Now You See Him, Now You Don't: 10 Most Inconsistent Players in the NFL

Cal Naughton, Jr. may not appreciate his catch phrase being ripped off, but Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets and Jahvid Best of the Detroit Lions have a legitimate claim to it.

Consistency is the difference between the great players and the good ones. For some, it may be the reason they no longer work in the league. 

NFL history is filled with players who had exceptional talent but their careers never reached the heights they seemed destined for. A prominent example would be former quarterback Jeff George.

The following slides will single out the 10 most inconsistent players in the NFL.

Michael Vick

The Philadelphia Eagles have been as schizophrenic as their quarterback so far this season.

His stats reflect the up and down season that the Philadelphia fans have had to endure. His quarterback ratings range from 66.1 to 103.

Granted, there will always be a little variance, but he has yet to put together consecutive weeks where his rating didn't change by less than 13 points.

Consistency has never been Vick's strength, and the concussions will not help matters. If he cannot put it together soon, he will have all offseason to work on it. 

Shaun Rogers

There has never been a question regarding Shaun Rogers' talent level. The Detroit Lions were thrilled with their second round selection and fans loved the flashes of brilliance he displayed.

The problem was effort related. Rogers is a large man and dominated the interior whenever he chose. Coaches and fans alike were at the mercy of his whims because they never knew when he was going to try.

He currently is a member of the New Orleans Saints, and anyone who plays in the NFL for 11 years is hardly a failure. Still, his career pales in comparison to what might have been had he been able to stay focused.

Mark Sanchez

Being the fifth overall pick of the draft will bring quite a bit of pressure. Being the quarterback for the New York Jets amplifies that pressure to ridiculous levels. 

Prior years have seen Sanchez struggle to carry the offense when the running game wasn't working. While this isn't altogether uncommon, first round selections are expected to do just that. Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have not had the benefit of the ground game that Sanchez enjoys.

There is still a possibility the Mark Sanchez will become the quarterback that Jets fans have been waiting on since Joe Namath (apologies to Boomer Esiason). Aside from a poor performance against the Baltimore Ravens, his numbers have been solid.

If he can continue, he will have earned his way off of this particular slideshow. It's pretty obvious that is the driving force behind his improvement. 

Rashard Mendenhall

Rashard Mendenhall has been antagonizing fantasy owners for years. He has been even less kind to Pittsburgh Steeler fans. 

Some people will point to his injuries (same for others on this list), but durability is a part of a player's skill set and is taken into account during the NFL draft. Therefore, it will also be taken into account when analyzing consistency.

Mendenhall is confounding, as his worst performance of the year came against the second worst ranked rush defense in the league, the Indianapolis Colts. His yards per carry reads like an EKG.  If he fails to build some momentum soon, he may have more competition in the form of a high draft pick next year.

Rex Grossman

Any article mentioning inconsistency is obligated to include Rex Grossman. Dating back to his days with the Chicago Bears, Rex has been a model of inconsistency.

This year with the Washington Redskins has proven to be more of the same. So much so that he is the starter one week and is on the bench the next.

It would appear that Steve Spurrier may have had a hand in creating this roller coaster of a quarterback. While Rex was at Florida, the Ole' Ball Coach would do his best to keep his signal callers on their toes by constantly pulling them from the game.

Eli Manning

It is probably not fair that Eli Manning has to be compared to the standard set by  Peyton Manning. Yet, he also made the choice to play in New York, as opposed to San Diego, so he had to have prepared himself for harsh criticism long ago.

His Super Bowl MVP selection should probably have been given to the defensive line instead. The greatest play of that game required his receiver to trap the ball against his helmet and a few holding calls to go unnoticed.

All that being said, Eli, like Sanchez earlier, may be putting it all together. He has been mostly consistent this season.

If he continues on the pace he is on, then this spot will be unwarranted. However, we are going to require him to prove it first. 

Tony Romo

Tony Romo's inconsistency has been well-documented throughout the years. His problems do not stem from game to game but rather being able to finish a game in which he has already played well.

One only needs to look at his games against the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions. The Dallas Cowboys were in a great position to win both of those games. Yet, Romo's interceptions (and some of those were extremely poor throws or decisions) allowed the lifeless Lions and Jets to escape with victories.

This isn't a new trend for him either. He still bears the burden of a botched extra point attempt that knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs years ago.

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco is a member of the same fraternity as the rest of the NFL quarterbacks on this list. He has had moments of brilliance followed by instances of futility.

Flacco's first four games of the 2011 NFL season are dumbfounding. His quarterback rating for those four games were 117.6, 51.2, 103.6 and 37.4. He seems to be the very definition of boom or bust.

The Baltimore Ravens' window of opportunity is closing as the defense ages. If they are going to make one more run at a title, they need Flacco to find some consistency. 

Jahvid Best

Jahvid Best has brought an explosive dynamic that the Detroit Lions have not had in the backfield since Barry Sanders retired. Unfortunately, the flashes he exhibits are few and far between.

His yards per carry has fluctuated quite wildly this season but have generally been below average. His main contribution has been through the passing game but, coincidentally, he has yet to put a game together where he catches and runs well.

His main concern has been battling through injuries. Last year he dealt with turf toe and this year has brought back his concussion issues.

There is real concern growing in Detroit that this first round pick may be Martin Mayhew's first high selection bust.

Antonio Cromartie

Antonio Cromartie is one of the most puzzling players in the league.

At times, he has been a perfect complement to Darelle Revis. Other times he has been the weak link in the New York Jets defense.

There is no doubting his natural talent, as the man can fill a highlight reel. He also has allowed opposing receiver to do the same.

In the opening game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets coaching staff was forced to switch Revis over to Dez Bryant because Cromartie could not handle the second-year player.

It has gotten so bad that the coaching staff has publicly stated that they wonder which "Cro" they are going to get each game.

Cromartie is arguably the most inconsistent player in the league and the Jets need him to step up this season after losing out on Nnamdi Asomugha.