NFL recap Week 15: Colts Tamme getting more PT, Woodyard, Broncos pushing towards the playoffs

by Andrew Hardison

Jeremy Jarmon (Redskins)-Jarmon saw his season come to an end earlier this year due to an injury to his leg. What was so promising about Jarmon was his ability to fit in all while having played college football just a year earlier. Jarmon’s suspension brought some unexpected circumstances to his life, but he has made the best of a bad situation by stepping in for the Redskins when needed.

Several injuries to teammates allowed Jarmon to see some quality time before his own injury. Jarmon will need to focus on getting healthy and back to 100% before worrying about what will happen next year for the Redskins. Jarmon, like several other former Wildcat defensive linemen, has good speed, quickness, and tackling abilities.

As one of the younger defensive players on the Redskins, his NFL career looks to be headed in the direction. It will be interesting to see how—if it does happen—a coaching change would affect Jarmon’s status with the Redskins. Like several others, Jarmon has a bright future ahead of him.

Myron Pryor (Patriots)-Good news for Pryor is that the Patriots are in the thick of the NFL playoffs and have an opportunity to play well into January. That gives Pryor a lot of valuable experience going forward which will definitely help his development in the NFL.

Pryor was effective in the Patriots Week 15 game against the Jaguars mainly because starting nose tackle Vince Wilfork was out due to an injury. This gave Pryor a chance to step in and showcase his talents. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick should be pleased with the production of his rookie defensive lineman and his ability to help out when things aren’t going as expected. Sunday’s action saw Pryor rack up five tackles, one of them being solo, the other four being assisted. Pryor has good closing speed and has a knack for wrapping opponents based on his statistics from the season.

Pryor has a bright future ahead of him for the Patriots and could become a main stay in the Patriots depth chart as his career moves forward.

Steve Johnson (Bills)-It’s been a tough year for Johnson. In the second year of his NFL career, Johnson realized the difficulties that come with playing at the next level. A standout wide receiver during his last two years at Kentucky, Johnson has yet to make a name for himself in the NFL at this point in his career.

At 5-10, the Bills are one of the lesser teams in the NFL and Johnson hasn’t been able to see playing time because of Buffalo’s wide receiver rotation. Guys like Terrell Owens, Lee Evans, and Josh Reed are all ahead of Johnson on the depth chart, which makes it difficult for Johnson to showcase his abilities on the field. Johnson only has two receptions for 10 yards on the season, a drastic shift from last season when Johnson caught 10 balls for 102 total yards.

Something to make note of is the fact that starting slot receiver Josh Reed has been injured and wasn’t active for Sunday’s matchup against the Falcons. Johnson was targeted by quarterback Brian Brohm, but with Reed out, Johnson could see more time in the slot against the Colts this coming Sunday. Another note to make is the fact that Johnson could find his way into the 2nd or 3rd receiver spot on the Bills depth chart next season if Terrell Owens opts to leave the Bills after only one season. Whatever the case, Johnson needs to stay positive and focused and should be able to get more opportunities as his career moves forward.

Keenan Burton (Rams)-Burton was serving as the Rams 2nd wide receiver when fellow teammates went out due to injuries. The Rams wide receiving core was battered by injuries all year long, which gave Burton plenty of opportunities to step in and produce.

He did so serviceably at best, despite getting plenty of targets and playing time by the midway point of the season. That’s when everything changed however, as Burton injured his leg, not playing since Week 10 of the NFL season.

Burton tried to make the best of his time as the #2 wide receiver and had some promising statistics as the season progressed. His best game came in Week 8 against the Lions, when Burton had five catches for 58 yards. Despite the increased production, Burton wasn’t able to reel in a touchdown on the season.

If Burton can come back strong next season, he may find himself in the #2 wide receiving spot on the Rams depth chart next year. If so, he will get plenty of opportunities to produce once again.

Jacob Tamme (Colts)-Tamme and the Colts were the story of NFL Week 15 because of the fact that the team had a chance to continue their run at a perfect regular season. With that said, the Jets were able to ‘upset’ the Colts on Sunday, 29-15 ending the Colts bid to go 16-0 next week against the Buffalo Bills.

Tamme has surprisingly been involved more with the Colts offense, mainly because of the Jim Caldwell’s decision to pull his starters in Sunday’s game. Tamme was a beneficiary of this, with three targets coming his way. He didn’t have any receptions, but it does show you that the coaching staff believes in Tamme’s ability to get things done.

Tamme did have a catch in the Colts Thursday matchup against the Jaguars, which got him 8 receiving yards for the day. His insertion into the receiving rotation and his ability to play on special teams makes Tamme a valuable asset for the Colts going forward.

Wesley Woodyard (Broncos)-Woodyard and the Broncos have been on a slide the past several weeks ever since the team’s 6-0 start. Woodyard has also been a mainstay on defense despite the teams slide, because of his versatility at the linebacker position.

The Broncos game against the Eagles didn’t go as planned, as they lost 30-27, making the Broncos playoff situation all the more interesting. Woodyard only had one tackle on the day, but he continues to play on many downs.

If the Broncos are to make it to the playoffs look for Woodyard to continue his position as a reserve and backup linebacker to guys like D.J. Williams and Andra Davis. His ability to tackle and solid sideline-sideline speed makes him a valuable player going forward. Woodyard’s future with the Broncos is bright and may wind up getting a starter spot with another team if the Broncos don’t keep him in their long-term plans.

Garry Williams (Panthers)-reserve offensive tackle

Braxton Kelley (Broncos)-practice squad, Andre Woodson (free agent), Ventrell Jenkins (free agent), Glenn Holt (UFL), Marcus McClinton (UFL), Shane Boyd (free agent), Rafael Little (free agent), Johnny Williams (Steelers)-practice squad.

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