Senior Moment

Smith's pic on twitter.

Steve Smith had a painful separation from the Carolina Panthers. In order to separate himself from the other receiver named Smith on his new team he added Senior to his jersey. It's fitting for him, as it honors his son and marks the latter stages of his career.

When Baltimore meets rival Pittsburgh this year Smith, Sr. may find Brice McCain covering him. Like Smith, McCain signed with an AFC North team after being released by a team in the South (Houston).

One free agent left the AFC East (Miami) for the NFC South (Atlanta), but Paul Soliai won't see Steve Smith or Jordan Gross when he squares off against the Panthers. Zane Beadles, another lineman, moved to Florida and the AFC South (Jacksonville) from the AFC West (Denver).

Paul's Haul

A pair of Pauls and a pair of Smiths make up the candidates for the ProUte of Week 14. Paul Kruger and Paul Soliai both had sacks, Alex Smith had a 122.3 rating, and Steve Smith made a fierce touchdown grab. Steve's score came at the end of a rout by New Orleans, ending Carolina's win streak. Alex threw 20 passes, completing 14 for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns in the snow. Soliai had a sack, a tackle, an assist, and a PDef.

Kruger doubled him up with two sacks, two tackles, two assists, a PDef, and a forced fumble. It was his best game in a Browns uniform, and it got him his first ProUte of the Week Award this season.

Sealver Siliga got his first start for the Patriots, and came up with 6 assists in the comeback victory.

R.J. Stanford was placed on injured reserve by the Dolphins.

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!

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. 

Miami Vice Grip

The offensive linemen got their due last week, so let's move over to Miami's defense in week five. Prior to the game Baltimore re-committed to make Ray Rice the centerpiece of their offense, and Miami was ready for him. The Dolphins' D limited Rice to 74 yards on 27 carries, less than 3 yards per carry. His longest run of the game was 7 yards. He also had 6 receptions for 28 yards, with a long of 9 yards. Rice had more than 100 yards of offense and 2 touchdowns, but it took 33 touches to get there. He also lost a fumble, forced by our own Paul Soliai!

Baltimore was 6/16 on third down conversions and 2/3 in the red zone. The Ravens had 384 net yards and won the game on their fourth field goal. Miami won the turnover battle 2-0 with Rice's fumble and Joe Flacco's pick six returned by Reshad Jones to tie the game at 23 in the fourth quarter. Miami's defense did all they could to stay in the game, but Miami's running game couldn't get it done.

The ProUte of the Week could go to the entire defense, but one player stood out: Koa Misi. Misi was all over Rice and Flacco, making 7 tackles (three for a loss) and an assist, plus a sack for an 11 yard loss and a quarterback hurry. Soliai had 4 tackles along with the forced fumble, and Derrick Shelby and R.J. Stanford each contributed 3 tackles apiece. It was a solid performance all around, but Koa Misi is the clear cut ProUte of Week Five.

Haul It In

Steve Smith hauled in this touchdown pass, and with it the ProUte of the Week Award. Smith caught 5 passes for 120 yards, including a 23 yard TD and a 53 yard Hail Mary on the last play of the game. An emotional Kansas City team stopped the Panthers short, but Smith has never let his lack of size stop him from coming down with the ball.

Koa Misi had 5 tackles and sacked Tom Brady, as did his teammate Paul Soliai (2 tackles). Paul Kruger also got another sack, although his penalty for roughing the passer after the two minute warning helped the Steelers move into field goal range. David Reed was activated from the physically unable to perform list for the first time this season, but did not play.

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.

Spread it Around

Alex Smith completed 18 of 19 passes to 9 different targets, an all-around demonstrative performance on Monday Night Football. Even when Arizona tipped a pass it still ended up in the hands of the intended receiver. The only pass to fall incomplete was dropped by a wide open receiver, but otherwise Smith's teammates made great runs after the catch and great blocks downfield to extend plays. Smith had 232 passing yards, an average of 12 yards per attempt, and 3 TDs, including one juke-and-jive 47 yards up the sideline by Randy Moss. Arizona has a solid defense and, although they sacked Smith four times, they never got him off his game. No turnovers, no looking over his shoulder. He's still the clear starter for a San Francisco team that is the clear division leader after beating Arizona, 24-3. Alex Smith is our ProUte of the Week for Week 8.

Steve Smith had the play of the day - if not the whole season - on this pass he tipped and caught. He also had a nice leaping reception for 47 yards, one of his 7 catches for 118 yards. Eric Weddle was all over the soggy field in Cleveland, making 6 tackles (one for loss), a PDef, and a forced fumble. In addition he fielded five punts, returning one 20 yards. Paul Soliai was a force for the Jets to reckon with, as he had 4 tackles (one for loss) and recovered a Mark Sanchez fumble with one arm while fending off a blocker with the other. As for the blockers, Zane Beadles and the Broncos came up big with 530 total yards (225 rushing) and no sacks allowed. Beadles made the trap block to get McGahee into the end zone for the game's first score.

Use the Force

Forced fumbles were all over the field in Week 5, especially in Cincinnati. Sean Smith forced one to go with his PDef and 8 tackles, and Koa Misi forced this fumble on one of his 5 tackles. It was quite a day for the Miami defense, as 5 ProUtes recorded tackles! Derrick Shelby got his first, R.J. Stanford had one, and Paul Soliai had 3 plus half a sack in Miami's 17-13 victory.

Eric Weddle forced a fumble and sacked Drew Brees on his record-setting day; Weddle also had 7 tackles in the contest.

Robert Johnson hauled in his first interception on this red zone tip drill, but the Vikings controlled the game to the point that Matt Asiata got his first two carries for 8 yards.

Brice McCain also had an interception in the end zone, and he returned it 86 yards to the opposite red zone. That's what you call flipping the field! McCain had 2 tackles, half a sack, and a PDef as Houston remained undefeated.

Paul Kruger had 5 tackles, 3 for a loss in a close game against the Chiefs.

So many candidates for ProUte of the Week, but one ran away with it: Alex Smith. In a 45-3 rout of Buffalo, Smith threw for a season-high 303 yards and 3 TDs. He added 49 yards rushing on 3 carries as San Francisco became the first NFL team ever to top 300 yards passing and 300 yards rushing in the same game. Talk about bringing balance to the force! The 49ers aren't just a dominant defense any more. The 621 total yards was a franchise-record, and it belongs to Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh, not Joe Montana and Bill Walsh. Alex had a perfect passer rating in the first half, and he leads the league with a rating of 108.7. He's also leading the way with three ProUte of the Week Awards in the first five weeks of the season!

Heavy Weight Bout

Not even an open cut on the bridge of his nose could rattle Alex Smith as he drove his team down the field for the game-clinching touchdown. Smith got cut when he scrambled down field ("just like he did in college" according to one commentator) for a gain that was nullified by a holding penalty. Smith took a forearm to the face at the end of his slide, but no flag was thrown for targeting his head. He was cut on the play, but he wasn't flustered. With blood running down his nose Alex lined up and methodically moved his team into scoring position. He hit Vernon Davis with another touchdown pass, and that was game. Alex Smith knows how to roll with the punches, so taking the ProUte of the Week Award away from him isn't going to be easy!

There were some heavy weights who gave it a shot: Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Paul Soliai, and Sione Pouha all recorded a PDef this week. Sean Smith had two, but he's a cornerback. These three are defensive tackles, and they all notched a PDef in the same week! Pouha had the best overall performance in his return to action, with two tackles, a sack, and the PDef.

Steve Smith needed only 3 receptions to get 104 yards, with his longest being good for 66 yards.

Eric Weddle wasn't the only ProUte safety wearing #32 in San Diego on Sunday. Robert Johnson got the start again for Tennessee. He struggled to cover the tight end in the end zone, but he did record three tackles for a loss (four total). Weddle had three tackles and an interception of Jake Locker's errant pass.

AFC Beast

After drawing some interest from the Denver Broncos, Paul Soliai opted to stay in Miami. According to ESPN.com he signed a two-year deal worth $12 million, half of it guaranteed. Apparently he still fits into the team's plans as they transition to a 4-3 defense.

Jonathan Fanene will join Soliai and Pouha in the AFC East, as he agreed to an offer from the New England Patriots. Now if the Bills could lure Sealver Siliga away from Denver's practice squad each team in the division would have a Polynesian ProUte on its defensive line. It would be the AFC Beast!

Down the Line

The Jets have locked up Sione Pouha for another 3 years, adding stability to their defensive front. The Steelers have cut Chris Kemoeatu from their unstable offensive line in an attempt to clear more cap space. The Dolphins used their franchise tag on Paul Soliai a year ago, but the two sides never reached a long term agreement. This year Miami is transitioning from a 3-4 look to a 4-3 front, which reduces the importance of a massive run stopper. Will he capitalize on his Pro Bowl appearance and take his girth to another team that will appreciate a man of his stature, or will he stay with Koa Misi and Sean Smith in South Beach? Alex Smith is likely to stay in San Francisco, signing a new deal that will keep him (not Peyton Manning) as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. The Panthers tendered R.J. Stanford, an exclusive rights free agent.

Little Playmakers

Weddle vs. Smith in the 2012 Pro Bowl

Steve Smith dubbed himself "Little Playmaker, University of Utah" in the video introductions for NFL games this season, and the nickname fit. Especially in yesterday's Pro Bowl, where Smith was the leading receiver for the NFC, catching 5 passes for 118 yards and a TD. His teammate Cam Newton didn't fare as well in his first appearance, throwing 3 interceptions - two of them into the hands of Eric Weddle, another little playmaker. Weddle, who was tied for the league lead in interceptions this year, returned the first one 63 yards and pitched the second pick over to Derrick Johnson, who took it 60 yards for an AFC TD. There weren't many opportunities for Paul Soliai to make any notable plays, as the defensive line is stymied by the rules of the game, but his teammate Brandon Marshall strutted his stuff, catching 6 passes for 174 yards and a record 4 TDs on his way to the Pro Bowl MVP.

Pro Bowl Bound

A deflected ball about to become another Weddle INT.

Steve Smith and Eric Weddle won't be going to the playoffs this year, but they will be going to the Pro Bowl! The NFL announced the rosters for the Pro Bowl last night, with Smith and Weddle listed as reserves for the NFC and AFC, respectively. It will be Smith's fifth Pro Bowl appearance - the first since 2008 - and Weddle's first trip. He talked about earning his first selection on the Chargers Blog.

Smith will be joined by one of his offensive linemen, but it isn't Jordan Gross. At least one blogger on ESPN.com thought that Gross was more deserving of the honor than Jermon Bushrod from the Saints. New Orleans, the team Carolina plays at the conclusion of the regular season, still has a shot at the Super Bowl, which might open the door for Gross to make another trip to Hawaii.

It would be nice to see Alex Smith get recognized for his performance this season, but there are more prolific quarterbacks in the NFC; at this point he isn't listed among the alternates from the 49ers. With a first-round bye and San Fran's suffocating defense, Alex just might have a shot at the Super Bowl as well!

Hit the Sack

Koa Misi bringing down Tom Brady last season.

Koa Misi's second season with the Miami Dolphins (0-5) has not started as well as his rookie season did. The former second round pick has been in a sack slump, according to this article by Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That changed on Monday, when Misi sacked Mark Sanchez. It's a bit of stretch to name him the ProUte of the Week for his three tackles, one sack in a 24-6 loss to the Jets, but any hit on Sanchez is worth mentioning.

The article by Jackson also mentions the struggles of Sean Smith, another second round pick now in his third season. He did not break out of his slump against the Jets, but Paul Soliai contributed three tackles for his franchise tag.

This week the Dolphins will host Tim Tebow on "Gator Day," no less. Hopefully he will receive a warm welcome from Koa and crew.

Paul the Plug

The impasse over the collective bargaining agreement has not put a halt to all negotiations in the NFL; Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has reported that the Miami Dolphins are having active discussions with Paul Soliai and his agent, David Canter. In his fourth season Soliai provided the impasse the Dolphins needed for their 3-4 defense, effectively plugging up the middle against the run. Miami wants to keep Paul the Plug in place, and may use the franchise tag to do so. Soliai would like a multiyear deal that exceeds the five-year, $20.5 million contract his fellow defensive lineman Randy Starks signed in 2008, while the team has tendered one year offers. One hindrance is the 30 percent rule, which would limit Soliai's pay to 30 percent more than the $467,000 he made last season. The two sides could skirt around that hitch with a large signing bonus, but how large of a bonus should a team give a large man who has only made a large contribution to the team in one of his four years in the league? Soliai's agent predicts that he will test the open market, but that will be contingent upon the league having a new collective bargaining agreement in place. Still, it is encouraging that this once doubted player has transformed himself into a stalwart.

Pocket Presence

Alex Smith may be finished in San Francisco, but he kept his poise to the end. Playing without his top running back (injured reserve) and his coach (fired), he stood tall in the pocket and delivered. In a battle of also-rans Smith was 15-29 for 276 yards and 2 TDs in a 38-7 rout of Arizona. The 49ers got 2 of their 6 wins against the Cardinals; it was the second straight sweep of this division opponent. Smith is now a free agent and likely will not be re-signed by the Niners. Hopefully he will get a fresh start with another team next season (if there isn't a lockout).

For playing well until the bitter end Alex Smith wins the ProUte of the Week award ahead of Paul Soliai (6 tackles, fumble recovery) and Eric Weddle (6 tackles, INT, PDef).

4x4x4

Week 13 in the NFL was a tough one. Six ProUtes played tough defense in tough losses. Naming the ProUte of the Week is a tough call as a result. Do we recognize Sione Pouha's individual effort leading the Jets with 8 tackles in a 45-3 loss to the Patriots? Or do we go with the overall team effort Miami got from Koa Misi, Sean Smith, and Paul Soliai (4 tackles apiece) in a 13-10 loss to Cleveland?

Eight tackles is a rare feat for an interior lineman like Pouha, but the Patriots broke the century mark in rushing yards and had two rushing TDs. The Dolphins held Peyton Hillis and the Browns to 52 yards rushing and no scores on the ground. If not for Chad Henne's 3 INTs and a blocked FG in the first quarter Miami could have come away with a win. Mark Sanchez also threw 3 INTs for New York, but that was forcing the ball downfield under duress.

Pouha tallied as many tackles as Misi and Soliai combined, but throw in Smith's tackles and the 4x4x4 gets the job done. This marks the second time this season Miami's trio has shared the award. Eric Weddle (6 tackles) and Ma'ake Kemoeatu (5 tackles) were also in the running.

Behind the Line

Quarterback Kyle Orton may be the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, but he knows who to thank: his offensive line. Here he is slapping the helmet of #68 Zane Beadles, our ProUte of the Week. Behind the blocking of Beadles and Co. the Broncos amassed 452 net yards, 299 passing and 153 rushing. They didn't allow a sack for the first time this season, and with that protection Orton (4 TDs, no INTs) posted a 131.5 passer rating. The Broncos finally established a ground game with the first 100+ yard performance of the season for a Denver running back. Tim Tebow also got in on the action with a TD pass and a TD run. Even Brady Quinn could have had a good day behind that commanding O-line!

Beadles wins the award for the second time in his rookie season, stonewalling David Reed (3 kick returns for 64 yards), Sean Smith (6 tackles), and Paul Soliai (3 tackles, 1 PDef). Smith and Soliai (along with Koa Misi) will be back in action tonight, as Miami hosts the Bears. Denver will face off with San Diego on Monday night.

Pickin' 'Em Up and Puttin' 'Em Down

Eric Weddle picked up another ProUte of the Week award in week 9. Weddle wraps up these awards like he wraps up ball carriers (8 tackles). He deflects all challengers like he defends passes (2 PDef). This week's poll had five other candidates, but none of them could get by Weddle to reach paydirt. It would take Sione Pouha (4 tackles, PDef) and Sean Smith combined (5 tackles, PDef) to surpass Weddle's numbers. Koa Misi had 6 tackles while Paul Soliai registered 3 tackles and a sack - that might win the award during Weddle's bye week, but not this week. There was a surprise contender on the offensive (and special teams) side: David Reed saw his first action this season. He rushed once for 15 yards and returned two kicks for 44 yards. That's an average of 19.66 yards per play, not bad for a rookie. But no ProUte makes more plays on the field than Eric Weddle.