NFL’s Top 10 Disappointing players and teams

We are nearly two weeks away from the NFL’s halfway mark. There have already been several teams and players that have certainly turned  in disappointing returns based on what we knew of them or what was expected of them.

Certain situations such as the Dallas Cowboys were not included because they are expected to let their fans down. Therefore, being a disappointment is not disappointing.

Let’s roll through our Top 10.#10 Fred Davis

Running quarterbacks often depend on available tight ends as useful safety valves.

As such, with the import of RG3 and a fairly strong 2011 campaign under his belt, Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was due to have a breakout year.

The Skins front office even kicked fan favorite Chris Cooley to the curb to allow Davis to anchor that role.

For what? Davis has only 23 catches for 319 yards and zero touchdowns in five games.

If Davis was known as a blocking tight end that would be a solid run of production.

For a tight/slot receiver hybrid?  Davis has not been the business.

He has only been targeted 30 times, but is that because he can’t get open or is it because RG3 is looking elsewhere?

The tape shows Davis is having a hard time getting free and clear.

#9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay was due to shock the world after nice set of upgrades both in the draft and in free agency.

With both the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints rolling over and playing dead, this was due to be their year to challenge Atlanta for the NFC South Crown.

So far they have done very little with that opportunity.

Josh Freeman your time is now to uplift your team and get them back into the playoff picture.

#8 Cam Newton

Regular visitors know that we have talked about Newton a great deal.

His sophomore year in the NFL is turning out to be as poor as his rookie year was spectacular.

The first sign of things to come could have been when his ego got him mollywhopped at last season’s Pro Bowl.

We have said it all before and hopefully after a bye week to clear his head we won’t have to continue to say it.

What’s it going to be boom or bust?

#7 Chris Johnson

We feel downright stupid for predicting that Chris Johnson would be the phoenix to rise from the ashes and take back the NFL rushing title.

It’s not impressive that he dug out a fading Steelers defense during Week 6.

It will be impressive when he can stop whining and start running north and south with a head full of steam like he used to.

It will be impressive when he earns the trust of his offensive coordinator and as a result gets more touches to slap those all-purposes yards back on the table like he used to.

Chris Johnson is not some old man like Larry Johnson was when he fell from grace.

Don’t let the money make you lazy Chris. Get back to work man, there’s certainly more where that came from.

#6 Detroit Lions

The Lions have been disappointing since the off-season. Their trials and tribulations have been well documented in that regard.

Even in victory, they been a hot mess. They have been both outcoached and outplayed.

Despite the talent on that roster, there obviously is not a leader in that locker-room.

Their youth movement has brought Detroit the promise of prosperity with the ugliest pieces of immaturity.

Three more losses could kill their season and if so, hopefully lessons will be learned and a few of these young men will emerge as veteran leaders.

#5 Green Bay Packers

For the record, our belief is that the Packers will get back on track and it’s not because they played well and defeated the Houston Texans.

What is happening there is that they are learning how to win without Greg Jennings and Cedric Benson.

Their lapse will run its course but we would be remiss to not include them on our list of disappointments because frankly it is disappointing to see them looking up at both the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North

#4 New England Patriots

The Patriots are facing a decent possibility of dipping under .500 for the second time this year.  Something is not right with them and whatever it is they need to fix it.

To witness Tom Brady being sonned in a ‘you mad bro?’ moment is something that we thought we would never see yet it happened.

Seattle’s defense is strong but the Patriots are allegedly stronger.

A Week 7 loss to the Jets will send this team into a tizzy.

The Patriots must seize control now or all of these bruised egos will deflate before our very eyes.

# 3 Pittsburgh Steelers Defense

Offensively, the Steelers can still generate big plays and hang points on anybody.

What is hard to stomach is witnessing a once proud group of dominant defenders crumble into a decaying ball of mediocrity.

The Steelers are the Steelers and they are expected to be nothing short of the bullies in the yard.

To think that they were they were one of the defenses that allowed Chris Johnson to break out his slump is all of the  evidence you need.

It will hard to bid farewell to faces that have done so much to generate championship results, but the time to go young is now.

#2 Kansas City Chiefs

Once former coach Todd Haley was kicked to the curb and the players fought for their current leader Romeo Crenel, the Chiefs came into this run with optimism on their side.

A seemingly loaded offense was in place to work with a defense that has a few pieces at each level to get it done. It is a formula that should spell s-u-c-c-e-s-s in a weak AFC West.

But aside from what should have been a turn-around victory over the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City has been handing out lessons in how to make misery entertaining.

Here is a news flash for the fans that pushed for back-up quarterback Brady Quinn to come off the pine.  He’s not good enough to be “the” guy that can take you to the Promised Land.

The desire to cheer for the other guy is a natural reaction. Be strong and fight it.

Rest assured if things stay the same, the fans at Arrowhead will benefit from the next hotshot quarterback that steps into the NFL and lights things up from the word go.

#1 Peyton Manning

Let’s talk as family for a moment here.  Had it not been for an EPIC Phillip Rivers second-half collapse on Monday Night Football, the Denver Broncos would be staring down the barrel of a 2-4 record.

Yes, Peyton stepped up and did his thing at the tail-end said game but he should not have been in that position to stage one to begin with.

The feeling is that the Broncos are entering the soft part of their schedule and all will be well in the land now.

If that is how the Broncos plan on getting it done, they should have stuck with Tebow.

Peyton was brought in to orchestrate a dominant offense and that has yet to happen.

Manning will provide us with fleeting moments of inspiration here and there but for the most part the Broncos’ 3-3 record is proof that as a four-quarter gunslinger, Manning may not have much gas in the tank.