Chris Simms' All-22 Team for NFL Week 11
I knew the play, damn it.
Jon Gruden wouldn’t let any quarterback in his huddle without a deep understanding of every Spider-2 Y-banana in his arsenal. I could recite red-zone and two-minute offense audibles in my sleep. I studied his first 10 scripted plays like it was a civil service exam.
All that knowledge did me exactly zero good when I made my first NFL start. There was a pit in my stomach, my hands were shaking and I might’ve needed to take an early timeout after blanking on one of Gruden’s plays.
I’m sure Jared Goff felt that to the hundredth power in Week 11. Remember: He’s the franchise savior, the Rams are still (kind of) in the playoff mix and some guy named Carson Wentz taken right after him is tearing it up in Philadelphia. Just calling plays in a huddle of 30-year-olds was enough to make you want to barf.
I’ve been there, Jared. I’ve earned a cussing out from my head coach for making the wrong play—or forgetting one altogether. You’re not going to make some pundit’s All-22 team right off the bat, but you will survive. The only direction he can go is up.
QB: Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
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Kirk Cousins can get up in the face of Washington’s general manager all he likes.
He just outdueled Aaron Rodgers in front of a national audience and dropped 375 passing yards on a creative defense. If that doesn’t scream "long-term contract," I don’t know what does.
Cousins did all that while overcoming the elements. The gusts at FedEx Field are no joke; I’ve tried to throw into 30 mph winds there before. Cousins launched two long touchdowns right into its teeth.
How do I like Cousins now? Enough to crown him Washington’s quarterback of the future and enough to admit his franchise-tag gamble will pay off.
RB: Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
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By the 35th touch, you would’ve assumed Cleveland’s defense knew Le’Veon Bell was coming.
And you’d be wrong. Pittsburgh involved its multipurpose running back on more plays than any Steeler not named Franco Harris. By game’s end, Bell amassed 201 total yards—the fourth time he’s hit the double- century mark in his career and the first time since 2014.
His last dominant outing should tell you two things. For starters, Bell hasn’t been healthy (or available) enough to take over games in almost two years. Secondly, he’s reaching pre-knee surgery highs in terms of explosion and cutting ability.
Pittsburgh’s play selection at the end of the first half tells you everything you need to know. Down near the goal line on its second untimed down, coordinator Todd Haley fed No. 26. Bell burst through the hole for six and put the rest of the league on notice. He’s back to maximum strength.
RB: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
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It’s no small irony that Arizona’s offense features Edgerrin James 2.0.
After all, assistant Tom Moore has tutored both ball-carriers. He’s implemented the same zone running schemes in both Indianapolis and Arizona. And he just happened to find the right blend of power, patience and pass-catching behind those lines to make an impact.
The difference? David Johnson can transcend that scheme on any given handoff. Moore’s line featured three reserves against one of the scarier run-stuffing lines in football. Like usual, the Northern Iowa product danced his way around whatever blocks he received. He even pulled positive gains out when two or three Vikings met him in the backfield.
David Johnson is not James reincarnate. He’s better right now than the Colts star ever was.
RB: Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins
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It didn’t take long for Washington to identify its next Alfred Morris.
The new guy’s name is Robert Kelley, and he’s been a workhorse since coach Jay Gruden named him the starter earlier this month. In that span? He’s averaging 4.8 yards per carry and over 22 carries a game—numbers on the rise after a 24-carry, 137-yard, three-touchdown performance against Green Bay, the NFL’s sixth-ranked rushing defense.
Any team would take that production from an undrafted rookie free agent. Washington needs it; its passing game is so potent when the threat of play action is, you know, a threat.
WR: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Here’s a friendly reminder for any defense that wants to counter Mike Evans with man coverage.
Don’t.
Kansas City’s talented secondary tried it already. Evans averaged 17.5 yards per catch by outrunning it and being more physical in a huge road win.
Fantasy footballers will point to Evans’ deep ball—an arching pass he hauled in after hand-fighting Steven Nelson—as his high mark of Week 11. I’ll single out another. In the fourth quarter, Jameis Winston looked No. 13’s way on a game-icing, first-down throw. Evans battled by Ron Parker and then avoided the sideline to ensure the clock kept rolling.
Those aren’t the kind of football smarts you saw from him during last season’s sophomore slump. Evans is a different dude in 2016.
WR: Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins
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Jamison Crowder is a mini Antonio Brown.
I’ll say that again for any new readers. The things Washington’s new No. 1 receiver does on a football field are almost identical to the feats Brown pulls off in Pittsburgh.
Crowder is quick off the line and fast down the field. His ability to separate on both crossing routes and go routes is uncanny; it’s like Brown taught him how to head-fake and stutter-step himself. Remember: Crowder only caught three passes all game, but like Brown, that’s all he needs.
Just ask Micah Hyde and Quinten Rollins—two Packers cover men who tried to push the Duke product around before they were deked at the line. There’s no covering this guy.
TE: C.J. Fiedorowicz, Houston Texans
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Bill O’Brien did a hell of a job incorporating the tight end in New England’s offense.
He’s starting to do the same in Houston—with a tight end I think can end up as his Rob Gronkowski-lite.
C.J. Fiedorowicz has it all: size to box out linebackers or safeties, soft hands, quick route-running ability, etc. Like New England’s future Hall of Famer, he’s never really covered. Fiedorowicz’s large catch radius was put on full display in a six-grab, 82-yard Monday night outing.
That radius comes in handy in Houston’s offense. It turns out the Texans paid a quarterback handsomely to misfire on throws down the field. But Brock Osweiler is a more dangerous thrower over the middle, where Fiedorowicz does most of his work.
OL: David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers
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I defy you to find a better pulling guard in football.
David DeCastro is head and shoulders above any other lineman. He’s so strong but is nimble enough to sprint across formation and seal multiple defenders. Ask Le’Veon Bell how important that was to his final stat line in Week 11.
Pittsburgh mounted three scoring drives of 15 plays or more against the Browns. That doesn’t happen without its star guard moving around big bodies such as Danny Shelton for 60 minutes.
OL: Richie Incognito, Buffalo Bills
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Referees flagged Richie Incognito for a holding call that negating a Tyrod Taylor touchdown.
Put that blemish aside, and you’ll find a spotless blocking performance by the 10th-year pro. He wasn’t involved in Buffalo’s two surrendered sacks and paved the way for 183 yards of rushing offense.
He did so mainly as a pulling guard, coming around center to pop big runs open for LeSean McCoy early on. Incognito’s block sprung Shady’s first rushing touchdown; he’d later come around to pin Geno Atkins on a few chunk Mike Gillislee runs.
OL: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
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Marty Mornhinweg probably kicked himself when he reviewed the game film from Week 11.
He must’ve seen how much space his Pro Bowl guard cleared for Kenneth Dixon and Terrance West on Baltimore’s opening drive. Why the Ravens’ offensive coordinator got away from the run is a mystery to me.
Yanda made this list after three blocks from the first quarter. The end result of those blocks netted the Ravens runs of 20, 18 and 18 yards. Of course, Yanda ended each play with a little extracurricular shove. This guy didn’t block Cowboys defenders; he punished them early on.
OL: Ty Nsekhe, Washington Redskins
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The Redskins offense rock and rolled all Sunday night.
So it’s only fitting the man responsible used to block for the L.A. Kiss. Like Gene Simmons, Ty Nsekhe is a leading man holding a big-time group together.
The journeyman only needed his shot. He got it when franchise left tackle Trent Williams was hit with a four-game suspension and hasn’t looked back. Nsekhe has drawn Everson Griffen and a trio of Clay Matthews/Julius Peppers/Nick Perry in his first two spot starts. Neither game featured a noticeable dip in production.
Kirk Cousins and Robert Kelley don’t post the big numbers they did against Green Bay without Nsekhe’s presence. He’s a blocking rock star.
DL: Olivier Vernon, New York Giants
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New York wrote Olivier Vernon an $85 million check to sack quarterbacks. It’s finally getting its money’s worth.
Assessing Vernon’s tape is a matter of "where," not "what." Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo uses No. 54 much like he used old No. 91 back in the day (Justin Tuck). The pricey free-agent pickup lines up over a center or guard just as much as he lines up over tackles.
That doesn’t just boost his own quarterback-hurrying numbers. It assists guys such as Jason Pierre-Paul when he receives a guard-center double-team. It’s no surprise, then, that the Giants have 14 sacks over their five-game winning streak.
Vernon is at the center of it all.
DL: Brandon Williams, Baltimore Ravens
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When is a 97-yard rushing day a disappointment? When that running back is Ezekiel Elliott and his blockers are Dallas Cowboys linemen.
Take a bow, Brandon Williams. The future Rookie of the Year couldn’t bust a trademark big run all game long. He averaged under four yards per carry and couldn’t find the end zone.
That was all Williams’ doing. The Ravens list him at 335 pounds, but he’s more like 350. All that extra girth was put to use on a number of one- and two-yard Elliott runs. Dallas’ run game was all sweeps and counters by the second half in a clear attempt to avoid big No. 98.
DL: Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings
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Carson Palmer can send his chiropractor bill right to Vikings headquarters.
Once there, it should find Everson Griffen’s locker. Minnesota’s top pass-rusher led the way in a 15-hit, four-sack performance with only two tackles in the stat sheet to show for it.
How did Griffin impact the game without any sacks? By commanding Arizona’s blocking attention on his right side, busting through double-teams and hurrying Palmer into throws he didn’t want to make. That’s the book on how you stop the Cardinals’ passing attack.
It also happens to be the recipe for a second-half Vikings surge. Now that the team is back in the win column, we’ll see if Minnesota can follow its selfless sack master back to the top of the NFC North.
LB: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
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Remember what Oakland’s offensive line did to Von Miller just two weeks ago?
Neither did Jadeveon Clowney. For 60 minutes Monday night, Houston’s star defender single-handedly tipped over the strongest blocking unit in football. It’s time to enter his name in the "best defender, period" conversation.
No one would agree more than Latavius Murray. Clowney was comical in his ability to drive Austin Howard and a host of other Raiders blockers into the backfield. From there, he kept Murray’s yards-per-carry total to 2.8.
For now, I’d rank Michael Bennett ahead of Clowney as the NFL’s top disruptor. That’s it.
LB: Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders
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Something about Brock Osweiler brings out the beast in Khalil Mack.
Remember: These two met five times in the backfield when Oswieler was a Bronco. Mack’s sack stats aren’t as gaudy, but he’s no less blockable now than he was back that. He was consistently around the quarterback from kickoff to final whistle.
Want proof? Go back and look at Mack’s sack to end the first half of the Texans game. He throws away Chris Clark like a paper bag and lands on Houston’s quarterback in two seconds flat. For a star who usually wins with power, his speed moves always leave me speechless.
LB: Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Ryan Shazier’s fourth-quarter strip-sack wasn’t some luxury blowout-padding-type play.
Pittsburgh’s defense needed it. Shazier’s team dominated for three-and-a-half quarters but only led 17-9. And when Cleveland got the ball back, it threatened to narrow that lead even more.
Not on Shazier’s watch. The star 'backer initiated the delayed blitz to end all delayed blitzes, coming at Josh McCown out of nowhere and like a bat outta hell. The Browns quarterback dodged him at first, but Shazier is such an athletic freak that he was able to regain his footing, come at McCown again and take the football away.
LB: Erik Walden, Indianapolis Colts
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Too often this season, I’ve looked up and down the Colts defense only to proclaim how few playmakers there are.
Right now, that’s only sort of true. Indianapolis lacks a game plan-for-me-type defensive star but has a guy in Erik Walden whom everyone has overlooked—including yours truly.
I can’t do it any longer. He’s a Markus Golden clone: strong as hell against the run, but with occasional pop in pass rushing. Looking back, Walden has been Indy’s most consistent defender for years.
His sack came on pure effort against one of the top pass-blocking lines going. He was also instrumental in setting the edge on DeMarco Murray runs. Tennessee’s ground game never took off because No. 93 wouldn’t let it.
DB: Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings
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Once upon a time, Minnesota’s defense ruled over passing games in a state-of-the-art new kingdom.
The luster wore off. The losses started piling up. But Xavier Rhodes came along to save the day, and look at the Vikings now.
It was Rhodes who provided the defensive scoring play missed so dearly in Vikings country during a losing drought. His 100-yard pick-six wasn’t just a game-changer but a season-changer. It provided the platform his defensive teammates needed to regain their swagger.
If we look back at the Vikings as a playoff team, mark Rhodes’ moment down as the turning point. He’s still a top-five cornerback in football.
DB: Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals
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If Cincinnati’s season goes into a tailspin, I’d still watch for No. 27.
Dre Kirkpatrick is appointment television as far as cornerbacks are concerned. Six days after hauling a leaping pick of Eli Manning, the Alabama product robbed Tyrod Taylor.
This pick might’ve been prettier. With the Bills in field-goal range, Kirkpatrick undercut Marquise Goodwin’s comeback route on the right sideline. He immediately became the receiver, dragging both feet inbounds to secure the turnover.
What an incredible play by a guy who’s not getting much national love. I’m here for you, Dre.
DB: Jonathan Joseph, Houston Texans
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Michael Crabtree might’ve stayed on the team bus for all I know.
He ended with five yards on three catches. That’s how airtight Jonathan Joseph’s coverage was on Oakland’s super-physical wideout.
At no point was Joseph scared of No. 15. In fact, the veteran Texans corner was able to sit on a few of Crabtree’s signature routes—the slant, the curl, etc.—because he knew he wasn’t physically disadvantaged.
Joseph’s play did so much more than lock a key red-zone threat down. It allowed Houston to try some creative coverages on the other end, doubling Amari Cooper effectively until the fourth quarter came along.
DB: Landon Collins, New York Giants
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Move over, Kam Chancellor.
Big Blue’s star interceptor is now the league’s best safety, not you. You had one hell of a run at the top.
But Landon Collins, man. It feels like the second-year safety comes up with a game-changing interception every weekend. After some film review, I’m surprised to see how fluid he’s become against the pass in such a short time. No one’s calling him a box safety now.
Granted, the Jay Cutler throw he picked off in Week 11 was putrid. Seventy-five percent of NFL safeties would’ve dropped that pass, though; Collins reeled it in for his fifth interception of the season.
Full All-22 Team for Week 11
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QB: Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
RB: Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
RB: Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins
RB: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
WR: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR: Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins
TE: C.J. Fiedorowicz, Houston Texans
OL: Ty Nsekhe, Washington Redskins
OL: David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers
OL: Richie Incognito, Buffalo Bills
OL: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
DL: Olivier Vernon, New York Giants
DL: Everson Griffen, Minnesota Vikings
DL: Brandon Williams, Baltimore Ravens
LB: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
LB: Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders
LB: Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
LB: Erik Walden, Indianapolis Colts
DB: Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings
DB: Landon Collins, New York Giants
DB: Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals
DB: Jonathan Joseph, Houston Texans
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