15 NFL Players Whose Terrible Play Most Hurt Teams in 2011

Football is a team sport, but one person not doing his job can cost his team a victory. Some NFL players did that often this season.

It is hard to place blame of a failed year on a single person because that is simply not fair. If you win as a team, you lose as a team.

Still, there are some players who hurt their teams more than others with terrible play throughout the season.

Many of these men came into 2011 with high expectations and simply fell short.

Sam Bradford, QB St. Louis Rams

In his rookie season, Sam Bradford became the Offensive Rookie of the Year as he threw for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He took a major step back in his sophomore year and the St. Louis Rams suffered because of it.

Injuries allowed Bradford to make only 10 starts this year, but the team was only 1-9 in those games. He failed to complete over 50 percent of his passes in five of those starts.

Now the Rams are forced to hope that the real Bradford is the one who played his rookie season, or else the team must find a new quarterback for 2012.

Peyton Hillis, RB Cleveland Browns

Blame the "Madden Curse" all you want, but Peyton Hillis struggled throughout the 2011 season.

Hillis seemingly came out of nowhere last season to rush for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. This year he dropped from 4.4 yards per carry to 3.6 and finished with only 587 yards.

He missed six games due to injuries, but a few of them were not all that severe. The running back's agent advised him not to play a game with strep throat. 

The poor play was also linked to contract disputes, as Hillis is set to be a free agent this offseason. 

It might be time for Cleveland to find a new running back.

Curtis Painter, QB Indianapolis Colts

It is impossible to replace Peyton Manning, but Curtis Painter did not even come close.

The Indianapolis Colts had won at least 10 games in each of the past nine seasons, but the team had an 0-9 record with Painter behind center.

The quarterback finished the season with nine interceptions and only six touchdowns, bringing his quarterback rating to 66.6.

What made matters worse for Painter is that Dan Orlovsky won two games with the team, proving that the team was not a lost cause.

Doug Free, LT Dallas Cowboys

There are a lot of people to blame for the Dallas Cowboys failing to reach the playoffs, but Doug Free deserves as much as anyone.

The obvious choice would be quarterback Tony Romo, but the quarterback had a very good season statistically. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was 31-to-10 and had a quarterback rating of 102.5.

What Romo did not have is protection. The Dallas offense gave up 36 sacks this season, and Free was one of the biggest culprits. His number was also called for numerous penalties from false starts to holdings.

Free is not as responsible for team deficiencies as head coach Jason Garrett, but he certainly did not help this season.

Chris Johnson, RB Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson wanted to get paid this offseason, so he sat out the majority of training camp in order to get his extension.

When he finally got his money, he did not deserve it.

The running back had the worst season of his four-year career, totaling just over 1,000 yards with only four touchdowns.

Considering Johnson averaged over 1,500 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns over the last three years, this season was embarrassing.

The Tennessee Titans narrowly missed the playoffs this year and would have gotten over the hump if Johnson even approached his previous level of play.

Josh Freeman, QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Josh Freeman was quickly becoming one of the best young quarterbacks in football as the 2011 season began.

Now he might not even have job security.

Freeman increased his interception total from six a year ago to 22 this season. It caused the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose its last nine games of the season as they fell into obscurity.

There is still some offensive talent on the roster, but Freeman will need to take care of the ball better if the Buccaneers have any chance of succeeding next season.

Cedric Benson, RB Cincinnati Bengals

Cedric Benson had decent numbers at first glance, with over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns, but he hurt the Cincinnati Bengals this season.

With a solid defense and rookie stars at quarterback and wide receiver, running back was the weakest position on the team.

Benson only topped 100 yards three times this season and struggled to get himself in the end zone from short range.

The Bengals are in the playoffs, but they need to get a new running back next season.

Stanford Routt, CB Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders broke the record for penalties in history this season, and Stanford Routt was the biggest culprit.

The cornerback was the most penalized player in the NFL, and it would often lead directly to points for the other team.

It is difficult to judge defensive backs by statistics, since the best players are often avoided. However, the ones who rack up pass interference calls are usually out of position and suffer because of it.

If the Raiders want to reach the playoffs next season, they will need to cut down on penalties.

Devin McCourty, CB New England Patriots

It is difficult to say that any player hurt a team that is 13-3 with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but Devin McCourty is that player.

The New England Patriots have an outstanding offense but one of the worst defenses in the NFL. The team has given up 293.9 passing yards per game, which is the second-most in the league.

McCourty was not the only problem, but he came in with the highest expectations. He had a great season a year ago, but struggled in his second year to adjust to different schemes.

The poor defense has not hurt the Patriots too much this season, but it can come back to haunt them in the playoffs.

Mark Sanchez, QB New York Jets

Three losses and missing the playoffs is not the way the New York Jets wanted to end the season. 

In the high-pressure city, someone will most likely pay for it.

Mark Sanchez threw 18 interceptions this year, including seven in the final three games. With the season on the line against the Miami Dolphins, Sanchez could only produce a quarterback rating of 65.5

Jets fans loved the quarterback early in his career, but his time might be running out in New York.

DeSean Jackson, WR Philadelphia Eagles

The team was called the "dream team" before the season, but the Philadelphia Eagles could not even reach the playoffs.

DeSean Jackson was a major reason for the downfall, as he remained a distraction throughout the season.

On the field he was a disappointment, with only four touchdowns but nine drops. Off the field, he was even worse.

Jackson held out in training camp, and was benched in Week 9. He later apologized, but it might have been too little too late for the free agent.

Ndamukong Suh, DT Detriot Lions

The Detroit Lions are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but there is no question that Ndamukong Suh has hurt the team this season.

His sack total dropped from 10 a year ago to only four this season, and he had 30 less tackles.

The defensive tackle was also a distraction when he was suspended for two games after stomping on a player during Thanksgiving. 

Suh has the ability to be one of the most dominant defensive players in football, but he needs to adjust his attitude so he can help his team instead of hurt it.

Philip Rivers, QB San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers was selected to the Pro Bowl this season, but he made it on reputation instead of skill.

The quarterback was third in the NFL with 20 interceptions and allowed a very talented team to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

During a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season, Rivers threw 10 interceptions and struggle to complete any passes.

Fans have come to expect more out of Rivers, but this year was one of the worst of his career.

Russell Okung, OT Seattle Seahawks

Tarvaris Jackson was sacked the second-most times in the NFL this season, despite missing a game due to injury.

The left tackle Russell Okung deserves a good portion of the blame.

Okung was the sixth-overall pick of the 2010 draft but struggled throughout the year before missing the end of the season with a pectoral injury.

It might be too early to call Okung a bust, but he needs to turn things around in a hurry.

Rex Grossman, QB Washington Redskins

At 5-11, the Washington Redskins should be disappointed with the way this season went.

The biggest problem was without question the lack of quality play at quarterback.

Both Rex Grossman and John Beck struggled to support a solid defense, and neither player should be back with the team next season.

Grossman, who has always been known as a turnover machine, lived up to his reputation with 20 interceptions and six fumbles.

Next season the Redskins have a chance of succeeding if they can find a quarterback who can hold onto the football.