, MIN; Jay
Ratliff, DAL
I/MLB - Patrick
Willis, SF; Jonathan
Vilma, NO
OLB - Lance
Briggs, CHI; DeMarcus
Ware, DAL; Brian
Orakpo, WAS
CB - Asante
Samuel, PHI; Charles
Woodson, GB; Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie, AZ
SS - Adrian
Wilson, AZ
FS - Darren
Sharper, NO; Nick
Collins, GB
Jared Allen is tied for second in the NFL with 13.5 sacks, but 7.5
of those came against Green Bay and his only other multi-sack game
came at home against the Bears. Allen has one sack in the last four
games while the Vikings have dropped three of those games and their
playoff situation gets worse. He has disappeared in the second half
of the season with just 3 sacks and 1 forced fumble. I'd replace
him with Will Smith who has been far more consistent and is a huge
part of a rejuvenated Saints' defense that is finally complimenting
their explosive offensive. Ray Edwards on the other side of Allen
might be more deserving and Andre Carter had a heck of a year too.
Dockett made it on rep this year, as well, I'd give Aubrayo Franklin
the nod for anchoring the defense in SF.
While Willis is a no-brainer and it is hard to argue with Vilma,
it's also a shame Curtis Lofton, who led the league in tackles until
recently when injuries have slowed him down, London Fletcher and
Jon Beason aren't recognized. It is unbelievable Fletcher has never
been to a Pro Bowl. I'd bump Ware and Briggs on the outside, both
who made it more on reputation this year, for any of those other
three inside. I'm OK with Orakpo, but fellow rookie Clay Matthews
is just as deserving. Samuel had the pick numbers, but the reason
QBs can't ignore who he's covering is because of Sheldon Brown on
the other side. I don't necessarily bump Samuel, but Brown is probably
more deserving than DRC. Charles Tillman also continued to play
at an elite level in Chicago while most of the defense struggled.
No one is better at getting in a strip attempt while still applying
a fundamentally solid tackle. No major arguments at safety, but
Dashon Goldson has been extremely productive, albeit consistent,
and the QB of that secondary.
AFC Defense
DE - Dwight
Freeney, IND; Robert
Mathis, IND; Mario
Williams, HOU
DT - Haloti
Ngata, BAL; Vince
Wilfork, NE; Casey
Hampton, PIT
I/MLB - Ray
Lewis, BAL; DeMeco
Ryans, HOU
OLB - Elvis
Dumervil, DEN; James
Harrison, PIT; Brian
Cushing, HOU
CB - Nnamdi
Asomugha, OAK; Darrelle
Revis, NYJ; Champ
Bailey, DEN
SS - Brian
Dawkins, DEN
FS - Ed
Reed, BAL; Jairus
Byrd, BUF
Both Indy ends are deserving and while Super Mario made it on rep
and a shoulder injury held him back this year, I don't know who
should be there instead. Maybe Aaron Schobel or Randy Starks. Ray
Ray, sack-leader Dumervil, and DROY candidate Cushing are no-brainers.
You have to find room for David Harris, a career statistical year
as the leader of the top-rated defense. Harrison had nowhere to
go but down statistically after last year, but he is still deserving.
Asomugha and Revis are the two top shutdown corners in the league,
both no-brainers. While RB Cedric Benson was probably the most blatant
snub of having no Pro Bowl Bengals, Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall
both had great seasons and more deserving, particularly Hall, than
Bailey who made it on rep this year. Cortland Finnegan has some
early season injury problems, but returned to form in the second
half and was a big part of the rebound by the Titans. Safety is
tough. Dawkins brought great leadership to a rejuvenated Denver
D, but his declining skills in coverage were most recently exploited
by his former team. Reed battled injuries, but remains a premier
playmaker in the secondary when healthy, while Byrd led the league
in picks as a rookie. Still, it's hard to not find room for Brandon
Meriweather and Tyvon Branch. I'd probably bump Dawkins and Reed,
who has missed a quarter of the season, for those two. |
