Stiff Arm

Paul Kruger is the ProUte of the Week, on the strength of his two sacks, but Steve Smith, Sr. had the Play of the Day on the strength of his stiff arm!

3rd & 14 was the key number for both players; Kruger's first sack came in the red zone, forcing Pittsburgh to settle for a field goal on 4th & 18. Smith's statement also came on 3rd & 14, as he drifted behind the coverage. Do defensive backs not realize that Flacco can bomb it? Smith the savvy veteran realizes it and made the play, stiff-arming Adam Jones to the ground along the way! He finished with 7 catches for 118 yards and a TD in his first game in Baltimore.

Ben Roethlisberger is not an easy take down, but Kruger got to him twice. The second time was in the third quarter, on 3rd & 11. Roethlisberger lost the ball, and, by the time he recovered it, Kruger covered him. The Steelers were forced to punt on 4th & 24. Kruger had five tackles to go with his two sacks and wins the first award of 2014.

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).

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).

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.

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!

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!  

Exclamation Point

Oh Captain, My Captain! Steve Smith, flanked by Jordan Gross.

Steve Smith made an emphatic play on his 800th career reception, beating two defenders for a touchdown. Smith took exception to the smack talk from Rams defensive back Janoris Jenkins, and he put the second year player firmly in his place. With five more receptions and 69 yards, Smith now has 800 for 11,745 in his esteemed career. There's no debating the ProUte of Week 7!

Carolina beat St. Louis 30-15 in a game marred by five personal fouls on the Rams, the ejection of Chris Long, and the injury of Sam Bradford. Captain Munnerlyn returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play, which set the tone. Star Lotulelei notched four tackles (two for loss) and two assists, and Steve Smith added the exclamation point!

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!

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!

Tough Cover

When asked who was his toughest assignment in pass coverage, retiring defensive back Ronde Barber said it was none other than Steve Smith.

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.

One Good Turn

One good turn deserves another, as Steve Smith demonstrates by assisting Samaritan's Feet. Watch this video: http://sports.yahoo.com/video/man-mission-steve-smith-012205332.html

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.
 

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.

Take Back the Capital

Steve Smith, Jordan Gross, and the Carolina Panthers traveled to the nation's capital in week 9 and came away triumphant. The Washington Redskins billed it as a Homecoming game, with past greats invited and past horrid uniforms unveiled. Some of the Panthers took exception to a professional football game being called Homecoming, so they went out and played like professionals.

As always, it starts in the trenches, where Gross and the offensive line held their ground. They did not allow a sack and the Panthers rushed for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. Carolina converted on nearly half of their third downs (5-11) and put up 330 total yards on offense. Cam Newton had better protection than Robert Griffin III, and that was crucial. It allowed him to find Steve Smith, who found the end zone for the first time this season. Smith had 3 catches for 41 yards and a score. He also laid out a defender with a nice downfield block on Armanti Edward's 82 yard catch-and-run. Smith put the player down like he put down the trade rumors earlier in the week - he's playing his whole career in Carolina. It was a much-needed team victory, so Gross and Smith are the ProUtes of the Week.

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.