'Had a Bad Day' Team, Week 3

In an ideal world everyone would play to their best and we’d be left with nothing but praise to give to players.

This isn’t an ideal world.

For whatever reason guys don’t always play well in the National Football League. It may be that they lack talent, that they suffer from inexperience, or they may just be having one of those days. Regardless, we’re here to hold them to account whether it be an undrafted free agent starting his first game, or a 10-time All-Pro at the peak of his powers.

Let’s see who made the Had a Bad Day Team for Week 3.

(Note: Team will be updated on Wednesday when All-22 footage helps us study plays in even more detail where needed with a * noting a change)

OFFENSE

Quarterback: E.J. Manuel, BUF (-6.8)

Well that wasn’t pretty. He took eight sacks as the Jets' defense swarmed all over him, but his problems connecting with receivers ensured that his team suffered a second loss of the season.

Dishonorable Mention: Robert Griffin III (WAS)

Running Back: C.J. Spiller, BUF (-3.9)

Unable to get anything going on his 10 carries, he also fumbled twice. We’re not the types to forgive and forget over an injury.

Dishonorable Mention: Fred Jackson (BUF)

Fullback: Will Johnson, PIT (-1.4)

We’ve seen worse displays. Unfortunately for him we saw everyone else play better this week.

Dishonorable Mention: Erik Lorig (TB)

Tight End: Jeff Cumberland, NYJ (-5.3)

Cumberland didn't have much to do catching the ball but was asked to block an awful lot. It did not go well. Severe negatives in the run game and in pass protection pushed him onto this list.

Dishonorable Mention: Martellus Bennett (CHI)

Wide Receivers: Kenny Britt, TEN (-4.3) and Chris Givens, SL (-3.0)

Two penalties and two drops for Britt who didn’t catch any of the five balls thrown his way and was replaced by a raw rookie apparently at the request of his quarterback. Givens didn’t just drop two passes but also fumbled a ball away. Not good.

Dishonorable Mention: Dexter McCluster (KC) and Riley Cooper (PHI)

Tackles: Lamar Holmes, ATL (-7.2) and Lane Johnson, PHI (-5.6)

Holmes made the switch to the left side of the line and it didn’t go much better as he got beat for a hit and six hurries. He’s not ready for the role he’s been thrust into. Johnson was the worst (barely) of a trio of rookie right tackle who all had their struggles this week. Three sacks allowed and three more hurries is not good.

Dishonorable Mention: David Bakhtiari (GB) and Justin Pugh (NYG)

Guards: Colin Brown, BUF (-9.6) and Tim Lelito, NO (-7.5)

Far be it from us to tell a team how to do its job, but can the Bills really not find a better option at guard than Brown. Three appearances in a row from him and it’s not so much “Had a Bad Day” as “Had his Usual Bad Day”. Rookie Lelito filled in for Jahri Evans and despite the Saints trying to protect him by abandoning the run, the game (and Darnell Dockett) moved too quickly for him.

Dishonorable Mention: Vladimir Ducasse (NYJ) and Chris Chester (WAS)

Center: Nick Mangold, NYJ (-4.5)

The once consensus top center in the game, this wasn’t Mangold at his best. Two hurries allowed from the center spot isn’t great but it was his poor run blocking that got him in.

Dishonorable Mention: Ryan Wendell (NE)

DEFENSE 

Each week we put forward a hybrid defense that features two edge rushers (4-3 defensive ends or 3-4 outside linebackers), three players on the “interior” of the defensive line (3-4 defensive ends or defensive tackles and two linebackers (all inside linebackers and 4-3 outside linebackers).

Defensive Interior – Ends: Geno Atkins, CIN (-2.9) and B.J. Raji, GB (-2.8)

Can you be reading this right? Atkins, our top-ranked defensive tackle last year, had struggled to make much of an impact this year and it continued versus the Packers. Next to him Raji didn’t exactly blow anyone a way with one of his weaker efforts in a while.

Dishonorable Mention: Kendall Reyes (SD) and Desmond Bryant (CLE)

Defensive Interior – Nose: Shaun Rogers, NYG (-3.9)

There were a lot of Giants who had bad days and Rogers was certainly one of them on his 36 snaps. He was pushed about in the run game, flagged for a penalty and delivered just the one hurry.

Dishonorable Mention: Pat Sims (OAK)

Edge Rushers: Jared Allen, MIN (-4.8) and Calvin Pace, NYJ (-2.8)

Allen didn’t have much joy against Joe Thomas the first time they met and little has changed since then. Just the one hurry on the day as he was swallowed up. Pace did a little more damage rushing the passer, but his poor work in the run game (including two missed tackles) won us over.

Dishonorable Mention: Erik Walden (IND) and Jonathan Massaquoi (ATL)

Linebackers: Mychal Kendricks, PHI (-5.3) and Nick Roach, OAK (-4.7)

Rough outing for Roach who missed four of his 11 attempted tackles and struggled to make an impact as the Broncos ran the ball. As for Kendricks he “only” missed three but had real problems making plays whenever blockers got their hands on him.

Dishonorable Mention: Craig Robertson (CLE) and Philip Wheeler (MIA)

Cornerbacks: Kyle Wilson, NYJ (-3.7) and D.J. Hayden, OAK (-4.0)

Two talents from the same spectacle of football. Wilson was impressive in getting flagged five times in a single game. Hayden managed to outdo Rogers and a large part of that was some woeful tackling that saw him miss six tackles and make only one.

Dishonorable Mention: Cortland Finnegan (SL) and Justin Rogers (BUF)

Safeties: Thomas Decoud, ATL (-4.2) and Brandian Ross, OAK (-3.9)

A horrid outing from Decoud who earned negatives across the board for his work. Ross had a tough day with his tackling (missing three) and failed to make much of an impact in any phase of the game.

Dishonorable Mention: John Cyprien (JAX) and Brandon Meriweather (WAS)

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