Top 5 Biggest NFL Surprises Of the 2014 Season
By Erik Lambert
Sep 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, Sr. (89) waves to fans after defeating the Carolina Panthers 38-10 at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
NFL.com recently released an article about the top disappointments in the NFL so far in 2014. So what are the biggest surprises?
#5 – Bill O’Brien
It’s never an easy thing taking over a team that finished with the worst record in the NFL. That is what Bill O’Brien did when he became head coach of the Houston Texans. The team was dispirited coming off a 2-14 season and needed direction. Fresh off his remarkable revival of Penn State, O’Brien has enacted a minor miracle. Despite not having Jadeveon Clowney, his prized #1 draft pick and journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick as his quarterback, he has the Texans at 3-2 and tied for first place in the AFC South.
#4 – Steve Smith Sr.
If there was one player who has earned the nickname “The Incredible Hulk” it would have to be wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. Why? For the simple fact that the angrier he gets, the stronger he gets. In his 14th season at the age of 35 he already has 30 catches for 463 yards and three touchdowns. That puts him in 4th place among all receivers for yardage, trailing only Julio Jones, Jordy Nelson and Antonio Brown. All of whom are younger and bigger than Smith. That is a testament to his drive and his ability.
#3 – Willie Young
The signing was barely a blip on the radar screen when the Chicago Bears locked up free agent defensive end Willie Young for three years at $3 million per year. It wasn’t really a surprise. He was 28-years old and had just finished his first full season as a starter in Detroit, notching three sacks. Why would he garner any more attention than that? Well considering the fact that five games into the season that Young already has five sacks has to make a lot of people wonder how in the world the Bears could commit such highway robbery? What makes it all the more amazing is that their higher priced purchases Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston have combined for zero sacks.
#2 – San Diego Chargers
They were a playoff team a year ago so fans had reasonable expectations for the San Diego Chargers. There was no reason to think they wouldn’t be in the playoff hunt but as of Week 6 they don’t just look like a playoff team. They look like a Super Bowl contender. In a span of five games they have beaten the defending champion Seahawks and won their games in a progressive margin of 9, 12, 19 and 31. They boast the 11th overall offense in the league and the 3rd overall defense. This team is for real and the traditional powers in the AFC better get wise really quick.
#1 – Dallas Cowboys defense
Anybody who watched the train wreck that was the Dallas Cowboys defense last season (32nd overall) didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to guess that the unit had zero prospects of significant improvement in 2014. Sean Lee is out for the year. Demarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher are gone. Morris Claiborne is also out with a torn ACL. They even resorted to bringing back formerly retired linebacker Rolando McClain. Yet, in spite of it all, coordinator Rod Marinelli has cobbled together a unit of respectability. Dallas has the 21st overall ranked defense, a significant jump up from last season but where the numbers really show up is in point allowed. The Cowboys are giving up only 20.6 per game, 8th best in the NFL.