We’ve reached the end of Week 14 in the NFL, and the men have been seperated from the boys. Division winners have been determined, and playoff spots have been clinched. With those few spots that are still up for grabs, the number of contenders has been whittled down and we have a pretty good idea of what games will be big in the next three weeks of action.
With all that has gone on this season, this week on NFL Gamechangers, I thought I’d change things up a little bit. Instead of the Biggest Unsung Plays of the day, I thought I’d give you some big unsung players of the day in the NFL. These are players who had great games for their teams, and seem to be really coming on late in the season. For many of these players, they have been overshadowed by some of the other players on their team who get bigger hype, and more media attention. For most, the breakout has been relatively recent and they have not yet become big names on the national. I thought it time we give some of these under the radar players some attention that they may not get from the national media, but make no mistake, these players have been extremely influential in bringing wins to their teams this week.
Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver: 32 Rushes, 119 Yards, 1 TD
Many observers and analysts thought that Knowshon Moreno would eventually surpass Willis McGahee and become Denver’s workhorse running back at some point this season. The analysts predictions may have been technically correct, but it didn’t seem to go exactly as planned as it was clear that McGahee was the key guy for the Broncos until getting injured a couple of weeks ago. Now with McGahee on the shelf for the remainder of the year, Moreno is getting his opportunity as the go to guy and he took full advantage on Thursday Night against a divisional rival in the Oakland Raiders. In a 26-13 win, Moreno was a major weapon for the Broncos getting an incredible 32 touches in the game. He kept the chains moving when Denver needed it and helped his team run out the clock late and preserve the victory over Oakland. With Peyton Manning having a possible MVP season under centre, we know the Broncos can throw the ball effectively. We also know that Denver plays very strong defense and has an excellent pass rush. If Moreno can give the Broncos a running threat, this well-balanced team will become a huge threat to run the table in the AFC Playoffs and represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Danario Alexander, WR, Chargers: 7 Receptions, 88 yards, 2 TDs
Hurt by the fact he’s only played 6 games this season, Alexander has emerged as a major bright spot in what has been a disappointing season for the San Diego Chargers. In those 6 games he has 26 catches for 467 yards, and 3 touchdowns. To put these numbers in perspective, prorated to 16 games, he would have 69 catches, 1245 yards, and 8 TDs. Yesterday he was a one man wrecking crew against the Steelers torching their secondary for 88 yards and 2 Touchdowns. The Steelers hadn’t allowed an opposing Quarterback to throw for over 200 yards since week 6 and Philip Rivers landed right on that mark thanks to Alexander. His first TD came when Alexander was able to make the catch despite having a Pittsburgh defender all over him. The refs threw the flag and called the pass interference penalty, but it was obviously declined in favor of the touchdown. His second touchdown came when he was able to outjump the Pittsburgh defenders and snare a ball that was up for grabs in the endzone. Alexander is emerging as a prime target for Philip Rivers, and its looking like he will give the Chargers a legit number 1 receiver going into next season.
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts – Vick Ballard, RB, Indy: 19 rushes, 94 yards, 4.9 YPC, 1 Reception, 10 yards
Indianapolis’ 5th round draft pick out of Mississippi State in the 2012 NFL Draft, Ballard has spent most of the season as a backup to incumbent starter Donald Brown. This week Brown was out with an ankle injury, giving Ballard an opportunity to show his stuff. He had an excellent game agains the Tennessee Titans, helping the Colts in making their big second half comeback. Ballard has been an important player for the Colts all season, as the Brown/Ballard situation is more of a platoon than a true starter/backup relationship. Ballard has 468 rushing yards this season and 1 touchdown. A receiving threat as well, Ballard has 133 yards through the air this season, and a key Touchdown that beat these same Titans in overtime in October. Andrew Luck is well deserving of the praise and attention he’s gotten for the Colts this season, but the one-two punch of Brown and Ballard has certainly brought some balance to the Colts offence and this added threat is invaluable in developing a young quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens @ Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: 2/2 26 yards and a TD, 1 rush for a 2 point conversion
With the Redskins down by 8 points, their world seemed to be crashing down around them as their superstar rookie Robert Griffin III was injured and had to leave the game against Baltimore. However backup QB Kirk Cousins, seeing the first meaningful action of his NFL career was able to come in and close the deal for Washington, tying the game and allowing the Redskins to pull it an OT win after a nice punt return led to a Kai Forbath field goal. Many questionned the use of a 4th round pick on Cousins on draft day after the Redskins traded so many picks to get RGIII in the first round, but his presence today was key to coming up with a victory for Washington.
New Orleans Saints @ New York Giants: David Wilson, RB, G-Men: 97 Yard Kick Return TD, 13 Rushes, 100 Yards, 2 TDs
David Wilson was the Giants 1st round draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. After a costly fumble in the Giants’ season opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Wilson seemed to be in Tom Coughlin’s doghouse and has stayed there most of the season. With Ahmad Bradshaw as the incumbent starter, and Andre Brown’s emergence earlier this season, Wilson found himself buried on the depth chart. Now with Brown unfortunately out for the season, Wilson has gotten his opportunity and it was a real coming out party today vs the Saints. He scored a TD on a long kickoff return and was dangerous on kicks all day. He also had 100 yards running the ball out of the backfield and two more TDs. We know he’s talented, but Wilson’s emergence this week bodes well for the defending champs headed into the stretch drive and the playoffs.
Thanks for reading and don’t forget to tune in to our show, NFL Sunday Blitz Package every Sunday night at 7:30 pm, on the blogtalkradio.com/lastwordradio. Also tune in to Beyond the Field on Mondays from 8-10pm as I’ll be joining their hosts Priest and St. Peter in running down NFL Game Changers.
Check out our new Football Forum right here at LastWordOnSports!
