Times are good in Tennessee. With the league’s only perfect record midway through the season, it would seem logical that the Titans would fill the most slots in our annual Midseason All-Pro team. Three players — DT Albert Haynesworth, CB Cortland Finnegan and OT Michael Roos — headline the list, along with their esteemed head coach, Jeff Fisher. The Saints and Redskins are also well-represented, with each team placing three players on the honors squad.
Offense
QB Drew Brees/Saints — Brees was in a funk at the beginning of last season, getting off to an inexplicably poor start. There’s nothing slow about his opening this year. Brees has mastered the Sean Payton-designed Saints offense and has it humming to the tune of 403.1 yards per game. One season after Brett Favre broke Dan Marino’s passing-touchdown record, Marino could see another of his marks fall. Brees is on pace for 5,126 passing yards, which would top Marino’s 5,084, set in 1984.
RB Clinton Portis/Redskins — There have been signs supporting “CP for president” in the FedEx Field stands this season. While Portis did not win the presidency this fall, he’s well on his way to being elected NFL MVP. With a league-leading 944 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, Portis has proven to be a dependable workhorse in Jim Zorn’s offense, which has helped take pressure off still-developing QB Jason Campbell.
RB Michael Turner/Falcons — The Falcons gambled a bit when they signed Turner as an unrestricted free agent. He never had to carry the load while serving as LaDainian Tomlinson’s backup for four years in San Diego. Turner has paid off and then some, rushing for 794 yards and six TDs in the first half of the year for the surprising Falcons.
WR Andre Johnson/Texans — This big, physical receiver is having a career year. After a forgettable two-game stretch in Weeks Two and Three, Johnson became unstoppable, catching 41 passes for 593 yards in a four-game stretch. His drive-sustaining, fourth-down catch in Week Six’s win over Miami has been described by some as a “season saver” for Houston and displayed Johnson’s strength and toughness.
WR Greg Jennings/Packers — As underrated a player as there is out there, Jennings quietly puts up phenomenal numbers in the NFL’s smallest market. He’s not the biggest or the fastest receiver, but Jennings is a smooth route runner who is adept at picking up yardage after the catch. Just look at his 19.1-yard average.
TE Jason Witten/Cowboys — Prior to suffering a broken rib in Week Eight, Witten was superproductive, leading the NFC in receptions. He clearly has become Tony Romo’s go-to receiver, so much so that opponents fear this first-down machine as much as — if not more than — Terrell Owens.
C Jeff Faine/Buccaneers — Tampa Bay lured Faine away from division-rival New Orleans by offering a $12 million signing bonus as part of a deal making him the highest-paid center in the game. He is earning his money this season, leading a young offensive line that is playing very well. The Bucs have surrendered just 10 sacks this season.
OG Chris Snee/Giants — The Giants believe that Snee has been Pro Bowl-worthy the past few seasons, yet Snee has yet to earn an all-star game invite. That could change this season, though, as the most consistent performer on one of the league’s top offensive lines becomes better-known. The Giants remain in great shape up front, as every starting member of the line is signed through at least 2012, after Snee agreed to a six-year extension worth $43.5 million in June.
OG Jahri Evans/Saints — A fourth-round pick out of Division II Bloomsburg University in 2006, Evans has started every game since being drafted. He’s a vital cog on an offensive line that has surrendered only seven sacks, yet he remains rather anonymous at the league-wide level.
OT Chris Samuels/Redskins — Through the first eight weeks of the season, Samuels had allowed just one sack. That should come as no surprise, though, as Samuels is steady, year in and year out. “He should be All-Pro every year,” Redskins OL coach Joe Bugel told PFW. “He is that kind of athlete. He is excellent at pass protection. He is an excellent run blocker, and he is really a team guy.”
OT Michael Roos/Titans — Roos lived in poverty in the former Soviet Republic of Estonia for the first 10 years of his life. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1992 and did not begin playing football until his senior year in high school. Roos, who has started every game of his pro career, is now the richest Estonian-born athlete, according to Baltic Business News, after signing a six-year contract extension worth $43 million in the offseason. He did not give up a sack in the Titans’ first seven games.
Defense
DE Mario Williams/Texans — One of the more notable Pro Bowl snubs a year ago, Williams is making a strong case to get to Hawaii this season. As Houston’s only reliable pass-rush threat, he has racked up eight of Houston’s 14 sacks.
DE Justin Tuck/Giants — It would not have been unreasonable to think that Tuck would suffer a mild drop-off in play after his defense lost the likes of Michael Strahan (retirement) and Osi Umenyiora (injury). But it hasn’t happened. Tuck (8
˝ sacks) continues to play at a very high level, despite being the focus of opponents, on a defense that gets after the quarterback like no other.
DT Albert Haynesworth/Titans — Talk about timing. During a contract year in 2007, Haynesworth became a force. He was franchised in the offseason after he and the team failed to come to terms on a long-term pact. Now, again playing for a new deal, Haynesworth has been nearly unstoppable. Not only a great run stopper, he’s also one of the top interior pass rushers around.
DT Kris Jenkins/Jets — This big, dominant nose tackle fits the 3-4 scheme he finds himself playing in after being traded from Carolina to New York, where his career has been revitalized. Work ethic and weight were concerns a year ago, but he has been motivated and has kept his weight in check, in part because of a weight clause written into his contract.
OLB Joey Porter/Dolphins — Porter was viewed as washed up by some after a disappointing first season in Miami, when he was often lined up with his hand on the ground. This season, playing weak-side linebacker, Porter has been downright dominant. In fact, he has been getting some Defensive MVP attention. “He’s got my vote,” Dolphins OLB Matt Roth said. “He deserves it. He hasn’t been saying things. He’s just been going to work. I can’t give you a player that’s playing any better than him this late in the season.”
OLB DeMarcus Ware/Cowboys — The most destructive pass rusher in the league, Ware will command Defensive MVP votes. He recently had a streak of 10 games with at least one sack (which stretched back to last season) come to an end, and he has recorded 10 so far this season. He’s unbelievable in pursuit, making plays from the backside appear effortless. Teams run away from him, but he still is able to track down the ballcarrier.
ILB Ray Lewis/Ravens — The heart and soul of the Ravens’ smothering defense, Lewis is playing the best he has in years. A veteran of 13 seasons, Lewis’ instincts have not dulled the least with age.
CB Charles Woodson/Packers — Despite playing with a painful broken toe all season, Woodson has been able to compete at an elite level, picking off four passes while serving as the leader of the secondary. He is a mentor to the vastly improved Nick Collins, the Packers’ starting safety who also has picked off four passes.
CB Cortland Finnegan/Titans — This feisty former seventh-round pick was rewarded with a four-year contract extension worth $16.8 million in August. He hasn’t let anyone in Nashville down. With four interceptions, Finnegan is among the NFL leaders in that category and quickly is becoming a defender whom opposing quarterbacks try to avoid.
S LaRon Landry/Redskins — When the corners are in man coverage, Landry is able to stay up top and man center field. Because of his legitimate 4.3 speed, he can close to the ball in no time flat. “He is our quarterback back there,” Redskins safeties coach Steve Jackson told PFW. “He patrols the skies in the middle of the field and makes sure we do not get deep passes thrown on us. Having him back there lets other guys take chances, knowing that he has their back.”
S Troy Polamalu/Steelers — After a subpar (by his standards) season in 2007, Polamalu has rebounded nicely. Strong against both the run and pass, Polamalu has a great burst of closing speed to reach the ballcarrier.
Specialists
PK Matt Prater/Broncos — Not many observers believed that a guy essentially coming from nowhere to replace franchise legend Jason Elam could succeed, but Prater is doing just fine. He has missed only two FG attempts this season, and is 5-of-5 from 50 yards and beyond.
P Mike Scifres/Chargers — The big-legged Scifres led the NFL in gross average (48.8 yards) and the AFC in net average (42.7) entering the Chargers’ Week Nine bye.
PR Reggie Bush/Saints — One of the most dynamic runners in the NFL, Bush is getting more opportunities in the return game in 2008 than last year. Heading into the Saints’ Week Nine bye, Bush was leading the league with an incredible 21.9-yard average. He has also brought back three punts for touchdowns.
KR Darren Sproles/Chargers — Sproles has racked up 817 yards on 30 returns for an impressive 27.2-yard average. He also has one TD to his credit, a 103-yarder, the NFL’s longest return of the season.
Head coach
Jeff Fisher/Titans — The league’s longest-tenured head coach, Fisher is turning in a masterful performance from the sideline. A year after making the playoffs, the Titans were not very well-respected heading into the season, but Fisher has this club poised for a deep postseason run based on its ability to stop opponents with a stout defense and run over them with a powerful rushing attack. He handled a delicate QB situation perfectly, going with the veteran Kerry Collins when things headed south for Vince Young.
11-03-2008, 11:46 PM
