PFF ‘Had a Bad Day’ Team of Week 13

For all the good that we see in the NFL, there’s an awful lot of bad as well.

An overthrow by a quarterback. A blown assignment by a cornerback. A lineman getting beat quicker than a hiccup for a pressure.

We notice it even when the stat sheet doesn’t. Here’s our ‘Had a Bad Day’ Team of Week 13.

Offense

Quarterback: Ryan Lindley, ARZ (-6.4)

There was some stiff competition for this spot this week with Philip Rivers and Christian Ponder both making a strong claim, and only some late-game heroics from Andrew Luck kept him away from the conversation. As it is, the 72 yards on 31 attempts of Ryan Lindley get the nod. He’s out of his depth.

Running Back: Daniel Thomas, MIA (-4.0)

It wasn’t just the fumble. And it wasn’t just the 10 yards on five attempts. It was his horrible blocking (a sack, hit and hurry given up) that was the cherry on top of this horrid display of running back play.

Full Back: Erik Lorig, TB (-2.7)

He compounded his poor lead blocking by dropping a pass. Not a great day.

Tight End: Rob Housler, ARZ (-3.7)

It wasn’t the work of Housler as a receiver that let him down. No, it was his poor run blocking that ensured he joined his rookie quarterback in this team.

Wide Receivers: Justin Blackmon, JAX (-3.1) and Emmanuel Sanders, PIT (-3.0)

Bad Blackmon returned this week, catching one of the six balls thrown to him with a drop and 9 yards to show for his day. Sanders can think himself lucky the Steelers rallied after his big third-quarter fumble and drop on consecutive drives. That could have ended their season.

Tackles: King Dunlap, PHI (-4.0) and Doug Free, DAL (-6.8)

Not a great day for Dunlap who gave up a sack and two hurries while struggling to run block. That wasn't nearly as bad as the day Free had, giving up two sacks, a hit and two hurries while being flagged for two penalties. Sunday Night Football wasn't an excellent exhibition of tackle play.

Guards: Jeff Linkenbach, IND (-4.8) and Mike McGlynn, IND (-5.7)

It didn’t go well for the Colts up the middle, with the loss of their starting left guard and his replacement doing so badly. That said, McGlynn was the bigger disappointment, taking an absolute kicking from Ndamukong Suh.

Center: Eric Wood, BUF (-4.7)

And that is why you shouldn’t play hurt. You don’t just make things worse for yourself, you don’t end up helping your team all that much either.

Defense

Defensive Front 4-3

Defensive Ends: Michael Bennett, TB (-4.6) and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, TB (-3.7)

Not a great week for our Bucs duo who managed just one hurry between them as the Broncos' offensive tackles swallowed them up.

Defensive Tackle: Kendall Langford, SL (-5.1) and Randy Starks, MIA (-4.1)

It hasn’t quite worked out for Langford so far as a Ram, with the 49ers' interior line getting the better of him. Starks poor day versus the Patriots continues his disappointing second half of the year after such a fine start to the season.

Linebackers: Sean Weatherspoon, ATL (-5.4), DeAndre Levy, DET (-4.3) and Mason Foster, TB (-2.9)

Being a linebacker against the Saints isn’t the easiest thing, but it was the work of Weatherspoon in the run game where he struggled getting off blocks that was the problem. Levy had some problems in coverage, allowing five of six balls into his coverage for 83 yards. Foster continues to get upstaged by others, failing to make much of an impression for the Bucs.

Defensive Front 3-4

Defensive Line: Cory Redding, IND (-3.9), Ziggy Hood, PIT (-3.0) and Casey Hampton, PIT (-1.6)

Our two ends combined for a sack and a hurry, but it was their woes in the run game that saw them make this team. Hampton may be a two-gap tackle but was a non factor when he was left one-on-one.

Outside Linebackers: Shaun Phillips, SD (-4.2) and Whitney Mercilus, HST (-3.7)

Phillips was nigh on invisible against the Bengals, save for a couple of unblocked pressures, while Mercilus similarly got both of his sacks without beating a man. Unimpressive.

Inside Linebackers: Paris Lenon, ARZ (-4.9) and London Fletcher, WAS (-4.7)

One of the few weaknesses on that Cardinals defense is the continual presence of Lenon, who missed two tackles and again had problems in the run game. Fletcher also missed two tackles, and whether it be age or injury is becoming something of a liability in coverage.

Cornerbacks: Janoris Jenkins, SL (-3.7) and Leonard Johnson, (-3.2)

An all-rookie duo with Jenkins having some problems against the 49ers, allowing 9 of 11 balls into his coverage for 74 yards. Johnson was flagged for two penalties and gave up a touchdown. Not great for either man.

Safeties: Ronde Barber, TB (-3.7) and Chris Prosinski, JAX (-3.4)

Neither of our starting safeties covered themselves in glory in the run game, taking bad angles and failing to get involved where it counted.

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