5 Most Disappointing NFL Players Through Seven Weeks

Earlier today, we focused on the five-most surprising NFL players through seven weeks. On the other end of the spectrum, this article is going to take a look at five players who have disappointed their teams the most heading into Week 8 of the season.

You will see a combination of future Hall of Famers and youngsters who have failed to perform at a high level. While some of these players have a tremendous body of work (Drew Brees), the focus here is solely on the 2014 season.

1. Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints

At 2-4, an argument could be made that the Saints are the most disappointing NFL team heading into Week 8. And while some will want to place a majority of the blame away from Brees, he’s one of the reasons this team has struggled. By his standards, the future Hall of Famer isn’t living up to expectations.

While still completing nearly 68 percent of his passes, Brees has thrown 11 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions and ranks in the bottom half among NFL starters in quarterback rating. Brees’ yardage numbers (1,916) are high, but that’s because he’s attempting a ridiculous 44 passes per game. One of the reasons Brees has struggled compared to previous seasons is that he boasts a 51.4 rating when under pressure this season. Compare that to a 70.8 rating last season, and it’s readily apparent that pressure is getting to him more than in the past (via Pro Football Focus).

You also have to take into account the fact that Brees is struggling throwing down field this year. He’s completing just 33 percent of his passes that have traveled 20-plus yards down field. This could be a case of receivers not gaining separation, but it’s an issue that has plagued the Saints offense all year. Considering what Brees is asked to do on offense, it’s hard to criticize him too much. But the reality is that he’s simply not performing up to the elite level that we have seen in the past through seven games.

2. Matt Kalil, Offensive Tackle, Minnesota Vikings

Has Kalil seen himself turn into a bust after starting his NFL career strong? If you look at the tape and his statistics, Kalil has been downright atrocious at left tackle this season. He has allowed a league-high eight sacks through seven games, which is something the Vikings cannot be happy with considering Teddy Bridgewater needs protection from his left tackle in order to progress as a quarterback.

With Kalil, the issue has been a lack of technique. He’s getting too high on blocks, isn’t side stepping to fend off the exterior pass rush and continues to get pushed into the offensive backfield on a consistent basis. Now as one of the worst pass-protecting tackles in the NFL, Kalil needs to up his game or face the real possibility of having to move to right tackle at some point in the not-so-distant future. This is a dramatic decline for someone who earned a Pro Bowl trip as a rookie in 2012.

3. Doug Martin, Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Speaking of steep declines, what in the world has happened to Martin? This is a guy that put up nearly 2,000 total yards as a rookie in 2012. Since that breakout campaign, the former first-round pick has tallied 716 total yards in 10 games. He’s also averaging just 2.9 yards per rush this season.

The first thing most stat heads will look at with numbers this horrible is the offensive line. But it’s important to note that fellow Buccaneers’ running back Bobby Rainey is averaging 4.9 yards per rush this season. In reality, it’s Martin’s inability to break tackles that is the issue here. He’s put up just 96 yards after contact this season. For comparison’s sake, DeMarco Murray has 535 yards after initial contact on the season. If Martin continues to play at this level, we can fully expect Lovie Smith and Co. to continue giving Rainey more touches moving forward. That would have been unthinkable just two years ago.

4. Joe Haden, Cornerback, Cleveland Browns

After earning the first Pro Bowl appearance of his career last season, many expected Haden to continue excelling in the Browns defensive backfield this year. That was only magnified with the additions of Donte Whitner and Justin Gilbert to what was an average secondary last year.

Unfortunately for Haden and the Browns, the former first-round pick has taken a major step back this year. He’s allowed a near 70 percent completion rate with two touchdowns and zero interceptions through six games this season. On tape, it’s clear that Haden has been more vulnerable to giving up the big play compared to previous seasons. He’s yielding 10.2 yards per target on the season compared 5.6 yards in 2013.

Now considered the veteran leader of the Browns secondary, Haden was expected to take on that new role both on and off the field. The reality is that he’s failed to live up to expectations for a defense that just hasn’t been as good as many expected it would be heading into the year. And while it’s important to take into account a nagging hip injury that Haden is playing through, there have been some issues with technique on the outside. He’s getting turned around way too much on a consistent basis. And that’s one of the reasons for his lack of success in coverage.

5. Jared Allen, Defensive End, Chicago Bears

Allen ranks fifth on the Bears with 1.5 sacks. He’s pressuring the quarterback at the lowest rate of what should be a Hall of Fame career. More than that, Allen simply hasn’t been the overall difference maker that the Bears had hoped he would be after signing the defensive end away from the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. Some have concluded that Allen is playing out the string to pad his checkbook. And while I won’t go that far, it’s rather obvious that his performance just isn’t up to snuff. Either way you put it, we could be looking at a sad end to a stellar NFL career.

Photo: Fox Sports