All "Had a Bad Day" Team, Week 15

It’s Christmas and I don’t want to be mean!

Unfortunately, my contract indicates a ‘must be mean at Xmas’ clause that says I won’t be getting any egg nog, turkey, or presents until I writing a scathing piece about those NFL players who stunk things up this week.

If only I had read the small print.

So here’s a selection of players who are getting some grief from me for their troubles, and in return I’m expecting plenty of New Year's resolutions from them not to be on this team come 2012.

There we go, seasonal references overload. Now onto Week 15's ‘Had a Bad Day’ Team of the Week.

 

OFFENSE

Quarterback:  Mark Sanchez, NYJ (-5.0)

So bad that Sanchez made us wonder ‘what if Mark Brunell’ was starting. Granted those thoughts quickly disappeared, but I still can’t stop thinking ‘what if the Jets had a better quarterback’. Maybe then they wouldn’t be fighting it out for a wildcard spot every year and might actually win their division.

Running Back:  Cedric Benson, CIN (-2.7)

You fumble the ball three times? You got lucky the defense didn’t pick them up, but that’s not winning football.

Fullback:  Tony Fiametta, DAL (-4.7)

Fiametta does a lot of good for the Dallas running attack, but he’s also not averse to getting beaten at the point of attack and putting his running back in harms’ way.

Tight End:  Jermaine Gresham, CIN (-4.0)

Just 16 yards, some poor run blocking and three penalties given up. That will earn you a starting berth on this team.

Wide Receivers:  Santonio Holmes, NYJ (-3.8) and Jordy Nelson, GB (-2.9)

We’ll let you decide if it’s the fumbles, dropped pass, or ridiculous taunting celebration that got Holmes  spot on this team. Jordy Nelson may have been on the wrong end of some ‘interesting’ calls, but let’s not forget that with no Greg Jennings, he failed to step up with just 29 yards.

Tackles:  Marshall Newhouse, GB (-5.1) and Tyler Polumbus, WAS (-8.8)

Newhouse is playing so badly I’m starting to forget how poor Chad Clifton was before his injury. Polumbus edges out Wayne Hunter on the right side. Sure he didn’t give up any sacks, but he was absolutely killed in the running game time and time again.

Guards:  Trai Essex, PIT (-4.0) and Stephen Peterman, DET (-3.9)

Our two starting guards were not terrible in the running game, but between them they gave up one penalty, a sack, two hits and seven hurries. Not what your at times fragile quarterbacks need.

Center:  Doug Legursky, PIT (-4.7)

We’ve never been the biggest Maurkice Pouncey fans, but after watching Legursky give up three hits and three hurries, we understand why he’s so valuable to the Steelers.

 

DEFENSE

4-3 Defensive Front

Defensive Ends:  Kyle Vanden Bosch, DET (-6.1) and Charles Johnson, CAR (-4.2)

KVB had a game to forget despite picking up a sack, with Jared Veldheer comprehensively winning their battle. Johnson has been a bit of a disappointment to me this year–I don’t like how he’s moved about and he hasn’t replicated his phenomenal 2010. This was the low point for him as Houston held him to just the one pressure and one tackle.

Defensive Tackle:  Ryan McBean, DEN (-3.0) and Matt Toeaina, CHI (-3.0)

The Broncos saw fit to get McBean on the field an awful lot, to which he responded by picking up just the one tackle. And no pressure. In 64 snaps. Ugh. Toeaina may have picked up three defensive stops, but all too often he was moved at the point of attack in key situations.

Linebackers:  Jordan Senn, CAR (-4.3), Mason Foster, TB (-3.7) and Thomas Howard, CIN (-4.1)

Sure Senn had an interception and forced a fumble (though it was actually James Anderson who forced the fumble), but how did he do in coverage? 11 receptions for 123 yards as the Texans went after him. Howard had similar struggles in coverage, giving up 92 yards after every throw with him in coverage ended up complete. You may look at their tackle counts and think they impressed, but between them they only had five defensive stops. As for Foster, I’m becoming a little concerned with how he manages to overrun plays on such a consistent basis. He really makes it easy for himself to be blocked out of plays.

 

3-4 Defensive Front

Defensive Line:  Ziggy Hood, PIT (-3.0), Antonio Garay, SD (-2.5) and Brett Keisel, PIT (-2.6)

Keisel is on my Pro Bowl ballot, but he almost knocked himself off against the 49ers. A very disappointing display from him, and the usual from Mr Invisible, Ziggy Hood. How does a man play as many snaps as Hood and fail to consistently to make an impression? Even Anthony Davis looked good against him. Garay may have the best facial hair in all of football, but he’s struggled this year and was always likely to against a tricky Ravens line.

Outside Linebackers:  Erik Walden, GB (-5.7) and Ahmad Brooks, SF (-4.5)

Brooks was one 49er defender who didn’t have a great day, while Walden continues to be the weakest link on the Packers team. Not just their defense, but entire team. His -4.7 grade for run blocking highlights this.

Inside Linebackers:  Daryl Washington, ARZ (-3.7) and David Harris, NYJ (-2.2)

The Cardinals' Washington may have top-end talent, but missing two tackles is a poor return in any game, while he can blame his coaching staff for thinking he could cover wide receiver Greg Little one-on-one. Harris, like Washington, gave up a big completion in one of his weaker outings of the season.

 

Cornerbacks:  Eric Wright, DET (-4.8) and Ashton Youboty, JAX (-4.3)

You never know what you’re going to get with Wright as he bounces between the good and bad day teams. Suffice to say Week 15 was a bad week for him. Youboty was overmatched in attempting to cover Roddy White & Co., surrendering 145 yards against the Falcons.

Safeties:  John Wendling, DET (-6.7) and Bryan Scott, BUF (-4.6)

Wendling proved why he shouldn’t be on the field for 67 snaps as he missed three tackles and looked a little lost against the Raiders. As for Scott, an in-the-box safety needs to do better in the run game. He didn’t, and contributed to the big day by Reggie Bush.

 

Follow Khaled on Twitter @PFF_Khaled and be sure to follow our main Twitter feed @ProFootbalFocus

 

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