Who has been the biggest turkey this season?
![](http://espn.go.com/i/columnists/salisbury_sean_m.jpg) Sean Salisbury |
Dwayne Rudd
My vote goes to the Browns linebacker because the Week 1 loss to Kansas City could keep Cleveland from making the playoffs. It'd difficult to call someone a turkey for something uncontrollable -- if a player isn't having a good season or drops a few balls or throws interceptions or misses tackles. But his premature celebration was inexcusable. I like Dwayne, but that was a big turkey move.
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![](http://espn.go.com/i/columnists/theismann_joe_m.jpg) Joe Theismann |
Randy Moss
He gets the big bird for quitting on his teammates. When will he get it? It's one thing to say you don't try all the time; now you say you quit on your teammates. He has so much talent and is capable of being a dominant player. When he does get it, he will make a world of difference. That is the chance the Vikings take by keeping him. Kids with his talent don't come along. The Vikings are committed to him economically and can't get rid of him.
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![](http://espn.go.com/i/columnists/malone_mark_m.jpg) Mark Malone |
St. Louis Rams
Everyone had the Rams going to the Super Bowl again, but they're about ready to play themselves out of the playoff picture. With all of their talent, they've been the biggest turkey, surprise and letdown of the season. No one expected the Rams to be 5-6 at this point.
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![](http://espn.go.com/i/columnists/kremer_andrea_m.jpg) Andrea Kremer |
Marty Mornhinweg
My long-term memory tells me it should be Dwayne Rudd for his ridiculous helmet-tossing incident, which cost the Browns a precious win in Week 1. But my short-term memory beckons that I go with Mornhinweg, the Lions' head coach, for his double bozo move last Sunday. He declined the ball to start overtime and then accepted a penalty on third down, giving the Bears another chance to convert, which they did two plays later. That set the stage for Paul Edinger's 41-yard game-winning field goal. When your job is already on thin ice, you should tread lightly. But a brain lock like that puts one on the unemployment line.
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![](http://espn.go.com/i/nfl/profiles/players/statsid/s1239.jpg) Mark Schlereth |
Cincinnati Bengals
In particular, Mike Brown and the Bengals management. It's time for Cincinnati to hire a real general manager, to quit pinching pennies and to bring Cincinnati a legitimate football team. The Bengals need to hire football personnel from outside the organization and give them authority to make decisions without the Brown shadow hovering over them. The fans of Cincinnati who built the Bengals a new stadium deserve better than a 1-10 team and one that consistently underachieves. Dick LeBeau isn't guilty of being a bad coach, but the organization needs to be gutted and retooled.
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![](http://espn.go.com/i/columnists/hoge_merril_m.jpg) Merril Hoge |
Anthony Thomas
Looking at what he did last year and what the Bears needed him to do this year, he's been a major disappointment. You can just fault him, though. The Bears haven't gotten the same production from their running game that they did last year. The offensive line shares the blame, but Thomas has been unable too follow up on a very good rookie season. He's been a non-factor.
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