Family Men

A couple of positive examples set by ProUtes this week:

As a husband, father and player I'm embarrassed to be associated with the NFL right now!
— Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) September 11, 2014

Weddle was also a guest on the Grantland NFL podcast with Robert Mays and Bill Barnwell. Over on CBS Sports, a pair of former ProUtes were profiled:

What a story: Ex-Raven quit football to donate kidney to ex-Steeler younger brother http://t.co/2Ev47rHSzT pic.twitter.com/pDREl3hUeO
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 18, 2014

2013 Postseason

Alex Smith passed for 378 yards and 4 touchdowns, both franchise records, as Kansas City lost at Indianapolis, 45-44. The Colts came back from a 28-point deficit to win, making Smith the only QB to throw 4 TDs and no INTs but lose in the playoffs. He did lose a fumble on a Robert Mathis strip-sack. Playing without an injured Jamaal Charles, Smith was second on the team in rushing with 57 yards on 8 carries. Sean Smith had a tackle, three assists, and a PDef. Kansas City's defense had three interceptions and a fumble recovery, yet Indy won despite the 4-1 turnover margin. Another fumble bounced right to Andrew Luck, who plunged in for a touchdown in the 4th quarter.

The other AFC West team playing on wild card weekend fared better, as the Chargers beat the Bengals, 27-10. Eric Weddle had three tackles, three assists, and a PDef in the road victory. Philip Rivers only threw for 128 yards and one touchdown, but he played error-free ball, unlike Andy Dalton. Dalton tallied 334 yards passing, 1 TD, and 2 INTs (plus a lost fumble). Cincinnati could not overcome a 4-0 margin in turnovers.

In the second round, New England played host to Indianapolis. To prepare for the speed of Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton, the Patriots signed Reggie Dunn to their practice squad. Hilton had more than 100 yards receiving in the game, but he only caught four passes and did not score. Luck threw 4 more interceptions, and this time there was no comeback. New England bludgeoned Indy, with LeGarrette Blount amassing 166 yards and 4 TDs rushing. Stevan Ridley also scored twice, and New England won easily, 43-22. Sealver Siliga contributed one tackle and two assists on defense.

San Diego got another crack at Denver, but this time Mike McCoy didn't outfox John Fox, his former employer. The Broncos built a 17-0 lead before an injury in the defensive backfield opened things up for Rivers. He completed two TDs of 16 yards apiece to rookie Keenan Allen in the 4th quarter, but a Knowshown Moreno TD run kept the final margin at seven. Denver 24, San Diego 17. No six-seed upsetting the one-seed this postseason. Zane Beadles and the Broncos advanced, while Eric Weddle (3 tackles and 2 assists) and the hard-pressing Chargers did not.

That left only two ProUtes playing opposite one another in the AFC Championship: Siliga and Beadles. Other outlets will tell you about Brady and Manning, but this one is all about the big boys in the trenches. Denver's offense totaled more than 500 yards and didn't surrender a sack. The Broncos only punted once. Siliga had five tackles, but this game was all Denver.

The only NFC playoff game to feature any ProUtes was a disappointment, as San Francisco knocked out Carolina, 23-10. Steve Smith scored on a 31-yard pass in the second quarter to give the Panthers a 7-6 lead, but, after adding a field goal, Carolina didn't score in the second half. Smith also caught a 28-yard pass in the first quarter, as he totaled 74 yards on 4 catches. Star Lotulelei made 3 tackles and 3 assists, but Jordan Gross and the O-line allowed two sacks.

Gross is at the end of his contract, and has said that may have been his final game in a Panthers uniform. If he continues to play it will be in Carolina, but he will consider retirement. He will get at least one more game in a Pro Bowl uniform, as he was named a replacement for 49er Joe Staley. Alex Smith, who is also at the end of his contract, was tabbed to replace Tom Brady. So there will be more ProUtes in the Pro Bowl (3) than the Super Bowl (1).

Full Cupboard

The cupboard is full of candidates for ProUte of Week 17, which is even more impressive with all three Smith boys being rested! Sealver Siliga was a brute, racking up 5 tackles, 4 assists, a sack, and a forced fumble! That's bigger than Star Lotulelei's tackle, assist, and sack. Brice McCain had 5 tackles, 2 PDefs, and an interception. Eric Weddle had 9 tackles, 5 assists, and ran for a first down on a fake punt. Matt Asiata had a breakout game, rushing for 115 yards on 14 carries, an average of 8.2 ypc, with a long of 39 yards (and a fumble lost). Zane Beadles was a key member of the highest-scoring offense in NFL history.

How to choose one award-winning performance, then? Context. Siliga's play is remarkable for a practice squad journeyman, but New England didn't have much to lose against Buffalo. The Patriots are the second seed in the AFC regardless. The Panthers are the second seed in the NFC, and Star's sack was one of a team-record 9 against Atlanta. Houston had nothing left to play for, but they went down fighting, as McCain's game against Tennessee can attest. He has a knack for picking off Titans' passes! Asiata played well in a win, but Minnesota's coach was fired anyway. Beadles had a big year, but was it a big week for him?

And then there's Weddle, who bulled his team's way into the playoffs. When Mike McCoy decided to fake a punt from his own 28 in overtime, he put the ball in Weddle's hands. Can that really be considered a gamble? Weddle got it done, and San Diego got the help they needed to land a wildcard spot after defeating Kansas City's backups. Weddle got the victory, so Weddle gets the trophy.

Mr. Incredible

Weddle (or is it younger Dwalin?) exults on the battlefield.

Sealver Siliga continued to tear it up against Baltimore, bringing down Joe Flacco for a sack to go along with a tackle and three assists. That would have been enough for the ProUte of the Week, if not for this. That was Eric Weddle, the Pro Bowl-bound free safety, making an incredible interception. Watch it again. That's all effort by Eric, and that's why Siliga didn't get his first award. Weddle added two tackles, two assists, and a PDef on the afternoon.

Steve Smith caught a 44-yard pass, but had to leave the game with what was diagnosed as a PCL sprain. He would play in the season finale if his coach would allow it, but Carolina has clinched a playoff berth, so they will sideline Smith against Atlanta.

The Pick Is In

The pick for ProUte of Week 13 is in, and it's Eric Weddle. He caught his first interception of the season, which he returned 21 yards. He recovered a fumble, which he returned 27 yards. He had six tackles, an assist, and a pass defensed. That's a Weddle performance worthy of the ProUte of the Week Award.

Alex Smith played well against the Broncos, but not well enough to win the game or the week 13 award. He completed 26-42 passes for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns with one interception. He also ran 4 times for 46 yards.

Sean Smith had 5 tackles and a PDef in the loss; Koa Misi had 3 tackles and a sack in a win over the Jets.

Sealver Siliga was signed from the practice squad and played for New England, registering one tackle and one assist. David Reed was waived mid-week by Indianapolis.

Seven Up

Seven of the eight ProUtes in the same game.

Carolina came from behind to beat Miami, 20-16. It was the seventh straight victory for Carolina, but the true headline of the game was the participation of eight ProUtes! Sam Brenner got another start, and his reward was facing Star Lotulelei. Koa Misi, Derrick Shelby, and Paul Soliai were opposite Jordan Gross. That left R.J. Stanford, a former Panther defensive back, to cover Steve Smith. No offense to R.J. (who didn't see much action, or this photo op), but that's a mismatch. Smith didn't put up big numbers, but he made the big play when his team needed it.

With four minutes to go in the game, Miami was forced to punt. Carolina took over at their own 20 yard line. On first down, Smith was called for illegal formation, a five-yard penalty. With a first-and-fifteen, Ted Ginn, Jr. lost three yards. Cam Newton ran for eight yards on second-on-eighteen. Newton went back to Ginn, Jr. for an incomplete pass on third-and-ten. Facing fourth-and-ten at their own 20 yard line with two-and-a-half minutes to play, the reformed-conservative Ron Rivera went for it. And did Newton look for Ginn, Jr. when it counted? No, he did not. When you need to move the chains, you look for Steve Smith. Even when he's double covered. Put that ball in there, and only one man will come out with it. Smith caught the pass, the defenders fell down, and it turned into a 19-yard gain. That play sustained the drive, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen. Smith didn't get the score, but he got the win. He got his five catches for 69 yards, and he got another ProUte of the Week Award.

San Diego also came back to top Kansas City, 41-38, in a game that pitted Alex Smith against Eric Weddle. Alex completed 26-of-38 passes for 294 yards and 3 TDs, with one interception. Weddle didn't snag that pick but he did force a fumble, which he recovered. He also made six tackles. Sean Smith had three tackles and a PDef, but he was also beat on the game-winning touchdown. That game had rival coaches as well, with former Ute Mike McCoy squaring off against former Cougar Andy Reid. The Chiefs have lost two in a row, with a rematch with Denver looming.

Reggie Dunn was signed to another practice squad. After a stint in Green Bay, Dunn has taken his talents to Cleveland. He keeps (re)turning up!

Three Technique

There were three significant games in week 11:

Miami 20, San Diego 16
The Dolphins are once again a 5 ProUte team, having promoted Sam Brenner from the practice squad to immediate starter. Miami's offensive line is in such disarray following the Incognito-Martin fallout and the injury to Pouncey that Brenner was called into action. He was part of the unit that surrendered four sacks, including one by Eric Weddle. The Dolphins' defense held the Chargers' offense in check, but none of the ProUtes on the squad came close to Weddle's 7 tackles, sack, and pass defensed.

Denver 27, Kansas City 17
Denver handed Kansas City their first loss of the season and took over the division lead in the process. The Chiefs lead the league in sacks, but they couldn't get to Peyton Manning and his fragile ankles. Credit Zane Beadles and the Broncos offensive line for giving their aging QB time to throw. Alex Smith threw the ball 45 times, but only completed 21 passes for 230 yards. He threw a touchdown at the start of the second quarter and another one at the end of the fourth quarter, when the outcome was already decided. He also ran 5 times for 52 yards, and recovered his own fumble. Sean Smith had 2 tackles and a PDef for K.C.'s D.

Carolina 24, New England 20  
This was the biggest game of the week, and it was played on the Monday Night Football stage. Cam Newton outplayed Tom Brady, Steve Smith owned Aqib Talib, and the Panthers came away with another impressive victory. Smith's stats (4 for 62) are on par with his season, but his diss on former rival Talib, telling him to "Ice up, son," sums it up. Not a lot will be said about Jordan Gross, but Carolina converted 8 of 11 third downs. More will be said about Star Lotulelei, who lined up at the 3 technique and blew right by the blocker to sack Brady. He also had 4 tackles and an assist. Prior to the game, Star topped the Making the Leap list on NFL.com; after his big showing, he is the ProUte of the Week!

By Weddle's Beard

The Wedd Head is sporting a bushy beard this season, prompting possible new nicknames. Captain Boltbeard, anyone?

Weddle has quietly put together another solid season, leading the Chargers with 70 tackles. It's been quiet on the interception front, as quarterbacks have been going away from him. It's also been quiet on the ProUte of the Week front. He's honorable mention almost every week, but he's been out-shined by less consistent performers. In week 9 he had 15 tackles, for example, but Sean Smith had a 100 yard pick six. In week 10 Kansas City was on bye, so Weddle didn't have to compete with Sean or Alex, the previous two winners.

His eight tackles in a loss to Denver (unbeaten Kansas City's next opponent) weren't a season-high for Weddle, but it was the high for the week. Steve Smith had six catches for 63 yards in Carolina's 10-9 win at San Francisco, but Weddle (and his beard) wins ProUte of the Week 10!  

Nine Lives

Sean Smith scored one of the two defensive touchdowns the Chiefs needed to survive in week 9. Kansas City is 9-0 going into their bye week, and they owe it to their defense. With his team trailing 10-3 and Buffalo threatening to add to that lead, Smith returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, which he said "was like Christmas." In that case we have one more present for him: the ProUte of the Week Award! Smith also had 2 PDefs, a tackle, and an assist.

Smith's former teammate Paul Soliai had 3 tackles, a sack, and a PDef in an overtime victory over Cincinnati, while Eric Weddle made 9 tackles and 6 assists in an overtime loss to Washington. Paul Kruger faced his former Baltimore teammates and had 2 tackles and a PDef. 

Sly Comeback

Stevenson Sylvester returned to the Steelers in time for their first win of the season, 19-6 over the Jets. He had two assisted tackles on special teams and he got his number 55 back!

Steve Smith caught a touchdown, but it was from two yards out; he tallied 21 yards on five catches. Carolina put up 35 points on Minnesota, so Steve had some help for a change.

San Diego held Indianapolis in check on Monday night, with Eric Weddle having 5 tackles, an assist, and a pass defensed in the contest. That edges out Sean Smith by one assist.

Without a clear victor based on statistics, the ProUte of Week 6 goes to Sly helping Pittsburgh get in the win column!

First Quarter

The first quarter of the 2013-14 NFL season has already been played. It's a little earlier than usual, but the time has come to praise the offensive linemen. It was a bye week for Carolina and Jordan Gross, Caleb Schlauderaff hasn't played much for New York, and Tony Bergstrom hasn't played at all for Oakland since he was placed on injured reserve.

Zane Beadles is about the only Denver offensive lineman who hasn't been hurt, which makes the Broncos' output truly impressive. Peyton Manning will get all the credit, but this is no one trick pony. Denver had 472 net yards of offense against Philadelphia's porous defense. They converted on 5 of 8 third downs and all 5 times in the red zone. Denver did give up one sack and two tackles for a loss, yet they averaged 6.6 yards per play on 71 plays. That last number is the biggest one of the game. Chip Kelly's hurry up offense ran 69 plays, two fewer than Denver's. And the Broncos scored on both a kick return and a blocked punt! That eliminated two series for the Broncos' O, yet they still ran more plays than the Eagles. Beadles is the ProUte of Week 4.

Kansas City beat the New York Giants, 31-7. Alex Smith had a good game, with 288 yards and 3 TDs, but he also had his first two interceptions of the year. San Diego defeated Dallas as the AFC West went 3-1 against the NFC East. Eric Weddle had 5 tackles, 2 assists, and 2 PDefs in the win. David Reed saw his first action for Indianapolis, returning two kicks for 44 yards (Kerwynn Williams has been waived).

D is for Disruption

Eli Manning can't escape the gravity of Star Lotulelei

Kansas City's Smith gets another nod for ProUte of the Week, but it's not Alex Smith this time. Sean Smith had 3 tackles, an assist, 2 PDefs, and one of the two interceptions of Michael Vick. 

Star Lotulelei had one of seven sacks of Eli Manning as the Panthers dismantled the Giants. He also had a tackle for loss and an assist.

Eric Weddle had six tackles and three assists, but he wasn't covering rookie Justin Hunter on the game-winning touchdown for Tennessee.

Kansas City stayed unbeaten and has already won more games than all of last season, and they did it in Andy Reid's return to Philadelphia. Vick was sacked six times and the Eagles committed four turnovers, so Sean Smith was a beneficiary of a disruptive defense.

Carolina got their first win of the season in a 38-0 drubbing of New York; that's the largest margin of victory in franchise history. Eli Manning threw one interception, a season-low, but was sacked seven times. Four of those were by defensive ends (Hardy had 3), but both rookie defensive tackles had one apiece. The play of Lotulelei in the middle helps the edge rushers, and vice versa. It is a team sport after all, but only one player can be the ProUte of the Week. For week three it was DB Sean Smith!

Koa Misi had four tackles before he left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury; fellow Dolphin Paul Soliai missed the whole game with a bad knee, and Cameron Wake went out with a knee injury on the first series. Could mean more snaps for Derrick Shelby this week. Steve Smith had a hard landing and got up sore, but everybody knows how tough he is!

Ute Chief

It was a big opening week for several ProUtes! Zane Beadles and the Broncos started the season by beating the defending Super Bowl champs (a team that needed a huge play to knock Denver out of the playoffs last year), and then ol' Zane got a mention on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! How many offensive lineman can say that?

Star Lotulelei has been recognized for his solid play on the defensive line, and we want to recognize a couple more: Derrick Shelby and Paul Kruger. Playing for opposite sides in the same game, both Shelby and Kruger made two tackles and a sack. Shelby's sack forced a fumble, while Kruger also added two assisted tackles. Eric Weddle had two assists to go with his nine tackles and a pass defensed, but Brice McCain (one tackle on special teams) and the Texans came back to beat the Chargers. Star's teammate Steve Smith was once again the star of Carolina's offense, scoring their only touchdown on one of his six receptions for 51 yards.

We've got to give the game ball (i.e. ProUte of the Week) to Alex Smith, who made a memorable debut with Kansas City. His numbers weren't that auspicious - 21/34 for 173 yards and 2 TDs, plus 25 yards rushing - but the final score of 28-2 has never been seen in the NFL before. His first game didn't start well, as a three-and-out resulted in a safety (one of four in week one) on a blocked punt out of the end zone, but that 2-0 lead wouldn't last for the Jags. Alex didn't put on the best performance of a quarterback in the NFL in week one, but it was one of the better performances by a quarterback in Kansas City in quite some time!

Tale of Two Halves

Alex Smith was sensational in the first half of the season, winning three of the first five ProUte of the Week Awards (and four of the first eight). Smith had a career-high completion percentage and passer rating halfway through the year. Then he took a hit to the back of the neck that gave him a concussion. He was replaced by Colin Kaepernick, who has led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Steve Smith came on strong in the second half of the season, winning three of the last five awards. Steve scored all four of his touchdowns after week 8, and went over 1,000 yards receiving for the seventh time in his career. His numbers weren't quite as high as last season, but he played in every game of his twelfth year in the league.

Had Alex not been injured, he could have had the best year of his career. His four ProUte of the Week Awards were the most this season, but his fourth came in week 8. Steve shared the award with teammate Jordan Gross in week 9, giving him three and a half awards this year. Carolina finished the season strong, but it wasn't enough to overcome a slow start.

Eric Weddle won three awards this year, all in the second half of the season (evidently the injury Alex sustained opened the door for other candidates later in the year). That is not a mark of inconsistent play on his part, however; Weddle was honorable mention for the award 10 times. He contented for 13 of the 17 awards, making him the most consistent high performer.

Weddle played in all 16 games for the third consecutive season, despite also suffering a concussion. He recorded 97 tackles, the second most in his career, and one sack. His nine pass deflections and three interceptions were down from last year, but he did return an interception for a touchdown. Weddle also forced fumbles for the first time in his career. He filled in on punt returns, and converted two fake punts.

Unlike last year, when he tied for the league-lead in interceptions, Weddle was not voted to the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team. According to NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, Weddle was among the players who got snubbed.  With Ed Reed playing in the Super Bowl that opens a slot at free safety for the AFC, although it appears the nod will be given to Brian Dawkins of the Broncos, who is injured.

Weddle may not be recognized by fans around the league, but his teammates in San Diego voted him the team MVP.  That honor means more to Weddle than any other, and to it we will add ProUte of the Year for 2012.

Direct Snap

Once again Weddle took a direct snap and successfully executed a fake punt. Last time it didn't surprise Utah fans, but this time it shouldn't have surprised anybody. Don't the Raiders watch game film? If they watch the film from week 17 they will see Weddle making eight tackles and getting behind his blockers for a 6 yard gain and a first down. We're going to direct snap the ProUte of the Week Award to Weddle; we trust he knows what to do with it.

Lining up across from Weddle and the Chargers defense was Tony Bergstrom, making his first start for the Raiders. San Diego beat Oakland, 24-21.

Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Paul Kruger both sacked former TCU quarterback Andy Dalton; Kemoeatu also had 4 tackles, while Kruger had one tackle and one pass deflection. David Reed also caught 3 passes for 44 yards, but Cincinnati got past Baltimore, 23-17. Both teams are headed to the playoffs, so there wasn't much at stake in this meeting.

Get Away With One

On this highlight clip the announcer says Steve Smith got away with one, but as far as we're concerned he got away with another ProUte of the Week Award! Smith caught four passes for 45 yards and a TD, his fourth of the season. Carolina beat Oakland 17-6, their fourth victory in five games; they face New Orleans in the season finale for both teams.

Sean Smith had two tackles and forced a fumble in Miami's 24-10 win over Buffalo, but the Dolphins were knocked out of the playoffs by Cincinnati. Miami closes out the year at New England.

Eric Weddle recorded 7 tackles against the Jets. He also got a few licks in on Greg McElroy, although he didn't get one of the 11 sacks San Diego racked up on the quarterback making his first start. San Diego will host Oakland on Sunday.

Ten Pin

Eric Weddle made ten takedowns, but Steve Smith got by him for a diving touchdown. That made the score 31-0 in favor of Carolina; the Panthers would go on to win 31-7. Carolina and San Diego both stand at 5-9 for the season, which will not extend into the playoffs for these two teams. Smith had 6 catches for 57 yards and a rush for 15 more. He takes home the ProUte of the Week Award for Week 15.

Zane Beadles and got the better of Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Paul Kruger as Denver defeated Baltimore, 34-17. David Reed caught two passes for 22 yards in his first action for the Ravens this season.

Ma'ake the Play

This could end up being our Play of the Year: Ma'ake Kemoeatu forces the fumble and Paul Kruger recovers it! It may not have been a big return on the play, but that is some excellent teamwork by the ProUtes! Kemoeatu had 2 tackles and a PDef to go with his FF, while Kruger had 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks in addition to the FR. Kruger is the ProUte of the Week, but big Ma'ake made the big play!

Eric Weddle had 5 tackles, 2 PDef, and converted a fake punt. On 4th-and-2 from their own 28 the Chargers put the ball in Weddle's hands with a direct snap. He ran around the end for a 4 yard gain and a first down. No surprise to Utah fans who recall Weddle's success running the Wildcat in college, but it must have caught Washington off guard!

Steve Smith caught 7 passes for 109 yards as Carolina beat division-leading Atlanta, 30-20. The Associated Press reported:

It was all Carolina in the first half, beginning with the coin toss.

The Panthers hadn’t won a coin flip all year until Sunday, causing team captain Jordan Gross to exalt at midfield by thrusting both arms into the air. Including overtime, the Panthers were 0-13 on coin flips.

“I’ve never seen people cheering so loud for a coin toss,” Gross said with a laugh.
 

The Wedd Head

Eric Weddle became the latest ProUte to suffer a concussion on Sunday. He was coming up to make a tackle on Ravens RB Ray Rice when he got blocked in the back by WR Anquan Boldin. The cheap shot propelled him head first into Rice, and Weddle sustained a concussion on the play. For all of the league's talk about protecting receivers from headhunting defenders, where is the penalty/suspension/fine for Boldin on this dirty play? Weddle left the game, Rice converted a 4th-and-29, and the game went to overtime, where Baltimore prevailed. Before he was knocked out of the game Weddle had 7 tackles, 2 PDefs, and a near interception that would have iced it for the Chargers. Instead the Wedd Head is on ice. Another ProUte of the Week Award won't ease his symptoms, but he deserves it.

Paul Kruger got after Philip Rivers using his quick hands, sacking the quarterback once. Kruger now has 5.5 sacks, matching his total from last season. He also had four tackles. Koa Misi made 7 tackles against the Seahawks, but it was teammate Paul Soliai who got to the quarterback for half a sack.

Alex Smith was cleared to play following his concussion, but Coach Harbaugh went with Colin Kaepernick instead. He looked good leading the Niners to a win in the Superdome, so Smith, the 5th highest rated passer in the league, finds himself embroiled in a quarterback controversy.

Picked Clean

Marcus Gilchrist made the leaping deflection, Eric Weddle made the interception, and Peyton Manning made a weak attempt at keeping him out of the end zone. Weddle took it back 23 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Manning's attempt was halfhearted but heady, as he stayed in the game and threw three touchdown passes to his own teammates. San Diego was able to sack him for a safety in the second half, as the Chargers defense put 9 points on the board before the offense got in gear. Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes but he also threw two interceptions and lost one of his three fumbles. Weddle might have to step into the backfield to protect his own quarterback, as Rivers was sacked 4 times (3 by Von Miller). As it is Weddle had 6 tackles, a PDef, and the pick six. San Diego wasn't good enough for the win or the division lead, but Weddle was certainly good enough to capture the ProUte of the Week Award, his first of the season.

Paul Kruger followed up his award-winning performance with another solid outing against the Steelers. He had two tackles, a sack, a PDef, and forced a fumble. Koa Misi had 4 tackles and a sack, while Sean Smith had 6 tackles and forced a fumble.