It’s Throwback Thursday, and in honor of the weekly social media celebratory day we look back over the first five weeks of the NFL season to give credence to the veteran players who have been all stars for their respective teams.
Players we continually suggest are on the downside of their career or may be done as starters continue their resurgence into 2014. In the following lists, we have a tight end, running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive end that were all Pro Bowlers a few years back, and into this season are again candidates for the annual honors.
Here are five veterans who have been difference-makers for their NFL teams this season:
Only four running backs have more rushing yards than Gore this season. The ageless wonder, the 31-year-old Gore has 365 yards on the ground and is a major reason San Francisco remains in the thick of the NFC West race.
For years, the 49ers under Jim Harbaugh have drafted college standouts at the running back position. Carlos Hyde, Kendall Hunter, Marcus Lattimore — all of them were supposed to be on deck to take over as the Niners’ workhorse, but it’s still Gore shouldering the workload.
Gore is averaging 4.7 yards per carry with two runs of 20 yards or more. Those numbers are superior to that of Matt Forte, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy and Eddie Lacy.
Gates shredded the defending Super Bowl champs for a hat-trick earlier this season, and the veteran tight end who has been a stalwart on the Chargers for the past decade is again the reason why the team is making a case to be the best in the AFC this season.
This past week, Gates hauled in four receptions for 60 yards and two touchdowns against the vaunted Jets defense. Gates ranks eighth among tight ends with 21 receptions, with 275 yards receiving and is second only to Julius Thomas in touchdowns with five.
At 34 years old, Gates was thought to be a candidate for major regression, paving the way for youngster Ladarius Green. Instead, it’s the eight-time Pro Bowler serving as Philip Rivers‘ main weapon.
Smith began his tenure with the Ravens with a vengeance, and he’s out to prove Dave Gettleman and the Panthers organization very, very wrong.
The 35-year-old wide receiver, who was cut this offseason while making about $5 million from the Panthers not to be on the team, has 30 catches for 463 yards and three touchdowns, and again is living up to No. 1 receiver status in Baltimore.
Smith is proving that age is just a number, and that veteran All-Stars don’t just fall out the map. Carolina’s loss was Baltimore’s gain, as he single-handedly has revamped the Ravens’ passing attack.
Many, including myself, felt this year might be Manning’s last as the starter of the Giants. He is coming off an interception-riddled 2013 campaign and after Week 1’s debacle against the Lions, Manning looked like a horrible fit with Ben McAdoo’s West Coast scheme.
Instead, Manning has undergone a revival from Week 2 until now. Manning is completing 69 percent of his passes and owns a 10:3 touchdown to interception ratio over the past month. Not coincidently, the Giants are 3-1 in those games and are very much in the mix of the competitive NFC East.
Manning has been helped drastically by an improved offensive line, a resurgent running game and new, young receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Larry Donnell. Cutting down on turnovers has been key for Manning, and he looks like a new quarterback with his new weapons and new playbook.
Injuries have hindered Pierre-Paul for the past two seasons, and he’s been a major reason the Giants’ pass-rush has suffered over those years. But JPP is healthy and back harassing opposing signal-callers, and as a result the Giants’ front four is causing havoc like those Super Bowl teams in 2007 and 2011.
Pierre-Paul has 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks through the first five weeks, and last week ravished the Falcons’ offensive line to the tune of a +8.1 grade by Pro Football Focus for his effectiveness against both the run and the pass.
No one individual player can turn around an entire defense’s success, but with the losses of Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora over the past few years, JPP was counted on to be “the guy” for New York. Injuries held back from being as effective as he can be, and now that he’s 100 percent the results are indisputable.
