Name: LaDainian Tomlinson
Position: Running back
Years Lettered at TCU: 1997-2000
Current Team: New York Jets
Outcome of game: New York Jets 26, Cleveland Browns 20
Stats: 18 carries for 57 yards, six receptions for 53 yards
Analysis: This was the first week since week one in which Tomlinson was not the Jets’ leading running back. Shonn Greene ended up with two more carries and 15 more yards than Tomlinson. We could see this trend going forward as Tomlinson is one of the older running backs in the league and has been known to wear down toward the end of the season. Tomlinson’s saving grace is his pass-catching abilities. He is much more of a weapon in the passing game than Greene and will likely see more playing time because of this.
Next Week: Next week, the Jets take on the Houston Texans in what should be an offensive showdown. Houston has the worst pass defense in the league, and they have not been able to stop the run against elite running backs. Tomlinson may not be the lead back anymore, but he should have a nice day against this dismal defense.
Name: Drew Coleman
Position: Cornerback
Years Lettered at TCU: 2004-05
Current Team: New York Jets
Outcome of game: Jets 26, Browns 20
Stats: Two tackles, one forced fumble
Analysis: Not a great week for Coleman as the Browns were able to pass to the inside receivers and the tight end with relative ease. Cleveland tight end Benjamin Watson and slot receivers Josh Cribbs and Chansi Stuckey combined for 10 catches for 138 yards while the entire passing attack combined for only 196 yards. The pass defense also did not force an interception by rookie Colt McCoy, who has been known to make mistakes against good defenses.
Next Week: Next week against the Texans, Coleman and the defense will have their hands full trying to contain one of the best running backs in the league this year, Arian Foster, while not giving up a huge gain to excellent wide receiver Andre Johnson.
Name: Daryl Washington
Position: Linebacker
Years Lettered at TCU: 2006-09
Current Team: Arizona Cardinals
Outcome of game: Seattle Seahawks 36, Arizona Cardinals 18
Stats: Two tackles
Analysis: The Cardinals have looked bad on defense this entire year, and again they came up short in a key divisional match-up against the Seattle Seahawks. Arizona’s defense gave up 110 rushing yards and 380 passing yards as Seattle was able to coast to a victory. The Cardinals run defense also allowed two touchdowns, with being runs of 4 yards or fewer.
Next Week: The Cardinals go to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in a match-up that poses a few problems for this defense. The Chiefs are led by running backs Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles, who contribute to the best rushing attack in the NFL by averaging a combined 148.1 yards per game. The Cardinals will have a tough time stopping either back in a game that should be a high-scoring affair.
Name: David Hawthorne
Position: Linebacker
Years Lettered at TCU: 2004-07
Current Team: Seattle Seahawks
Outcome of game: Seahawks 36, Cardinals 18
Stats: Two tackles
Analysis: The Seahawks linebackers, led by David Hawthorne, absolutely shut down the Arizona rushing attack, allowing only 41 yards and a mere 2.9 yards per carry. The longest gain on the ground for Arizona was an 11-yard gain by Tim Hightower. Hawthorne had only two tackles on the day, but he means much more than tackles to this defense. He is the inspirational leader on a young and upcoming defense.
Next Week: When the Seahawks take on the New Orleans Saints next week, Seattle should not have a problem containing running backs Chris Ivory, Ladell Betts and Julius Jones. These three have been lackluster while starter Pierre Thomas has been out with an ankle injury. The Seahawks, however, will have to figure out how to slow down the ever-so-hot passing attack led by Drew Brees, which is the fifth-best in the NFL.
Name: Jerry Hughes
Position: Defensive end
Years Lettered at TCU: 2006-09
Current Team: Indianapolis Colts
Outcome of game: Indianapolis Colts 23, Cincinnati Bengals 17
Stats: Two tackles
Analysis: Over the past three weeks, Hughes has seen progressively more playing time, and he was in on two tackles this week against the Bengals. The best news for Hughes is that both of these tackles came on defense and not special teams. If Hughes keeps progressing as he has been lately, he could see more time on third-down and pass-rushing situations.