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
It’s a bad sign when both your QB and HB make this list, but it is the case with the Colts. Yes, it’s true that Peyton isn’t fully healthy, but this is Peyton Manning, one of the true greats of the game, and boy has he been pedestrian so far.
He’s ranked 24th in the league in passer rating, behind such notable scrubs as Kyle Orton and Mark Bulger. He has thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three), and is completing less than 60 percent of his passes for the first time since his rookie year.
With Addai not providing the expected punch and Marvin Harrison in decline, it will be an uphill battle for Manning to regain his place among the league’s elite QBs.
6. Chris Perry (CIN), halfback
The Bungles, I mean Bengals, released Rudi Johnson with the belief that Perry would be an upgrade. I guess you can’t always believe what you believe? Perry really hasn’t been anything more than terrible. He has carried 72 times, 10th in the NFL
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