Chris Simms' All-22 Team for NFL Week 13
Want to know the worst-kept secret in NFL scouting circles?
Teams like their defenders with a manageable amount of crazy. Not "get arrested at 4 a.m. the morning before a game" crazy. But crazy enough to run full speed at 250- to 300-pound men and hurt them. If they lead with the helmet or yank on the facemask, that’s OK.
Scouts view the best defenders as the guys who know how to toe the line between legal and illegal. That’s what drove the Raiders to swoop down and sign my old teammate, Warren Sapp. They wanted the guy poking eyes and twisting ankles at the bottom of the pile, not necessarily the end-of-his-career Hall of Famer.
That’s why another former teammate, Albert Haynesworth, landed a record-breaking contract…three years after stomping Andre Gurode’s exposed face. Aqib Talib, third ex-teammate of mine, just got in trouble for shoving a fellow Bronco. These guys don’t mess around.
My All-22 team isn’t an "All-Good Guys" squad. Some of the players you’ll find this week play to the echo of the whistle and then some. Just know that for all the fines and flags they receive, there’s always going to be a market for their services.
QB: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
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This hasn’t been the best Joe Flacco season by any metric. Before Week 13, the former Super Bowl MVP had 11 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions.
So what clicked for No. 5? On film, I noticed Flacco stepping into throws with one fluid motion—something he was hesitant to do all year with a surgically repaired knee. With more confidence, Baltimore’s passer connected at a 76.6 percent clip.
The Ravens rode that momentum to a big home win, basically green-lighting Flacco to fire at will. It’s great to see him rifle off 47 throws for 381 yards without a sense of "what if" looming over him.
RB: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
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Say it with me now: David Johnson is the Offensive Player of the Year.
No one player does more for his offense than No. 31. He’s obviously Arizona’s best ball-carrier; the six-, seven-, eight-yard runs he pops off by making four defenders miss is Barry Sanders-like. Only Le’Veon Bell matches his patience.
But he’s also the Cardinals’ top receiving threat. His screen-catching prowess keeps defenders up at night. So should his ability to turn checkdowns into first downs. In the past two weeks, Johnson has 17 catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Those are No. 1 wideout numbers.
RB: Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
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It’s a three-peat for Pittsburgh’s do-everything running back.
Le’Veon Bell deserves yet another All-22 roster spot. No running back topped 100 yards against the Giants run defense all season long…until Bell went for 118 against the likes of Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins.
It wasn’t pretty. Bell had to dance around at times just to churn out positive yardage. He also had his head yanked around by a linebacker or two after the whistle. But despite a third-quarter fumble, Bell delivered the kind of old-school rushing performance Pittsburgh fans love.
RB: Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks
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It’s official: Thomas Rawls is fully back for the Seahawks.
Need proof? Watch Rawls hit max speed in just two steps on his long touchdown run from Week 13. He hit the corner, sized up Star Lotulelei and…one, two. Rawls was off to the races.
His return doesn’t just give Seattle a ball-carrier capable of hitting 100 yards in a half. It takes the fight to the outskirts of a defense, where offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell likes to run outside zone carries, then play fakes and bootlegs on top of that.
Russell Wilson is almost indefensible if Rawls gets going like he did on Sunday Night Football. And that means the Seahawks are too.
WR: Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
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His days of running straight go routes and hauling in 70-yard bombs are over.
But Jordy Nelson's second act is suiting him just fine. He’s now Green Bay’s over-the-middle assassin, capable of boxing out smaller defenders. That sure came in handy with the weather at Lambeau Field; Nelson allowed Aaron Rodgers to rifle off short throws and move the chains.
Knee surgery and age might’ve sapped Nelson, 31, of his straight-line speed, but he’s still quick. Coach Mike McCarthy sent him on quick screens and outs that told me No. 87 can still get open at the top of his routes.
WR: Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
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Need to complete a deep throw?
Golden Tate can line up on the outside and win with pure speed, like he did on his 66-yard, game-deciding touchdown. He’ll also attack the ball at its highest point (see: spectacular one-handed grab against Delvin Breaux).
Need to move the chains? Tate can handle that too. His ability to line up in the slot or take speed sweeps around end is like everything I hoped Percy Harvin could be.
There’s no right way to defend this guy. Just sit back and wait for the inevitable 150-plus-yard receiving day to hit you.
TE: Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Two things struck me watching Ladarius Green on film.
The first is his obvious speed off the line. Pittsburgh has had Heath Millers during the Ben Roethlisberger era—guys who can go up the seam and turn around for catches. It’s never had a guy who can split two safeties down the middle and haul in 30-yarders like nothing. That’s Green’s game.
He’s also in sync with Big Ben. Green spent his formative playing years catching throws from Philip Rivers and picked up a few things, like how to work downfield when the play is extended. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley is going to torture defenses with this guy.
TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
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A Rob Gronkowski-sized void was left atop the NFL’s tight end hierarchy last week.
Travis Kelce just filled it. He’s now the league’s standard-bearer with it comes to big guys who can block and catch and run.
Kansas City freed Kelce up to do all three in Week 13. He caught long throws from a traditional in-line position to start the game. Then, Andy Reid split him out wide on a long fade touchdown. By game’s end, he was catching bubble screens and making six defenders miss. Like a healthy Gronk, there’s no stopping him.
OL: Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Steelers line coach Mike Munchak is a tough ol’ throwback hard-ass.
So he probably loves Maurkice Pouncey, an All-Pro center who won't unhinge at the point of attack.
Pouncey and his linemates didn’t bully the Giants as much as they stuck to them like glue. Big run-stuffers Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins couldn’t unblock themselves quickly enough to get to Le’Veon Bell or Ben Roethlisberger.
Like always, Pouncey had a little extracurricular shove for his opponent each time the whistle blew.
OL: Shaq Mason, New England Patriots
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Most NFL guards are either road-grading blockers or fleet-footed pass protectors.
Few can do both. Fewer still can do both as well as Shaq Mason did in Week 13.
Mason is the reason Aaron Donald disappeared last weekend at Gillette Stadium; none of those tough Rams defenders got to Tom Brady once. Then, Mason turned around and blocked up those same defenders on big LeGarrette Blount rushes. Kid’s a future All-Pro.
OL: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
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Goal 1 and 1A when you’re facing the Dolphins?
Stop Ndamukong Suh up the middle. Stop Cameron Wake off the edge.
Baltimore’s first-round pick handled the latter assignment perfectly. Wake tallied no sacks; I can’t even remember a time he was within striking distance of Joe Flacco in Week 13.
In doing so, Ronnie Stanley also helped accomplish the first task. He required no help blocking Wake, so other Ravens blockers were free to turn their attention to double-teaming Suh. Flacco’s eye-popping passing stats need no further explanation.
DL: Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears
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He’s 6'5" and runs about 336 pounds.
So opposing offenses want to characterize Akiem Hicks as a pure, run-stuffing nose tackle-type. That is, until they get a load of what No. 96 does as a quarterback-hunter.
Hicks put on a pass-rushing clinic in Week 13. He hit career highs in tackles (10) and matched his personal best in sacks (two). He threw in a forced fumble for good measure. Colin Kaepernick won’t be the only quarterback forced out by his play in Chicago.
DL: Robert Ayers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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They aren’t your slightly older brother’s Buccaneers.
After what feels like a decade, Tampa Bay can finally get after the pass-rusher. It’s no small coincidence that turnaround happened when Robert Ayers arrived.
The Tennessee product did his usual routine against the Chargers, lining up at both a traditional end and a 3-technique tackle. He did most of his damage from the fist spot; Ayers’ first step was way too much for right tackle Joe Barksdale to keep up with. He threw in a sack, too.
DL: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals
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In the NBA, 6'8" players weigh 230 pounds.
They weigh 300-plus pounds in the NFL. And they make life a living hell for quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins.
Washington had its hands full trying to block Pro Bowler/human skyscraper Calais Campbell. The former Hurricane discarded Shawn Lauvao en route to a Cousins strip-sack that changed the game.
He then went about punishing any Redskins blocker with a nasty bull rush that shrunk Cousins’ pocket. Oh, and he nearly hauled in an interception on a batted pass.
LB: Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings
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Guys such as Anthony Barr can single-handedly ruin even the most fully functional offenses.
Let’s review what he accomplished in Week 13. Barr ran sideline-to-sideline to fill holes Dallas’ line opened up, so Ezekiel Elliott didn’t have many cutback lanes or room to operate when Dak Prescott checked the ball down.
That same speed was put to use against Jason Witten. Dallas’ veteran was held catchless for the first time in 2,951 days. The main culprit? Barr’s ability to drop in man coverage and hold up with tight ends.
LB: James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Please open up your blocking textbook to page 1, Ereck Flowers.
Class was in session in Week 13. The professor? Thirty-eight-year-old legend James Harrison, who had a thing or two to teach Big Blue’s so-called franchise left tackle.
Flowers tried to get out in front of old No. 92 by leaning his hips to square up. He’d forget to shuffle his feet through; Harrison happily exposed that technical flaw to the tune of one sack and several more bull-rush pressures.
LB: Kwon Alexander, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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San Diego’s short-passing game had a big problem.
His name was Kwon Alexander. Tampa Bay’s second-year linebacker was quick and lengthy enough to take away Philip Rivers’ favorite throw—the short crossing route. It clearly got in No. 17’s head.
The Chargers didn’t dare test Alexander’s range on the game’s final drive. Knowing the inside linebacker could jump a quick out pass to Antonio Gates, Rivers opted to loft up throws instead. That indirectly led to Keith Tandy’s end-of-game interception—Rivers’ second of the game.
LB: Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati Bengals
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Don’t let Vontaze Burfict’s rep after the whistle confuse you.
Cincinnati’s star is deliberate in almost every move he makes, particularly in pass defense. There are few linebackers league-wide who can cover like a slot corner but hit like a safety. Burfict is one of them.
The second of his two interceptions was special. Burfict was blitzing, reacted to Carson Wentz’s motion like a defensive back and plucked his pass out of the sky.
Did I mention he plays a mean run defense? Burfict leads Cincinnati in tackling despite missing three games.
DB: Malcolm Butler, New England Patriots
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Go out on an island for 80 percent of the game.
While you’re out there, lock down a physical specimen like Kenny Britt for 60 minutes. Safety help? No way.
Where most cornerbacks cringe, Malcolm Butler grins. He’s the NFL’s most underrated player, let alone defensive back. And he’s playing the kind of coverage the Patriots got from Ty Law, Asante Samuel and Darrelle Revis.
Factor out one big catch from Britt with the game in garbage time and Butler shut him down. He also hauled in a wicked-nice, tip-drill pick.
DB: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
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Chris Harris Jr. is an athletic marvel with unparalleled change-of-direction ability.
But I’m placing him on this list for what went on from the shoulder pads up. In Week 13, Harris Jr. correctly diagnosed the staple of Jacksonville’s passing game—the jump-ball lob. Then he did it again. And again.
Soon, No. 25 was sitting on routes and waiting for Blake Bortles to give him a chance. That heady play helped him blank bigger guys such as Allen Robinson and secure a huge interception.
DB: Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
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In weeks past, I’ve used this space to argue Ron Parker is Kansas City’s top safety.
I can no longer do that. Not when Eric Berry grabs interception No. 1 and brings it back 37 yards for a touchdown. And certainly not when he reeled in interception No. 2 and gave his Chiefs a one-point lead on a two-point try.
Remember: Berry went to Atlanta to receive cancer treatments about two years ago. It must’ve been emotional to step foot back in town—this time as a survivor. He fought through that and made All-22-level plays. You couldn’t write that in a movie.
DB: Vernon Hargreaves III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Each week, I’m seeing what drew Tampa Bay to draft the lockdown corner from upstate.
Vernon Hargreaves III is quick at the line of scrimmage. He can redirect passing routes. Most importantly, he can play man or zone. In Mike Smith’s defense, that’s a must.
He also just finds the football. Hargreaves’ huge third-quarter tip landed right in teammate Lavonte David’s hands for a game-turning pick-six. The Buccaneers don’t pull off the road upset without him.
Full All-22 Team for Week 13
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QB: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
RB: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
RB: Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
RB: Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks
WR: Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
WR: Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
TE: Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers
TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
OL: Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers
OL: Shaq Mason, New England Patriots
OL: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
DL: Akiem Hicks, Chicago Bears
DL: Robert Ayers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DL: Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals
LB: Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings
LB: James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers
LB: Kwon Alexander, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
LB: Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati Bengals
DB: Malcolm Butler, New England Patriots
DB: Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
DB: Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
DB: Vernon Hargreaves III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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