Chris Simms' All-22 Team for NFL Week 5

Chris SimmsOct 12, 2016

Did the coaches really forget about Dwight Freeney?

I didn't want to be that guy—the guy who raises his hand in class to remind the teacher about a homework assignment. But it was standard operating procedure to game-plan heavily for No. 93. When I played for the Tennessee Titans in 2008, our coaches didn't even mention him in meetings.

I soon found out why. All-Pros like center Kevin Mawae and tackle Michael Roos didn't need their assignments spelled out. They knew that this was Colts week and that they had to take care of business. Case closed.

That mindset helped lead the Titans to 13 wins. It's the same one seven teams displayed in Week 5 of the 2016 season when they leapt into the trenches and imposed their will.

The other seven? They were steamrolled.

A good offensive line is a great asset, no matter whether its 2008 or 2016. So I placed a record number of big uglies on my latest All-22 team. Their pancake blocks and double-teams were unmistakable during film study. It's time they finally get their due.

QB: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

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The Patriots offense has now achieved juggernaut status.

There's no other way to describe the element Tom Brady brings to this team. Exclude three drops, a batted pass and one throwaway, and the future Hall of Famer completed over 80 percent of his throws in his first game in five weeks. It's unreal.

You know what else is unreal? The fact that Brady is still developing his game at age 39. New England's passing offense was more vertical in Week 5 than it was for the past five seasons. That's something Brady must've fine-tuned during his weeks away from New England.

RB: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

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Arizona doesn't win its second game without No. 31.

It's as simple as that. Backup quarterback Drew Stanton's right arm wasn't carrying the Cardinals to points. When head coach Bruce Arians needed yards, he gave the ball to Johnson and let him grind.

Keep in mind: Johnson's longest Week 5 run was 23 yards. That means he broke through numerous arm tackles and moved a lot of chains en route to a 157-yard performance on the ground.

Arians and old Colts stalwart Tom Moore gave their ball-carrier stretch zone runs—a staple during the Peyton Manning era. Johnson was more than ready to play the role of Edgerrin James.

RB: Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons

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How can a team like Atlanta go into Denver and pull off an upset? It has Tevin Coleman and 31 other teams don't.

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan won't let the league forget that simple fact.

Teams like Denver will now pay the consequence for double-covering Julio Jones. Coleman was too fast for any Broncos linebacker to cover. It was game over when he blew by the second level and found a safety in the third level was preoccupied.

Shanahan exploited the hell out of this mismatch. Coleman ran inside go routes—a rare pattern for even a slot receiver to run. The end result? A DeSean Jackson-like 132 yards on four catches. Defenses beware.

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WR: Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

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I'm pretty damn tired of the spoon-and-bowl "Feed Me" celebration after big plays. But Amari Cooper is entitled to a few after Week 5.

The second-year receiver feasted on a defense without its top cover corner, Jason Verrett. His stat line: six catches for 138 yards and one easy-looking touchdown. Cooper made it look that way, at least.

He pumped his legs at the top of his route enough times to freeze Chargers safety Adrian Phillips. Then, No. 89 drove upfield on a crossing route for his first touchdown of 2016.

Judging by his play in Week 5, it won't be his last.

WR: Chris Hogan, New England Patriots

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Chris Hogan is two wide receivers in one—and the Patriots put both skill sets to work.

On one hand, he’s the Julian Edelman-Danny Amendola slot machine. He separates on crossing routes. He breaks tackles. And he’s a willing blocker.

The other guy showed up often in Week 5. That Chris Hogan burned Cleveland’s coverage for gains of 43 and 63 yards with pure straight-line speed. He’s a deep ball waiting to happen.

Opposing defenses can play one or the other. It’s tough to defend against both Chris Hogans, though.

WR: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

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The Texans dealt with Adam Thielen the same way every team did during the 2013 NFL draft: They overlooked him.

The undrafted product out of Minnesota State made their entire secondary pay for it.

Thielen caught passes on each of the Texans' top four cornerbacks. He turned one into a beautiful 23-yard sideline catch. Two plays later, he turned another into an easy 36-yard touchdown.

Minnesota moves No. 19 around on the field quite a bit. A blossoming relationship with quarterback Sam Bradford suggests he won't move out of the lineup soon, though.

TE: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

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It doesn't matter who's on him in coverage. Hell, it doesn't even matter who's under center.

Greg Olsen is going to catch passes until the day he retires. That could take some time; the 31-year-old showed he's still a top talent on Monday Night Football.

He caught nine balls as an in-line tight end or as a split-out receiver. His career-high 181 yards accounted for nearly 44 percent of the Panthers' total offense. And he left a few Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his dust doing it.

OL: Cody Whitehair, Chicago Bears

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Indianapolis' defense isn't a world-beating one. They're still professionals.

Cody Whitehair wasn't at this time last year. And he was playing a completely different position than the one Chicago has him at right now.

The Kansas State product seamlessly switched from tackle to center in the NFL. Now, he's opening up huge holes for Jordan Howard in the run game. Case in point: Whitehair's reach block in the second quarter on Zach Kerr sprung his running back for big yards.

He's also an asset in the screen game. Chicago likes to run them to receivers or running backs; Whitehair's there first to take someone out.

OL: Ryan Schraeder, Atlanta Falcons

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Von Miller wasn't up to his old game-plan-wrecking tricks against Atlanta in Week 5.

Sure, he nabbed a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss, but Ryan Schraeder was there to minimize the damage he dealt. That was huge in a game like Falcons-Broncos.

Schraeder squared off against Miller and Shane Ray, a superstar in the making. He wasn't dominant—no offensive lineman could dominate those two—but he wasn't dominated, either.

Matt Ryan had enough time to find most of his receivers. I think Schraeder deserves some recognition.

OL: Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys

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Can I award this spot to all five Cowboys offensive linemen?

If not, I'll just go with Travis Frederick. The best center in football was at the epicenter of a complete ass-whupping in Week 5. Cincinnati's tough defensive line didn't know what hit 'em.

Answer: It was usually Frederick. Before Ezekiel Elliott burst through holes the size of Jerry Jones' Jumbotron, the All-Pro had to lay hands on Domata Peko (strong) or Geno Atkins (quick). He handled both easily.

OL: Chris Hubbard, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Put Muhammad Wilkerson's face on a milk carton.

He went missing in the greater Pittsburgh area Sunday. Chris Hubbard is the chief suspect.

It's tough enough to manhandle a lanky beast like Wilkerson. Doing so as a reserve lineman is another thing entirely. Hubbard's substitute work for Marcus Gilbert kept the Steelers offense humming.

Hubbard committed no penalties. He allowed no sacks. And he even pried open a Le'Veon Bell first-down run or two. I applaud his preparedness.

DL: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals

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Calais Campbell is a basketball-sized man among NFL-sized boys. He's 6'8" and uses every inch of that frame.

Look how he high-pointed a deflected pass last Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers. It's no wonder the guy averaged 16 rebounds a game playing high school hoops.

Campbell was unblockable for the better part of the first half. In the second half, he got his hands on the aforementioned interception. Then, he got his hands on Blaine Gabbert for the second of his two sacks—and a safety.

DL: Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers

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What Joey Bosa did to the Raiders offensive line is nothing short of impressive.

Oakland entered Week 5 with five sacks allowed. Bosa tallied two on his own, then held blockers at bay to let a teammate get a third. Not bad for such a late start to his season.

This is only the beginning. The Ohio State product displayed pop from two positions on film: 3-4 defensive end and stand-up linebacker. He even tracked Amari Cooper down from behind on one quick crossing route.

Bosa is the real deal, folks. Imagine what this Chargers team would look like had he started from Week 1.

DL: Malcom Brown, New England Patriots

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In Malcom Brown, the Patriots have a defensive tackle for every scenario.

At times, he plopped his 320-pound frame right over Joel Bitonio, the Browns' top guard. His presence there ensured Bitonio and Joe Thomas wouldn't get a push in the run game. Then-AFC rushing leader Isaiah Crowell (22 rushing yards) was totally neutralized—just like head coach Bill Belichick wanted.

He can also make a dent in the passing game. Brown plays alongside two former All-22 stars in Jamie Collins and Jabaal Sheard. Yet he was the only Patriot to tally a sack last Sunday. Did I mention he’s 320 pounds?

DL: Brian Robison, Minnesota Vikings

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There's a blue collar under the purple pads of my former Longhorns teammate.

Brian Robison will go anywhere and do just about anything to help this Vikings defense. Head coach Mike Zimmer keeps coming up with new and exciting ways to unleash him.

Zimmer's favorite wrinkle? Shifting Robison inside on obvious passing downs, where he can manhandle weaker guards and collapse a pocket. Ask Brock Osweiler if either sack he took from No. 96 was fun.

LB: Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons

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Vic Beasley accomplished the football equivalent of "pantsing" Ty Sambrailo last Sunday.

Things got embarrassing. The former first-round pick was so quick off the edge that Sambrailo was forced to elongate his drop. That gave Beasley enough space to act like a running back; he essentially juked Sambrailo out when he came off the line.

While you shouldn't pencil Beasley in for 3.5 sacks per game from here on out, Atlanta's defense would take a huge step toward contention if he can play half as well moving forward.

LB: Markus Golden, Arizona Cardinals

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Arizona dealt a second-round pick to the Patriots this offseason in hopes that Chandler Jones could give them some edge rushing.

Jones has been great. But the guy who was already on Arizona's roster has been un-freaking-believable this season. Markus Golden didn't let up last Thursday night against the 49ers, either.

The box score claims he had two sacks—I'm not buying it. Golden broke through San Francisco's line on at least three other occasions, forcing Blaine Gabbert in a teammate's direction.

Golden is starting to remind me of fellow Missouri product Aldon Smith. Both guys are tall and lanky. Both convert speed into power in their rush. And both aren't fun for opposing quarterbacks to face.

LB: Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills

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You can call Lorenzo Alexander an opportunistic defender. Just don't call him a one-week wonder.

The career special teamer is experiencing a pass-rushing renaissance under head coach Rex Ryan. He's leading the NFL in sacks (7.0).

Not bad for a 33-year-old who has played for three different teams since 2014. And certainly not bad for a player who just surpassed his single-season career high in sacks (2.5) in one game against the Rams (3.0).

Sure, he has benefited from a few blocking lapses. The fact remains that Buffalo struck gold when it plugged Alexander in at Manny Lawson's old spot.

DB: Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings

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There are so many parallels between this Vikings defense and that of the 2013-14 Seahawks.

Take Xavier Rhodes, for instance. He lines up across from an opponent’s top receiver on a majority of defensive snaps. They’re erased from relevancy from that moment on. Remind you of any certain Seahawks star?

Rhodes blanked DeAndre Hopkins for the better part of 60 minutes. He used in-your-face press coverage and gave nothing up easily. He truly is the Richard Sherman of 2016.

DB: Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants

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Most cornerbacks can't claim a two-interception game against the greatest quarterback ever.

Janoris Jenkins can. He's the only big-ticket Giants free agent pulling his weight these days. His two-pick effort on Sunday Night Football single-handedly kept the Giants competitive.

Attrition has installed Jenkins as Big Blue's top cornerback, and he's thriving in the role. Aaron Rodgers hardly targeted him in man coverage like he did the rest of the Giants secondary, which is a huge compliment.

DB: Morris Claiborne, Dallas Cowboys

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Morris Claiborne is playing on a one-year prove-it deal this season.

Maybe he needed the push of impending free agency to finally put his career together, because the fifth-year cornerback looks like a different player in 2016.

A third-quarter tipped pass against the Bengals in Week 5 illustrates how far Claiborne has come. A.J. Green earned separation with a double move and darted upfield, but No. 24 recovered in time to swat a potential 32-yard touchdown away.

I'm seeing a lot of that from Claiborne on tape. He's not trying to pick every pass off, but he's still making plays on the ball. Whatever he's doing, it's working.

DB: Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons

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The Falcons hired former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach to replicate Seattle's defensive success.

He can build around Keanu Neal now. The rookie out of Florida is Kam Chancellor Jr.—part linebacker, part ball hawk, all beast.

Quinn's defense never cracked when two starting linebackers missed their starts in Week 5. Why? Because Neal is a linebacker who happens to play safety. His ability to play the run (particularly his ability to take on lead blockers) is so damn impressive. His sideline-to-sideline speed is phenomenal.

This kid wasn't done. He broke up a pass for Demaryius Thomas that was nullified by a penalty. Then, he pried the ball loose from Emmanuel Sanders' grip. What a beast.