Vincent Frank
We looked at the five-most surprising players from the NFL’s Divisional Playoffs on Monday. Of those players, four were from winning teams and played a vital role in helping their squads advance.
Turning the page a bit here, it’s time to check in on five of the most disappointing players from this past weekend. You will see a Hall of Fame quarterback on this list as well as a couple other players that could be destined for Canton. You will also see players from teams that came out victorious. The reasoning behind this is the necessity of these under-performing players to step up in the conference championship games in order to help their team advance.
1. Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Denver Broncos
Manning may very well have been playing injured Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, but he did absolutely nothing to help lead the Broncos to victory. In fact, he was more of a hindrance than anything else on the field. Unable to throw an accurate intermediate route or zip the ball down the field, Manning led a Broncos pass offense that was stuck in neutral throughout the game.
He completed just 26-of-46 passes for 211 yards with one touchdown. Looking into it further, Manning was 6-of-21 passing on attempts that traveled five-plus yards and 2-of-12 on passes that went 15-plus yards. Without an ability to push the ball down the field, Indianapolis’ defense was able to squeeze the field against Manning. And in reality, that played a major role in the disappointing loss.
With John Fox now out of a job in Denver and uncertainty surrounding some top free agents, Manning has refused to commit to playing next season. While it’s likely he will return, we have to wonder if Manning’s best days are behind him. The worry here is that he will come back as a shell of his former self. That’s something no one wants to see.
2. Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo only attempted 19 passes in the Cowboys divisional playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. Instead, the team was hellbent on relying on DeMarco Murray and the run game. However, Bryant was targeted just four times, coming away with three catches for less than 40 yards. And while that controversial non-catch could have both saved Bryant from making this list and the Cowboys season, it didn’t.
For a player that racked up 70-plus yards 11 times during the regular season, Bryant really didn’t do anything to separate himself from the common receiver on Sunday. Star receivers step up when their teams need it the most. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Bryant didn’t do that.
3. Jordy Nelson, Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers
Nelson put up five-plus receptions 11 times during the regular year. He also accumulated 50-plus yards all but one time in those 16 games. So it stood to reason that Nelson would play an important part in Green Bay’s offensive attack against Dallas in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Instead, Nelson was unable to find open areas in the Cowboys defensive secondary for Rodgers to hit. This led the MVP-caliber quarterback to look in other directions throughout the afternoon.
Overall, Nelson came down with two receptions for 22 yards on five targets. For comparison’s sake, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams combined for 15 receptions and 233 yards in the win. That might work against Dallas, but there’s no way it’s going to be successful against the Legion of Boom, especially if Nelson is tasked with going up against Richard Sherman.
4. Tharold Simon, Cornerback, Seattle Seahawks
Replacing an injured Byron Maxwell in Seattle’s cornerback rotation Saturday night against the Carolina Panthers, this second-year player was downright dreadful. He was beat more than once by Kelvin Benjamin and company. The LSU product allowed 10 receptions on 10 targets for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the win (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required).
All things equal, that’s a disastrous performance.
Despite the win, Seattle must have some concern over Simon’s performance, especially with the team having to line up against the likes of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams next week. This is only magnified by Adams’ performance last week and his emerging relationship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The good news here is that Seattle is hopeful Maxwell will be back in time for the NFC Championship game. That could help its secondary opposite All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman.
5. DeMarcus Ware, Defensive End, Denver Broncos
This future Hall of Famer racked up 45 tackles, 10 sacks and two forced fumbles during the regular season. His presence alongside Von Miller in Denver’s front seven helped Jack Del Rio’s defense improve a great deal from the 2013 campaign. Sadly, this success didn’t transfer to the postseason for Ware and company.
Ware put up just three tackles, two hurries and zero sacks in what amounted to a disappearing act against the Indianapolis Colts. More than that, he struggled big time against the run and missed a couple tackles throughout the afternoon. That’s simply not acceptable for someone of his caliber.
Photo: USA Today
