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Pro Sports Wrap - by Sam Ruesler

Bo Harris Player Profile

December 10th 2011 15:25
Bo Harris was a left outside linebacker who played with the Cincinnati Bengals for eight seasons from 1975-1982. A third rounder out of LSU, Harris would wear the No. 53 and would be worth 44 AV during his entire career. Pro-Football Reference's similarity score says that Harris's career was similar to current linebackers Karlos Dansby and D.J. Williams.


After a poor rookie year in which Harris didn't really have much of a chance to play, he had the best season of his career as a sophomore in the NFL. He was worth 10 AV and picked off two passes while also recovering two fumbles and fumbling once on his own. The net return yardage on those four turnovers was -5, and he had 13 fumble return yards on five fumble recoveries in his career (2.6 yards per fumble return).

A season later, Bo Harris also played in 14 games and picked off two passes. Although he did nothing else, he still had a decent season. 1978 was a year to forget for Harris, as he played in only half of the team's games, was worth just 1 AV (tied for his career low as a rookie in 1975), and the only thing he did was recover a fumble.

In 1979, Harris got back on track and played in 15 games, setting a career high at the time. He didn't do much that year and was mediocre overall, and the same can be said about his 1980 season. However, Harris did get on the stat sheet that year with two fumble recoveries for a career-high 15 yards.In 1981, Harris played in 16 games; the most in his career. He started in all of them, picked off two more passes, and he had 92 total interception return yardage due to a 49 yard return. He was worth 8 AV, after being worth 5 or less for the previous three seasons.


1982 was the last season of Bo Harris's career, but it was a solid one in the nine games he played and started in. Harris had one interception, but the important thing is that he returned it 62 yards for the only touchdown of his career. He also had two sacks in the first year that this statistic was recorded, so it was a solid 29-year-old, final-season campaign for Harris.

Bo Harris finished off his career with 103 total games appeared in to go with seven picks for 168 total yards returned on those INTs. He was a slightly above-average LOLB who had a key interception in a Wild Card game in 1982 against the Buffalo Bills. Harris would return it for 16 yards in a narrow 28-21 victory at the age of 28 (his second-to-last season).
Bo Harris
8-year LB with Bengals
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Tony Pashos Player Profile

December 9th 2011 15:23
Cleveland Browns right tackle Tony Pashos is an injury prone offensive lineman who is slightly above-average when he is healthy. Pashos has been the second best player on the team's offensive line this season, as he has been one of only two players who have helped keep Colt McCoy's jersey clean. Pashos, however, has never been lauded for his pass protection, and this is the only season in which he has been good as a pass blocker. In fact, Pashos has been tearing it up and is the team's best pass protector this season- even better than Joe Thomas. However, Pashos's run blocking has been poor, making him "only" slightly above-average on the year. He is much better than backups Oniel Cousins and Artis Hicks, so Browns fans can't really complain too much about his 2011 season.

Pashos gives up minimal pressure and is one of the only players on offense who has provided some value. The Browns are an above-average pass blocking team and a poor run blocking team overall, which makes them an average line overall. The team averages a high 4.9 yards per carry off the right tackle, but they average an atrocious, league-worst 0.4 carries off the right end. In any case, Pashos is not going to mistaken as one of the premier run blockers in the NFL for this season.

The weird thing is that Tony Pashos's 2011 season is actually the exact opposite of what we have come to expect from him. He has been an incredible pass blocker this season, but he has left a lot to be desired as a run blocker. However, he has usually been one of the better run blockers in the league, and, by the same token, a poor pass blocker. He is a decent offensive lineman overall, but this has truly been a bizarre season for Pashos. He was cut from a couple of teams in his career because of his poor pass protection, but he was always able to find a starting job somewhere because of his ability to pave the way for running backs. This season, he has been almost perfect in pass protection but has been overrun as a run blocker.

Colt McCoy is a quarterback who is significantly better when not pressured, and he is definitely happy that Pashos has had this weird 2011 season. In fact, he has been one of the top five best pass-blocking tackles in the NFL. Run blocking is more important, in truth, so he has "only" been decent overall. Some things don't change, as Pashos is still a quality right tackle who can step right in and be a huge upgrade over bottom-feeders (Hicks and Cousins). Pashos can also speak Greek and German, which means that he is a boss. I mean, how many other trilingual players are there in the NFL today?


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11/2011 Player Profile: Nnamdi Asomugha

November 30th 2011 17:30
Nnamdi Asomugha is widely regarded as the second best corner in the NFL to Darrelle Revis, and he was a valued commodity when he hit free agency. Asomugha was given a five-year contract worth $80 million dollars by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he has been a disappointment in his first season with the Eagles. The usually perfect Asomugha has been beat a little too easily this year, and his work in run support- much like last season- has left a lot to be desired.

Asomugha is still a star corner, and I don't think he declined this sharply. Although Asomugha is getting older, he can still cover but is just having a poor season. The scheme he's in with the Eagles doesn't fit his skill set as well as the man-to-man coverage scheme in Oakland. But there really isn't any other way to say it, because Asomugha is in the midst of a poor year; especially by his lofty standards.

We can all hope that it's just a slump, but he is a 30-year-old corner who is in a comparatively unfavorable scheme. The Eagles are also paying Nnamdi $16 million a year, and his level of production hasn't quite matched the contract this season. That's a far cry from what Nnamdi was doing last season, as he was easily one of the best coverage corners last year- and the best over the past three. A more likely explanation is that the former Raiders standout isn't fully healthy, and it really seems like the only truly logical explanation at this point.

In fact, Asomugha led the league in receptions per coverage snap last season. However, he is averaging around 16 yards per catch this season, despite not giving up many catches. In short, he's getting burned way more often than usual. Just look at the first time the Eagles played against the Giants, he was absolutely awful. There is still time for the star corner to bounce back, even if there isn't time for his team to. He needs to get back on the right track and prove that he isn't a declining player. I think it's just been a rough season, and I hope he's able to prove me right on that.

An interesting thing to note is that quarterbacks are still avoiding him, but he just isn't playing all that well. Last game, Nnamdi allowed all four passes targeted to him to be complete. It doesn't seem like his skills are deteriorating, but there is definitely something else at play here (perhaps injury). Regardless, I hope Asomugha turns things around soon and shows that he is indeed the second best cornerback in the NFL.
Struggling with new outfit
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I continue my recent string of Jaguars-themed Historical Player Profiles with their former star quarterback; Mark Brunell. The now-bankrupt backup Jets quarterback is probably shaking his head at the team's most recent loss. The lefty has lost most of his former glory, so I'm just going to focus on his notable seasons with the Jags and Washington Redskins.

Brunell is currently in his 17th season, and the three time Pro Bowler was a 5th round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks made a mistake in taking highly-regarded Notre Dame product Rick Mirer instead of waiting for Brunell to tumble. The Packers already had their answer in Brett Favre, and Brunell and the Jaguars struck gold when he was traded for a 3rd and fifth rounder.

The greatest quarterback in team history, Brunell would be named to the '96,'97, and '99 Pro Bowls. He was simply sensational in 1996, as he led the league in passing yards (4,367) and also led the NFL with 7.8 yards per attempt. This was made all the more impressive when you consider he was sacked a league-leading 50 times. It was the best season of his career, and he even had a league-leading three fourth quarter comebacks to show for it. Despite the 63.4 completion percentage, Brunell did throw 20 picks that year.

A season later, Mark Brunell still made the Pro Bowl- and was the game's MVP- on the strength of just seven interceptions. He also averaged 7.6 air yards per attempt and had a 91.2 QB Rating.

A devout Christian who is known as one of the nicest players and best mentors in the league, Mark Brunell threw for under 3,000 yards in 1998 but came back in 1999 with 3,060 yards and another Pro Bowl appearance (the last one of his career). Only two percent of his passes were picked off, and Brunell had another solid season.

Two interesting statistical streaks emerge when looking at Brunell's career, and these are his six straight seasons of at least 200 passing yards per game (1996-2001) and his streak of eight consecutive seasons with a QB Rating of at least 82.0 (1995-2002). Brunell has a career AV of 120, a QB Rating of 84.0, 6.9 yards per attempt, and 22 game-winning drives. Pro-Football Reference's Fan EloRater has him as the 374th best player in NFL history as of November 9th.

Known as a good scrambler, Mark Brunell was dealt to the Washington Redskins after the 2003 season when Byron Leftwich was named the Jaguars new starting quarterback.

However, Brunell got off to an awful start with his new team in 2004. In 2005, he turned up the heat to the tune of an 85.9 QB Rating and was third in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award voting. He came up big with two key touchdown passes in an MNF game against the 'Skins most hated rivals; the Dallas Cowboys. His two bombs to the elite Santana Moss in the final four minutes gave them an incredible 14-13 victory. Although they were knocked out in the playoffs, they were able to take down the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Wild Card game.

Brunell set the record for the most consecutive complete passes in a game (22) in a game against the Houston Texans in 2006. However, eight weeks later, David Carr tied that record. What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that those 22 passes were his first attempts of the game.

That game was the only high point of a poor season for Brunell, as he was surprisingly benched in favor of first round pick Jason Campbell. Although Campbell would go on to have a decent career- up until his unfortunate injury this season- many people believed that this was an imprudent move and that the usually classless Redskins made Mark Brunell their scapegoat.

The Whataburger owner and Madoff/Dykstra investor signed on with the New Orleans Saints to back up superstar QB and franchise savior Drew Brees. This turned out to be a great move for the holder, as he won a Super Bowl ring thanks to the prolific play of Brees under center in 2009. The former Ed Block Courage Award winner and "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year did play a role as one of the main advisers to Drew Brees that season.

Mark Brunell signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets in 2010 to back up and mentor Mark Sanchez. Although a solid backup, Brunell was released after the 2010 season and was forced to take a reduced pay cut. He did, and Brunell has filed for bankruptcy since; mainly thanks to some ill-advised investments. It is a somewhat sad story, but at least he has that ring and those 11 Whataburgers won't be closing either.

Although Mark Brunell wasn't a great quarterback by any measure, he was a solid player and is a great person. Everybody will tell you that he is one of the best mentors around, and he is a very religious person whose attitude made him an ideal leader. The problem is that his life has been ridden with bad-luck, and it has costed him what would have certainly been a better career. However, Brunell was able to win a Super Bowl with the Saints and has had a nice 17-year career thus far.
108 AY/A-plus for his career



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11/2011 Player Profile: Brandon Flowers

November 13th 2011 14:49
In my piece yesterday, I ranked the top 50 corners in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs star Brandon Flowers with fifth on the list, and the 5'9 corner proves that you don't need height to be a successful player in this league. In fact, he matched up pretty well against Vincent Jackson in their last faceoff; V-Jax is one of the taller corners in the NFL. However, he did give up two touchdowns against Calvin Johnson, despite actually holding his own and playing well overall. Guys, please don't confuse him with the lead singer of the Killers who has the same exact name.

Among all cornerbacks this season, Brandon Flowers has the most passes defended with 15 break-ups. He also has four interceptions, although picks aren't really a good true evaluator of a corner. But it still shows us that he is capable of making plays in the secondary


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To continue my NFL historical player profiles that take a look at some noteworthy former players, I take a stop to the Chicago Bears teams of the 80's to write about their quarterback; Jim McMahon.

The fifth overall pick by the Bears in the 1982 NFL Draft out of BYU, McMahon began slinging passes the year Mike Ditka became head coach of the Chicago Bears. In fact, the coach and injury-prone QB were known to have clashes. We all know the whole headband story when he wore a headband under his helmet that said "Rozelle" to irk then-commissioner Pete Rozelle
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The brother of the second greatest tight end in NFL history- who was also recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, Sterling Sharpe was a talented NFL player in his own right. The wide receiver who was a first rounder out of South Carolina led the league in receptions three times during his brief career. Had he not suffered that neck/spinal injury, Sharpe would undoubtely be a Hall of Famer. As far as talent goes, Sterling Sharpe is one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.

Over a seven year career, the Packers lifer was a four time Pro Bowler and three time 1st Team All-Pro. In '92, his 108 receptions broke the previous record for a single-season receptions total set by Art Monk. However, a year later, Sharpe bested that by recording 112 catches. In '92, Sharpe's career-high 1,461 receiving yards led the NFL (first time in his career). In fact, Sharpe won the Triple Crown of Receiving in 1992 as he also led the league with 13 touchdown receptions. The only player since then to accomplish this defeat was Steve Smith in his legendary 2005 season. Smith is like Sharpe, in that he is one of the most talented receivers of all-time; but he may never make it to the Hall of Fame


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The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were two wonders to behold in the 90's. The Jags made four straight playoff appearances after their first ever season in 1996, and the Panthers were in the conference championship in just their second season. For the Jaguars, cornerback Aaron Beasley was a key contributor having been their 3rd rounder in the team's first draft. Beasley spent six seasons with the team and picked off 15 passes.

I want to get rid of the ugly air first and mention that Aaron Beasley was convicted of battery, but the charges were dropped. Another interesting note is that he co-founded the energy drink company Fever. One of the best players in WVU's history, Beasley certainly lived up to his All-American and WVU Hall of Fame billing


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10/2011 Player Profile: Sedrick Ellis

October 26th 2011 13:52
The New Orleans Saints have the luxury of being four-deep at defensive tackle with Aubrayo Franklin, Shaun Rogers, Sedrick Ellis, and Tom Johnson. The problem for the Saints is that for as good as the interior of their defensive line is, the team struggles on a whole against the run due to the utter incompetence from the linebackers (most namely the overrated Johnathan Vilma).

While Ellis is a pretty good defensive tackle, he is inconsistent and can get blown off of plays in run defense. He also isn't good at pressuring the quarterback, and thus he is the most overrated of the team's defensive tackles. So while he was a solid (but nothing more) contributor against the run, Sedrick Ellis has not been an effective pass rusher since his insane and unattainable (for him) rookie season. He still has a chance to be a productive interior pass-rushing presence instead of a very poor one, but that really doesn't seem very likely at this point. He does show flashes in that department at times, but he earns his starting keep on reputation and his rookie year


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10/2011 Player Profile: Ray Rice

October 15th 2011 17:01
When talking about elite running backs, it is imperative to mention the name "Ray Rice". He is the focal point of a contender's offense, and I honestly hope that you don't think Joe Flacco is the team's best offensive player. That honor goes to Rice, or the very underrated Marshal Yanda. In any case, Rice is one of the best and most versatile backs in the NFL right now, and he currently has a 52.9 RB Efficiency score.

According to Advanced NFL Stats, Rice currently has the 6th highest EPA among running backs this season (13th last season), and his DYAR (provided by Football Outsider's) was 13th in the NFL last season. However, Rice is a better player than the statistics indicate, because we haven't taken into account that he is one of the best receiving running backs in the league


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10/2011 Player Profile: Felix Jones

October 4th 2011 15:00
Although he is a very explosive player who is a terrific pass-catcher, I am really not a big fan of Felix Jones as a player. I think he is an average running back at best, and the Cowboys need to get a new feature back to help out Romo. His RB Efficiency score last year was a below-average 46.6, but he is still a more than capable number two back in this league.

It may seem like I'm hating on Jones right now, but it's just that I don't think he is a consistent enough rusher. There is no doubt that Felix Jones is one of the most explosive backs in this league, but that really doesn't mean much if you can't consistently help your team get yards on the ground. He's good enough that opposing defenses definitely have to account for him on every play, but he's not the guy who strikes fear into opposing defenses. They know that they can leave six men in the box and can still survive the encounter


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Ah, it's finally October and the sporting world is buzzing. The players and owners are still talking instead of balling over in the NBA, the MLB playoffs are here, the Canadians are worrying about the Canucks and Leafs, and the NFL season is as crazy and messed up as ever. To keep this constant amid all this turnover, I'd like to take a breather and briefly look at a former Steelers' career.

The Detroit Lions took Tom Tracy in the 5th round (50th overall), and that just goes to show how many teams there were in 1956. The running back did nothing in his first two seasons, and "The Bomb" signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the next 5 and 1/4 seasons, Tracy would play Pro Bowl football in the city of Pittsburgh


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And on I march with these historical player profiles, while listening to Nirvana of course. Is Dave Grohl not the best rock personality in recent history? While that would be a very entertaining topic to discuss, my "job" here is sports analysis. It's an equally fruitless activity in the eyes of the equally ignorant public, but why listen to the ignorant who have not reaped the rewards of sports? I mean, every diehard sports fan admits that they have learned a lot about life with sports as a medium. Life is like Shawn and sports are like Gus, Gus translates the incoherent nonsense Shawn says. Likewise, sports help translate the craziness and seeming randomness of everyday life. Alright, I'm gonna stop being philosophical- and not get religious- and hit up this HPP.

Before I start this post, I want to go off on another monologue (an aside would be if I was talking to myself, but I'm not Jack White). Why is Dwight Howard's nickname D12? Like, how does that make sense at all? I hate it when people make basketball player's nicknames out of their initial and jersey number. AK47 is cool, but D12 is as ludicrous as the rapper. The guys who made up this nickname are popping too many purple pills and seeing too many purple hills


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9/2011 Player Profile: James Harrison

September 23rd 2011 15:17
I really don't want to address any of the off-the-field stuff in these profiles, because they are strictly about the game. James Harrison is one of those guys who says things that are filled with controversy. We all know that Harrison is one of the best five pass rushers in the game, but his ability on the field goes far beyond pressuring the quarterback and mauling tackles league-wide.

As far as 3-4 outside linebackers go, James Harrison is the best of the bunch. While it can be argued that DeMarcus Ware and Clay Matthews are better pass rushers, neither of those guys bring Harrison's run defense to the table. He's also pretty good in coverage for a guy who is mostly asked to rush the passer. For as prolific of a pass rusher as Clay Matthews is, he is very mediocre at stopping the run. Last season showcased his tremendous ability to get to the quarterback, but he was a huge disappointment in run defense


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9/2011 Player Profile: Philip Wheeler

September 18th 2011 12:57
Although he is listed as a backup for the Colts, Philip Wheeler is a capable starting 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL. The book on him is that he is solid but really nothing more than that. We've been waiting for a breakout season from him, but we probably won't get that. Still, all we can ask for in a player is that they are valuable to the team in some way or another. Last week, Wheeler was one of the only players on the Colts defense who wasn't smoked.

Wheeler was a third round pick in 2008 out of Georgia Tech, and he was a Second-team All-ACC player in the years 2006 and 2007. The problem, however, is that Wheeler has had some trouble showing that he is consistent enough to be a starter. The talent is certainly there, but sometimes you just sit there and wonder if this guy will ever get it. I think this year should be his year to break out, and Bill Polian certainly has high hopes for him


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The feedback I have received about the Historical Player Profiles has definitely been positive, and I am going to continue with my analysis of former NFL players. I don't really have much information to go on, but I always try to do my best to put forth something meaningful. These posts shouldn't be taken too seriously, because they are really meant as a fun look back at a player in history. I feel that it is important to revisit the players (both good and bad) who were on the playing field. And who knows? You might just learn something along the way. I definitely gained a ton of new football knowledge while researching these guys.

As of right now, Tony Brackens has the most sacks in Jacksonville Jaguars history and has the 7th most solo tackles (301). The defensive lineman spent his entire eight year career with the Jags and accumulated 55 sacks. Brackens was the first pick in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. His 27 career fumbles forced are easily the highest in franchise history, and he forced five fumbles in four seasons in his career


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I am continuing my Historical Player Profiles with wide receiver Morris Owens. He was a 5th round pick in the 1975 draft out of Arizona State, but he never received playing time as a rookie with the Dolphins. However, he would make a name for himself in the city of Tampa the following season.

The Buccaneers inaugural season was in 1976, and Owens was a huge part of their team. He scored the team's first touchdown pass in franchise history; a one yard pass from Louis Carter. He finished off his first full season with six touchdown receptions on 30 total catches for 390 receiving yards overall


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8/2011 Player Profile: Mike DeVito

August 7th 2011 13:28
The New York Jets are one of the best run-stuffing teams in the NFL, and a large part of their success is due to the work of defensive linemen Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito. One of the best 3-4 ends in the NFL against the run, DeVito is one of the most underrated players in the game today. There are many great players on the Jets defense who deservedly get a ton of the spotlight, but that doesn't mean that Mike DeVito's contributions should be overlooked.

Although he is a poor pass rusher, 3-4 ends are rarely guys who are asked to put pressure on the QB on a consistent basis. Rex Ryan runs his dad's 46, and it's a hybrid scheme; there really is no base personnel. Usually, though, the Jets run a 3-4 to allow Bryan Thomas and Calvin Pace to get more opportunities to rush the passer


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Justin Tuck DE New York Giants

Tuck has the full package as far as pass rushers go. Tuck is incredibly strong and is also explosive. He is mainly a player that bullies offensive lineman all day, instead of guys like Dwight Freeney that use an arsenal of spin moves to get around their blockers. Tuck dictates the point of attack extremely well, and his teammates really do feed off of him


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New York Giants DT Barry Cofield

Barry Cofield is one of the numerous defensive tackles that never get credit for doing a good job week in and week out. Tuck and Osi can't do what Cofield does on run defense. Cofield is a block in the middle. He is also one of the biggest leaders in the NFL that says the right things and was one of the main representatives for the NFL Union. QBs aren't the only players that have important leadership qualities


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