The 2016 NFL regular season is at the midway point for many teams, which has led some outlets to hand out mid-season awards. At the same time, with Week 9 upon is, this is a perfect opportunity to analyze the entire league. We’ve decided to take things in a different direction.
Here’s a look at five under-achievers and, in some cases, straight-up busts at the Week 9 mark.
5. Eli Manning (quarterback, New York Giants)
With Odell Beckham Jr., rookie Sterling Shepard and a healthy Victor Cruz at his disposal, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was expected to have the best statistical season of his career. Some NFL experts even felt he might challenge for the league’s MVP award.
Seven games into his season and even Manning would say he’s not coming close to the preseason projections.
Manning has been wildly inconsistent in 2016, even stringing together the worst three-game stretch of his professional career between Weeks 3-5. And while some of the blame can be fairly levied against the offensive line, the lack of a ground game and suspect play-calling, Manning would be the first to admit his play has not been up to par.
If the preseason bar hadn’t been set so high, perhaps Manning’s performance at the midway point wouldn’t appear quite as substandard. But it was and it does. In fact, the only reason Manning’s inadequate play isn’t a more significant topic of conversation in the media world is because the Giants have been marred by Josh Brown’s domestic violence saga, Beckham Jr.’s on-field outbursts and players assaulting reporters in the locker-room.
Through seven games, Manning has completed 64.9% of his passes for 1,948 yards, but it’s his eight touchdowns that truly stand out. Eight touchdown passes with Beckham Jr., Shepard, Cruz, Dwayne Harris, Rashad Jennings and Larry Donnell in his arsenal.
It’s not quite a bust for Manning at this point in the season, but there’s no denying he’s significantly under-performing.
4. Darrelle Revis (cornerback, New York Jets)
Once considered the best cornerback in the league, Darrelle Revis is now in the midst of his worst season as a pro and, by all accounts, it would appear the end is nearing.
Revis’ declined is unfolding rapidly — as these things often do — and it’s been very unpleasant to witness for Jets fans. But beyond the sentimental impact Revis’ decline has had, it’s also dealt a significant blow to New York on defense.
Perhaps the best example comes from Revis’ most recent game when the lowly Cleveland Browns, led by quarterback-turned-wide receiver, Terrelle Pryor, torched the seven-time Pro Bowler for six receptions and 101 yards. And it could have been substantially worse as Josh McCown over-shot Pryor on what would have been a large gain.
The game isn’t a cherry-picked example, either. Revis has been consistently beat week in and week out all season, beginning with a Week 1 shellacking at the hands of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.
It’s been a remarkable fall from grace for Revis, but the Jets say they haven’t lost faith in the veteran just yet, even if Revis himself is finally coming to terms with his decline.
“My body’s breaking down,” Revis told Newsday in late October. “I’m 31. How many corners are 31 right now in the league? The league’s getting younger. I know [Vikings cornerback Terence] Newman’s still playing [at 38], which is impressive. But I don’t know how he’s doing it.”
In seven games this season, Revis has allowed 33 catches on 48 targets for 424 yards and has no takeaways. And when quarterbacks throw to his side of the field (not necessarily targeting him), they are completing 80.8% of their passes.
3. Michael Floyd (wide receiver, Arizona Cardinals)
This spot could have been reserved for Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but we’ve got one of his teammates coming up that may be contributing to his slump. It could have also been reserved for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, but listing that many gun-slingers would have been unjustified.
One of Palmer’s targets certainly seems fitting however, so wide receiver Michael Floyd gets the unfortunate honor.
Entering Week 7, the Cardinals receiving corps ranked third in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. The sole exception to that ranking? Michael Floyd.
They’d likely own the No. 1 spot if Michael Floyd could figure out how to recapture his old form. In a contract year, no less, Floyd has seen his snap counts cut in half over the past three weeks because he simply can’t make any plays. His 40-percent catch rate is the second worst of any starting wideout.
Floyd improved a bit in 6-6 tie against the Seattle Seahawks, hauling in five of his seven targets for 65 yards, but then found himself blanked in a Week 8 game against the Carolina Panthers due in part to a lingering hamstring injury.
All told, the former 1,000-yard receiver has hauled in just 19 receptions for 257 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Those numbers put Floyd on pace for the worst statistical season of his entire professional career.
If Floyd isn’t able to turn things around following the team’s Week 9 bye, he could very well be entering his final days as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick (quarterback, New York Jets)
It took more than a half a year for the New York Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to reach an agreement on a new contract.
From the onset, the Jets seemed wildly reluctant to give Fitzpatrick what he wanted, but as they maneuvered through training camp, it became apparent they had precious few options that wouldn’t result in essentially throwing the season away.
Eventually, the Jets caved and signed Fitzpatrick to a one-year, $12 million contract.
Although the decision was a sigh of relief for the Jets, Fitzpatrick and the team’s fans at the time, it now appears as if Gang Green threw their season away in hindsight anyway.
Fitzpatrick tossed 10 interceptions over the first four weeks of the season and eventually found himself benched in favor of Geno Smith. But due to a season-ending knee injury, Fitzpatrick was thrust back into action and a very sour situation.
“The biggest thing in this game — to last — is to have belief in yourself,” Fitzpatrick said via NFL.com in late October. “Because when the owner stops believing in you and the GM stops believing in you and the coaches stop believing in you, sometimes all you have is yourself. That’s kind of something I’ve dealt with before and something I’m dealing with now.”
Even after regaining his starting role, Fitzpatrick has failed to produce. He hasn’t played as poorly as he did over the first several weeks of the season, but at the midway point he’s completed only 56.1% of his passes for 1,789 yards, seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Jets are 3-5.
1. Brock Osweiler (quarterback, Houston Texans)
Brock Osweiler seems like the most obvious name to top this list, but after ditching the Denver Broncos to sign a massive four-year, $72 million contract with the Houston Texans in the offseason, was there really any other way to go?
Osweiler has not only failed to live up to expectations and his massive contract, he’s been downright bad. In fact, many are already labeling him the worst free agent addition in the NFL, while the team’s owner equates him to a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz not included).
“He’s still basically a rookie,” Bob McNair recently said, via the Houston Chronicle. “He’s going to make some mistakes, but he shows that he has the talent, he has the ability and has the leadership that the team has confidence in him.”
Of course, the major difference between Osweiler and a rookie — even a first-round rookie — is about $45 million.
Through eight games, Osweiler has completed only 59.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has also turned the ball over at least once in every single game this season.
Still, thanks to their defense, the Texans are 5-3.
