For every breakout performer this season, it seems there have been two absolute busts: guys who came into the year following huge 2007 campaigns or just highly-productive careers in general, who have failed to even come close to meeting their expectations for '08.
Some players' underperformance has had a dramatic effect on their teams—a very negative one. Without further ado, I give my list of the top 10 busts to this point in 2008.
Warning: If more than one guy from your team appears on this list, you probably aren't doing very well.
10. Joseph Addai (IND), halfback
The Colts, long one of the AFC powers, have fallen on hard time early in ’08, stumbling out to a 1-2 mark. Addai has really struggled in the early going. He carried 27 time for just 64 yards in the first two weeks of the season, and even after a decent 78-yard performance in Week Three against Jacksonville, he is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry.
Addai gained over 1,400 combined rushing and receiving yards in each of his first two years in the league, but this year he has a very long way to go if he wants to approach those numbers. He has just 168 total yards through three games this year, and perhaps most disappointing is that he has caught only four passes, after catching 40+ in each of his first two years.
9. Roy Williams (DET), wide receiver
The Lions expected a big boost after getting Williams back from an injury that cut short his ’07 season. Well...Not so much. While second-year wideout Calvin Johnson has flourished opposite Williams, No. 11 has failed to provide much of anything (aside from rumors that his days in Detroit may be numbered).
He has caught no more than three passes in any of the games, totaling eight receptions for 113 yards thus far. Williams has not broken free for any big plays and has scored just once. With Matt Millen gone, it may be only a matter of time before big Roy exits, as well.
8. Tarvaris Jackson (MIN), quarterback
Nobody was expecting this guy to be the next Daunte Culpepper (at least I hope nobody was), but come on. When you place a young QB at the helm of a playoff contender, you expect to get at least something out of him.
I’ll give you some stats, but let me preface it with this: When you get replaced by Gus Frerotte (he of the 74.2 career QB rating) after just two games, you know you messed up.
Jackson completed just barely more than half of his passes (31 of 60) and accumulated only 316 yards through the air in two starts. He generated one touchdown but turned the ball over twice. Even with the juggernaut named Adrian Peterson with him on the Vikings' offense, Head Coach Brad Childress decided Jackson wasn’t ready, and so he replaced him with the aforementioned Redskin legend, Frerotte.
7. Peyton Manning (IND), quarterback
5 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
Shane H. 9 months ago
how are you able to sit there and call these guys busts? Randy Moss? Peyton Manning? Come on man. They are injured as you said. Moss has no one to throw him the ball. Cassel doesn't have the arm Brady does. Braylon Edwards is no bust. The Browns suck, Edwards doesn't. Rethink your definition of bust and compile another list bud.
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Ross Romano 9 months ago
I give them credit when they're hurt, but if you're playing, you're fair game. And yes, a guy who has a great '07 and seems like a lock for a big '08 comes out and sucks it up, he is a bust. You're telling me Edwards has nothing to do with the fact that he hasn't even reached 100 receiving yards the entire season? And with Randy Moss's talent he should need the best QB in the league to get him the ball? That's for Jabar Gafney, Moss should be better than this.
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Ross Romano 9 months ago
We're only 4 weeks in, so there's time to turn it around, but so far, these guys have been dreadful, and there's no way to deny it
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Justin Prince 9 months ago
How id moss take 2 years off in oakland? His first season there he had 60rec for 1005 yards and 8tds those aren't Moss like numbers but he missed 3 games that year with hamstring problems and his QB and o-line sucked and he still hauled down 8tds and over 1000 yards...If Derrick Mason gets 60rec 1005yards and 8tds people would be saying he had a hell of a year Randy Moss does it and he took the entire year off...Just goes to show you listen to the talking heads and do none of your own research, that or you are just a flat out idiot.
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Ross Romano 9 months ago
Wow you really know your stuff, except you don't. Moss's first year in Oakland he played in all 16 games and had the stats you mentioned. His second year he missed 3 games. His stats that year? 42 catches, 553 yards, 3 TD's. Wow he must have really been giving a great effort.
Derrick Mason last year had 103 catches for over 1000 yards and I didn't hear anybody say he had a great year.
Ok so maybe the QB sucked in Oakland. But Ronald Curry had 20 more catches and 200 more yards than Moss in '06! And in '05, they had Kerry Collins, who hasn't had a bad career at all.
1005 yards is nothing to brag about. He was 20th in the league. Who was ahead of him? How about guys like Antonio Bryant in Cleveland (his QB was Trent Dilfer), your boy Derrick Mason in Baltimore (Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright were his QBs), and Chris Chambers in Miami (the QB there was Gus Frerotte).
Kerry Collins is a much better QB than any of those guys, so if you really think Moss was playing up to his potential, then you must not think he's very good. This guy is way too talented to play like this. Just wait and see until he makes up some fake hamstring injury or just gets dominated by a guy like Wes Welker in every statistical category, a guy who actually hustles.
Or hey, maybe he'll even prove me wrong and play like he cares. Don't forget, this guy hasn't won anything yet.
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