Buried amid the hoopla surrounding rookies Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Chris Johnson and Jerod Mayo, Denver Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady is having a stupendous rookie season.
Clady, the 12th-overall pick out of Boise State, didn’t give up a single sack in the season’s first two months, leading an offensive line that has surrendered only seven sacks on the year. Only the Tennessee Titans have allowed fewer sacks in ’08, but the Broncos have attempted 76 more passes than Tennessee.
So why does Clady continue to fly under the radar?
Well, for one, offensive linemen are always the first group to be overlooked. If you don’t play a skill position, you’ll never get the credit your flashy peers soak up.
Last year, Tony Ugoh and Joe Thomas were the NFL’s top rookie O-linemen. With the Colts, Ugoh got a lot of national face time. Thomas was already a national celebrity; ESPN followed him around on draft day and an injury to Jason Peters sent him to the Pro Bowl.
It also doesn’t help that Clady isn’t the most famous rookie on his team. Eddie Royal, the team’s second-round pick, leads all rookies with 52 catches and 625 yards.
Clady has already handled Joey Porter, the league’s leading sack man to this point. This week, he gets the next-best guy, as he matches up with John Abraham, who probably has the best sack-per-rep ratio in the NFL.
Some say Clady has earned consideration for offensive rookie of the year votes. It won’t be easy; no offensive lineman has ever won the award.
The favourite right now? Ryan, the Falcons quarterback who Clady will watch from the sideline on Sunday.
It would be hard to argue against either when talking rookie of the year or Pro Bowl. One thing’s for sure: Both Ryans have bright futures.
On to our week 11 picks…
Thursday: 1-0 (1-0-0 against the spread)
Last week: 9-5 (6-7-1 against the spread)
Season record: 89-56 (63-67-15 against the spread)
All that hype for Ryan (the given name), but we’re picking Ryan (the surname) in the battle of rookies at the Georgia Dome, where the Falcons are 4-0 and Ryan has a passer rating of 125.2, tops in the NFL. The banged-up Broncos have struggled on the road; there’s no way they’re slowing up Michael Turner and Ryan… Atlanta 31, Denver 21
How will Jake Delhomme battle back from the worst start of his career? Against the Lions, it probably doesn’t matter, especially with the game in Carolina, where the Panthers are 5-0. If Jacksonville can beat Detroit by 24, Carolina shouldn’t have much trouble getting into that range… Carolina 30, Detroit 7
The Eagles have had some solid road performances thus far. We fully expect that trend to continue in Cincinnati, where the Bengals have already been defeated by 17 and 28 points this year. Watch for Brian Westbrook to get back on track against a bad run defence… Philadelphia 28, Cincinnati 17
The Bears won’t have to worry about the run the same way they did against Tennessee. Chicago’s defence can change things up, putting more pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Even in Green Bay, we’re surprised the Packers are favoured against this Bears defence. We expect Matt Forte to be the biggest difference-maker in what could be a dagger of a loss for the Pack… Chicago 17, Green Bay 16
Can the Texans finally get a win in Indianapolis? Don’t bet on it. We’re looking at two teams going in opposite directions. Besides, Houston already gave up its chance at getting its second ever win over the Colts earlier this year. On the road, where the Texans haven’t won this season, it won’t even be close… Indianapolis 31, Houston 17
Is it us, or does the Saints-Chiefs game stink of upset? The Saints are on the road … again. They haven’t been home since Oct. 12. Of all places, they’re in Kansas City, where the Chiefs haven’t been that bad this year. KC’s coming off a great game in San Diego in which it outplayed the Chargers. Do you know how hard it is to outplay the Chargers in San Diego? Screw it, we’re going for it… Kansas City 24, New Orleans 21
Just give up, Oakland. Give up. What’s the point? Now you have to go on the road to take on a streaking Dolphins team that has hope in the AFC playoff race and next to no injuries? The Raiders have scored a total of 16 points in their last three games. Dolphins in a blowout… Miami 38, Oakland 7
The Giants just keep pullin’ em out. But the Ravens could have a favourable matchup on the ground in ‘Jersey, especially with the mystery of who’s going to run the ball, Ray Rice or Willis McGahee. We don’t see Joe Flacco doing much against a defence that is made to stifle rookies, but the defence and the backs will keep it interesting… New York Giants 20, Baltimore 17
Tampa-Minnesota is just one of those games where you know it’s all about the venue. In Minneapolis, we’d be happy to pick the Vikes. But you get the feeling it won’t be as easy for Adrian Peterson on the road. The Buccaneers are a perfect 4-0 at home; Minnesota’s 1-3 on the road… Tampa Bay 23, Minnesota 16
When teams play twice in a season, they say the team that loses the first game always has an advantage in the second game because there is more room for adjustment. Tennessee only beat Jacksonville by a touchdown at home in week 1. In Jacksonville, the Jaguars, coming off a big win against Detroit, should play the Titans really close. Still, with John Henderson out, we’re sticking with the Titans… Tennessee 13, Jacksonville 10
Who would’ve thought the 49ers would be a six-point favourite at any point this season? That goes to show how bad the Rams are. St. Louis has been outscored 81-16 in its last two games. San Fran’s at home, and coming off a gallant effort in Arizona... San Francisco 23, St. Louis 13
The NFL’s highest-scoring team rolls into Seattle, where the Seahawks are 1-3 this season. Matt Hasselbeck or not, the ‘Hawks have lost their mojo. The Cardinals will be excited to pretty much wrap up a playoff spot with a win… Arizona 30, Seattle 17
Philip Rivers started to find a groove last week against Kansas City. We fully expect him to build on that as the Chargers take on a Steelers team down two of its top cornerbacks. With Ben Roethlisberger hurting and the offensive line collapsing, San Diego could get its biggest win of the year. But, on the road, we’ll pick ‘em to come up short… Pittsburgh 24, San Diego 21
Just like the absence of Shawn Springs hasn’t slowed the Redskins, we don’t expect the absence of Clinton Portis to hurt them much against Dallas. The Cowboys are still getting over a myriad of injuries, and Washington has a serviceable backup in Ladell Betts. In Washington, we’re sticking with the ‘Skins… Washington 30, Dallas 27
The Bills need to win to keep their season alive. In Buffalo on the Monday nighter, we can see them rising to the occasion. It feels like the Browns have given up. Still, with bad weather expected, it’ll be low scoring and close… Buffalo 17, Cleveland 14