Unwilling to face Peyton Manning on conventional terms, the Denver Broncos recently named both starting defensive tackles inactive, opting instead for a line featuring four defensive ends.
That is respect.
Tom Brady
AP Photo/David Kohl
On Tom Brady and the Patriots, an AFC scout says: "If you don't walk around on defense and disguise, you are going to get killed."
After watching Randy Moss average close to eight receptions per game this season, the Cleveland Browns enlisted everyone but Romeo Crennel to defend against him Sunday.
Moss finished the game with only three receptions for 46 yards, but no player beyond quarterback Tom Brady was more influential in New England's 34-17 victory.
"Moss has been killing people, and we didn't want him to kill us," Browns coach Romeo Crennel told reporters, "so we died by the hands of somebody else."
Manning passed for only 193 yards against the Broncos' tricked-out line, but the Colts finished with 226 yards rushing and 30 first downs in a 38-20 win.
The NFL's truly elite players don't need individual statistics to validate their impact. Their game-breaking ability compels opponents to change their schemes and their play calling. They force opponents out of their comfort zones well before the opening coin toss.
Asked to filter players using that strict criteria, an 11-man panel of NFL general managers, scouts, coaches and players produced five unanimous selections: Manning, Moss, Brady, Carolina receiver Steve Smith and San Diego tight end Antonio Gates. The panel's unvarnished evaluations, secured in exchange for anonymity, produced a nuanced set of classifications -- and a few surprises.
The List
LaDainian Tomlinson, universally regarded as the NFL's best running back, didn't make the short list of scheme-changers. Our league insiders -- two general managers, two pro scouts, two coordinators, two position coaches, two quarterbacks and one linebacker -- helped us understand why.
Three receivers -- Houston's Andre Johnson, Dallas' Terrell Owens and Cincinnati's Chad Johnson -- nearly made the list. No defensive linemen drew unanimous support, largely because Carolina's Julius Peppers has been strangely silent this season. The Colts' Dwight Freeney has zero sacks in 15 of his last 21 regular-season games, but he and Peppers still strike fear into opponents, panelists said.
