2. S T.J. Ward
T.J. Ward isn’t everybody’s favorite player — he’s prone to some dumb mistakes from time to time — but he’s the heartbeat of this Denver Broncos defense; that much is clear based off how the unit has played with Ward out of the lineup these last three weeks.
Ward brings a toughness and mentality that pushes this team to go out, as John Elway would like to say, “kicking and screaming.” And sure, maybe that can go too far, maybe that leads to Ward punching Jeremy Maclin in a lost game, but it sure would have helped last week against the Steelers and the week before against the Raiders.
Plus, Ward was named a Pro Bowler last year! He’s been significantly better this season, so how does he miss out now?
Last year, Jack Del Rio had Ward playing a lot of man-on-man coverage against tight ends and running backs, and he got smoked, sporting PFF’s sixth-worst grade (-5.8) for any safety in coverage. This season, Wade Phillips has let Ward do what he does best — blitz, play the run and simply make plays — and suddenly his overall grade through Week 15 has doubled in the last year.
Is he the perfect player? No. But he is one of the most important players on the NFL’s best defense. In most scenarios, that should earn you a trip to Honolulu.
