Backup running back Bernard Scott has always been a favorite of ours. Along with a career 4.5 yard/rush average and breaking 61-yard touchdown runs (well, one), Scott has that exciting speed that could break one at any moment. And really. It kind of helped his cause when he returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to help secure a 2009 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers during his rookie year.
Yet during the Bob Bratkowski era offense, Scott was often under-utilized, averaging 4.7 carries during his 29-game career from 2009 through the 2010 season. Then again the team's newest offensive coordinator Jay Gruden used Scott four times, mostly to give Cedric Benson a breather during Cincinnati's third possession in the first half. Not only that, but Scott was replaced by Brandon Tate as the team's primary kickoff returner this year. So if trends continue, this could be the least amount of times we see Scott touch the football.
That being said, NFL.com named Scott to the "All-Unheralded Team", because, in their words, "it is the unheralded players that can truly make the difference in how teams fare year to year."
In our 2010 film study, we have identified 22 players who stand out on tape but may not be the first names that come to mind when you think of their respective positions.
Some are on struggling teams and don’t get attention, while others are overshadowed by playmakers around them. The energy, passion, and skill these guys deliver on a weekly basis can only be appreciated through All-22 film study.
Evan Moore, Cleveland's freakish tight end, was one. As was Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jarrett "busting Hines Ward back to the third grade" Johnson.