San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick
Well, I was debating between Colin Kaepernick and Geno Smith, but decided to give Geno a pass on this one since he has been on the bench for the past few weeks. As for Kaepernick though, his performance against the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving is one that would leave him not having an appetite on a day where eating is a holiday. On Thursday, Kaepernick completed 16 of 29 passes for 121 yards and threw two interceptions in the game, both to cornerback Richard Sherman. Well, it is safe to say that the Seahawks’ defense is officially back, and Kaepernick found out the hard way. With the last four games of the season coming up, Kaepernick has to play better if the 49ers want to end up in the playoffs. Kaepernick gets to redeem himself as he and the 49ers head to Oakland to face a Raiders team that only has one win this season.
Kansas City Chiefs running
back Jamaal Charles
This one is questionable for me, but at the end of the day, it is clearly obvious how much the Kansas City Chiefs rely on running back Jamaal Charles to make big plays after the loss on Sunday to the Denver Broncos. On Sunday night, Charles had only 35 yards on 10 carries and was neutralized by the Broncos defense. Charles did find the end zone in the passing game, but his inability to make big plays happen anywhere else proved to hurt the Chiefs in the 29-16 loss. Charles has always been a great running back to find the smallest seams and turn them into big gains. Even the great running backs always find a way to make plays out of nothing. Charles is without a doubt one of the best running backs in the game, which is why it is surprising to have him in The Doghouse. Charles will do what he can on Sunday to turn things around as he and the Chiefs hit the road to take on an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks amongst the best in the game.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd
With wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald out, the door was left open for wide receiver Michael Floyd to be the main target against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He was that, but just ineffective. Floyd was targeted 10 times and brought in five receptions for 53 yards on the day. It could be that quarterback Drew Stanton was off his game, or the running game being nonexistent. Either way, Floyd having the day he had against the Falcons isn’t going to get the job done, especially if the Cardinals are hoping to make the playoffs. What looked like a sure thing has now turned into a huge question. Can they hold on to their lead? Floyd stepping up will be a huge reason if they are able to do so. Floyd and the Cardinals host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday as they look to find a way to get back to winning games.
Oakland Raiders Defense
Yes, I know it is the Oakland Raiders, but giving up 52 points in one game is never a good thing, no matter what your record is. On Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, the Raiders defense was torched for over 340 yards total in the 52-0 rout. The defense, who looked good against the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, gave up 38 points in the first half alone in the loss. It isn’t all on the defense due to the offense having five turnovers, but there is no excuse for giving up that amount of points. The defense will have their work cut out for them as they host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.