Winners and Losers from the NFL: Week Seven

Winner: Titans RB Chris Johnson
Whether it's been tough early-season competition or coming into training camp out of shape, CJ2K has started poorly each of the past two seasons. Johnson was able to bounce back in a big way against the Buffalo Bills this past Sunday, racking up 195 yards on just 18 carries in Tennessee's 35-34 win. Tennessee's success has hinged on Johnson's success on the ground for the past four seasons, and he appears to be back on track after three 90+ yard rushing games in the last four games. While most defenses won't be as porous as Buffalo, it appears that Johnson has returned to relevance.

Loser: Browns WR Josh Gordon
It's hard to call Gordon a real "loser", as he had a team-high 59 receiving yards and a touchdown in the game. However the rookie receiver out of Baylor had a chance to come up big in the fourth quarter, as Brandon Weeden stood tall in the face of a blitz and delivered a perfect deep throw to Gordon. Just as the ball was about to hit Gordon's hands, sunlight from LucasOil Field's retractable roof hit Gordon's face, resulting in a drop that would've given the Browns a late lead.
Cleveland selected Gordon in this past summer's Supplemental Draft, forfeiting a 2013 second-round choice to select him. Gordon has paid dividends for the team, quickly becoming quarterback Brandon Weeden's favorite deep threat, including a 23.8 yards per reception and a team-highs in receiving yardage (333) and touchdown catches (4). While the drop is surely disappointing, Gordon has the physical tools (6'3, 225 pounds) and speed (4.52 40-yard dash) to be a solid wide receiver for the next decade.

Winner: Houston Texans
Despite playing on short rest following a disappointing home loss to the Green Bay Packers, head coach Gary Kubiak was able to rally his troops in a matchup of the only two +.500 teams in the AFC entering week seven, throttling Baltimore 43-13. Houston finished with nearly a 17 minute time of possession advantage, double the amount of first downs (27-12) and total yards (420-176), as well record four sacks and two interceptions.
The Ravens clearly weren't at 100% (both Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb missed the game, defensive lineman Haloti Ngata left the game early, Ed Reed was playing through injury while linebacker Terrell Suggs played in his first game since tearing his Achilles' this offseason), but that shouldn't diminish what was an absolutely dominant performance. The win definitely removed some of the sting from the Green Bay defeat, and the Texans will face a reeling Bills team following their bye this week.

Loser: Baltimore Ravens
Not only has the team found out that their likely to be without both linebacker Ray Lewis and top cornerback Lardarius Webb for the rest of the season, but the team was absolutely dominated by Houston this past Sunday. One of the premiere defenses in the past decade, age and injuries have started to catch up to this team. The team is in dire need of an infusion of young talent on the defense, as leaders like Ray Lewis (37) and Ed Reed (34) are closer to the end of their Hall-of-Fame careers than the beginning.
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has to find balance in his play-calling, as Joe Flacco is good, but may never be the Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback the team hoped. It also doesn't help that the team has relied too heavily on the pass, when they have one of the best all-purpose backs in the league to shoulder the load.

Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
The team was able to get a big win on the road over a division rival in the Bengals this past week, dominating Cincinnati on both sides of the ball en route to a 24-17 win. Perhaps even more impressive than the 167 rushing yards that Jonathan Dwyer and the rest of the Steelers were able to amass was the secondary holding Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green to one catch for eight yards. While that one catch was for a touchdown, Green hadn't recorded fewer than five receptions and 58 yards in any game this season.
The defense in general played stellar football, allowing just 185 yards and just 11 first downs. Though the defense is getting older, the team still has a bevy of solid players on that side of the football, and coordinator Dick LeBeau is possesses one of the best football minds in NFL history. Count out the Steelers at your own peril.

Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars
The team blew a 14-point third quarter lead against Oakland, eventually falling in overtime after Cecil Shorts lost a fumble, leading to the game-winning Sebastian Janikowski field goal. The team also lost running back Maurice Jones-Drew to a foot injury, and while it may not be the Lisfanc injury that was initially feared, the Jaguars can ill afford to be without his production.
Rashad Jennings, Jones-Drew's replacement, is a strong between-the-tackles runner, but lacks the pass-catching and elusiveness that Jones-Drew possesses. For an offense that ranks at or near the bottom of the league in several categories, this could cause Jacksonville to again pick near the top of next April's draft.

Grading the 2008 NFL Draft: AFC South

This is the sixth in my eight part series that re-grades the 2008 NFL Draft. For previous versions, see below.
AFC West, NFC West, NFC South, NFC North, NFC East

Houston Texans
1(26)   - OT Duane Brown, Virginia Tech
3(79)   - CB Antwaun Molden, Eastern Kentucky
3(89)   - RB Steve Slaton, West Virginia
4(118) - LB Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech
5(151) - DT Frank Okam, Texas
6(173) - S Dominique Barber, Minnesota
7(223) - QB Alex Brink, Washington State
Thoughts: Brown emerged as a Pro Bowl level player this season for the playoff bound Texans (and probably should have replaced D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who had a sub-standard year). Molden was never able to crack the starting lineup in Houston, but got two starts and two interceptions for New England this past year. After a breakout rookie season (1,282 yards rushing, 9 TD), fumbling issues and the emergence of Arian Foster made him expendable, as he was waived mid-season, winding up as a reserve for Miami. Like Molden, Adibi was largely a reserve linebacker, recording 8 starts and 63 tackles with his three years in Houston, spending the 2011 season as a reserve for the Vikings. Okam has recorded 33 tackles and no sacks in his career while fighting to keep his weight (listed at 350 pounds) under control. Barber has spent his entire four year career as a reserve, while Alex Brink spent one season on the Houston practice squad, and most recently played in the CFL. Other than Brown (and to a lesser extent Slaton), this particular draft didn't produce much in the way of significant contributors.
Grade: C


Indianapolis Colts
2(59)   - C Mike Pollak, Arizona State
3(93)   - LB Philip Wheeler, Georgia Tech
4(127) - TE Jacob Tamme, Kentucky
5(161) - DE Marcus Howard, Georgia
6(196) - TE Tom Santi, Virginia
6(201) - C Steve Justice, Wake Forest
6(202) - RB Mike Hart, Michigan
6(205) - WR Pierre Garcon, Mount Union
7(236) - C Jamey Richard, Buffalo
Thoughts: Pollak slid to guard his rookie season, and has started 41 of 58 games played, though his play has not been consistent with a second round pick. While Wheeler has been largely a reserve, he's a solid tackler when given ample playing time. Tamme (like most of the team) struggled without Peyton Manning throwing to him, as he recorded just 177 yards in 16 games this season (9 starts). Howard recorded 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his one season with the Colts. Santi appeared in nine games over two seasons (171 yards, 1 TD). Justice spent one season with Indy (8 games, 1 start) and has spent the past three seasons in the UFL. Hart spent three seasons bouncing between the active roster and practice squad, recording 264 yards and 2 TD in his three year career. Garcon has been the gem of this group, as he was the Colts beest receiver this past season, recording just under 1,000 yards despite the absence of Peyton Manning. Richard has been largely a backup to Jeff Saturday at center, but has been solid in a reserve role. Garcon, Pollak and Wheeler help prevent their grade from being worse.
Grade: C+

Jacksonville Jaguars
1(8)     - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
2(52)   - DE Quentin Groves, Auburn
5(155) - LB Thomas Williams, Southern California
5(159) - CB Trae Williams, South Florida
7(213) - RB Chauncey Washington, Southern California
Thoughts: Harvey was a disappointment in Jacksonville (8 sacks in three seasons), and spent last year as a reserve with Denver. Groves also struggled with the Jaguars (2.5 sacks in two seasons), and has spent the last two seasons as a reserve outside linebacker for the Raiders. Thomas Williams has bounced around the league as a reserve and special teams player, while Trae Williams has been on three teams' practice squads (Eagles, Seahawks, Bills) over the past four years. Washington has been on the Cowboys' practice squad several times over the past four seasons. Not a single impact player from this draft, as both of their first two round picks have been huge disappointments.
Grade: F

Tennessee Titans
1(24)   - RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina
2(54)   - DT Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan
3(85)   - TE Craig Stevens, California
4(103) - DE William Hayes, Winston-Salem State
4(126) - WR Lavelle Hawkins, California
4(134) - LB Stanford Keglar, Purdue
7(229) - CB Cary Williams, Washburn
Thoughts: Chris Johnson has been a standout for the past three seasons, including rushing for over 2,000 yards and breaking Marshall Faulk's yards from scrimmage record in the process. Jones has started 28 games the past two seasons, and has 15.5 career sacks as he transitioned to defensive end. Stevens has been a solid starter in Tennessee as largely a blocking tight end, while former Cal teammate Hawkins proved himself to be a solid depth receiver this past season (47 catches, 470 yards). Hayes (like Jones) transitioned to defensive end, and has been a solid reserve, totaling 8.0 sacks in his career. Keglar was a special teamer for both the Titans (2008-2009) and Texans (2010), but didn't play in the league in 2011. After two quiet seasons as a reserve with Tennessee, Williiams has been with the Ravens since mid-2009, and actually started all sixteen games this past season. Good to stellar production out of their first five picks gives them a very solid grade.
Grade: A-

Potential Destinations for Peyton Manning

With March 8th looming, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is in an unenviable position. His franchise quarterback Peyton Manning is still trying to recover from three neck surgeries in the last two years, the most recent procedure costing him the entire 2011 season. Without Manning, the Colts floundered, losing their first 13 games of the season, and ending up in a tie with St. Louis for the worst record in the league.
Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus in less than a month, and while both sides have said they'd like to find a way to keep Peyton with the Colts, the writing appears to be on the wall. Whether it was their back-and-forth during Super Bowl week about the environment at the Colts facilities, or the fact that ownership has said they're going to draft a quarterback with the #1 overall pick this season, the odds of Manning staying in Indianapolis seems to shrink by the day. Should he hit the free agent market, here are some of the teams that could be interested in his services.

Washington Redskins
The Redskins were simply putrid at the quarterback position, as Rex Grossman (16 TD, 20 INT, 72.4 quarterback rating) and John Beck (2 TD, 4 INT, 72.1 quarterback rating) seemed horribly out of place as an NFL starter. Owner Daniel Snyder has never been shy in doling out big contracts, and Mike Shanahan hasn't had an elite level quarterback since John Elway was under center for the Broncos in the late 1990's. The receiving corps needs an upgrade, but if the fron office is able to retain tight end Fred Davis, it would give Manning his next potential Dallas Clark.
Fit: Poor
For my money, I have a hard time seeing Manning going to an offense whose line was largely mediocre in pass protection (41 sacks allowed), and the lack of a solid running game or true #1 receiver. If Manning were to play in Washington, it would either have to be because he wants to play for Mike Shanahan, or he really likes what Daniel Snyder has to offer (money).