All Aboard!

There were a handful of losers this year that caught my attention and my ire, which is a poor combination. So before we write the 2011 regular season into the history books and forget about it, let's collectively reflect one more time on the biggest losers of 2011.

Brandon Lloyd



After years of anonymity, Brandon Lloyd broke out in 2010 and led the league in receiving under headcoach Josh McDaniels. 2011 was very different for Lloyd, who saw McDaniels replaced by John Fox and his heavy rushing attack, and his friend Kyle Orton replaced by dual threat Tim Tebow. Believing that greener pastures could be found elsewhere, he requested and received a trade to the Rams – where McDaniels was the offensive coordinator. He appears in six games, caught 31 passes (just one more reception than the Broncos needed him catch to in order for the 6th round pick the Rams paid to turn into 5th round pick) for 396 yards and four TDs. The Rams went 2-14, McDaniels ended up leaving the Rams for the Patriots right after the regular season ended, and Lloyd finds himself as a 30 year old free agent coming off a down season. Meanwhile, his former team has not only made the playoffs but made it to the quarterfinals as well. Perhaps the trade will turn out for the best in the long term, but as far as 2011 goes it sure doesn't seem that way.

Vince Young



After his release from the Titans, he found himself in the perfect spot to rehabilitate his image and market value. The Eagles had helped rehabilitate the career of Michael Vick in previous years and Young was on such a talent laden team that he referred to them as the “Dream Team” before the season started. After a rough start of the season, Young found himself with an opportunity to help the Eagle get back on track when starter Michael Vick went down with broken ribs. Young went 1-2 as a starter over the next 3 weeks and posted a 4-8 TD-INT ratio over that span. His worst loss came in week 13, when he went 17/29 for 208 yards and threw four picks against the Tavaris Jackson led Seahawks. The Eagles still managed to finish 8-8 on the season, but failing to make the playoffs was a massive disappointment for the team. Now, Young finds interest in his services scant and his “Dream Team” quote may very well be the defining event of his career.

Mike Shanahan



Mike Shanahan signed a massive contract with the Redskins in 2010 and managed only six wins in his first year. Shanahan was given a pass during his first year on the job because owner Daniel Snyder was adamant about trading for Donovan McNabb and Shanahan had to deal with the biggest free agent bust of all time in Albert Hayneworth. However, in 2011 fans were expecting things to really pickup…until Shanahan made it clear that he wanted to enter the season with only Rex Grossman and John Beck as potential starters. To no one’s surprise, neither player managed to get a hold on the starting gig and the Redskins managed only five wins in 2011. Shanahan has too big of a contract for the Redskins to fire him at this point, but his poor decision making is just one more question mark that will follow the Redskins going into 2012.

Hue Jackson



After Jackson replaced Tom Cable going into the 2011 season hope was high for the Raiders and their revamped offense. The Raiders managed a 4-2 start before starting quarterback Jason Campbell suffered a broken sternum. With Campbell likely out for the year, Jackson convinced ownership to give up a 1st and 2nd round picks at the trade deadline for Bengals holdout Carson Palmer. With Palmer in the fold for the next four years at great expense, the Raiders had completely sacrificed top picks in their next two drafts in order to “win now.” The Raider’s went on to miss the playoffs by less than single game margin, going 8-8 on the season. Jackson was fired briefly after the season wrapped and left the Raider’s with an aging signal caller, a locker-room dispute, and two less draft picks to have to worry about.

The Whole Colts Organization



It’s hard to provide a short summarization for what will go down as the most embarrassing event in Colt's franchise history. People always say cliche things like, “If not for so and so, that team wouldn’t win a single game.” In the case of the 2011 Colts, they would be right. From the owner’s twitter antics to the GM’s poor drafting to the coach’s total lack of coaching ability; everyone gets a nice thick slice of shamepie (couldn’t decided between shamepie and blamecake…shoulda went with blamecake). Worse yet, 2011 will prove to be the undoing of a legacy. With the Colts securing the top pick of the draft and likely to draft Andrew Luck, it would be a shock if Peyton Manning wasn't playing elsewhere in 2012. With Manning gone the team will have to rebuild from the ground up. It’s defensive personnel, it’s defensive strategy, it’s offensive scheme and no huddle style…all would need to be revamped for the rookie quarterback. If only America knew that 2010 was Peyton Manning’s last year as the hero of the Colts I think we all would have watched him more closely.

Rex Ryan



Rex Ryan is most famous for taking the Jets franchise from relative obscurity to playoff prominence in his first two years. While Rex is a “players coach” and a fan favorite, his "build through free agency" strategy failed to bear fruit in 2011. The inherent problem with building through free agency rather than through the draft is that, while veteran players usual offer more plug and play ability than youngsters do, they also require larger contracts and more guaranteed money. This impacts your team depth, ability to sign impact players and manage the salary cap in general. The 2011 season saw the Jets go from 11th in offense (in 2010) to 25th, and the only major offensive player they lost was Braylon Edwards - who they chose not to resign. Their defense was still excellent (1st in 2009, 3rd in 2010, and 5th in 2011) but it could help the team to only an 8-8 record. While Rex’s story is far from written yet, anyone can see that his free agent strategy can be hit or miss. Unfortunately for Rex, hit and miss seasons don't build cohesiveness, continuity or a successful franchise.