Which suspended NFL player will have biggest impact when he returns today?
Several big-name players, like Antonio Gates, Sheldon Richardson, Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain, play for the first time Sunday due to 4-game suspensions. We asked the Paste BN NFL staff will have the biggest impact on his team?
CHRIS D'AMICO
Antonio Gates. The Chargers have been piling up the yards, but have found it hard to finish drives. That's where Gates comes in and, if the Chargers are to make a run for a playoff spot, Gates must be the difference in turning field goals into touchdowns.
LINDSAY H. JONES
Greg Hardy has already made the biggest impact on his team upon his return – though this wasn’t a good impact as the Cowboys, including head coach Jason Garrett and owner Jerry Jones, had to deal with Hardy’s boneheaded and out-of-touch comments in his first post-suspension interview. But the reason Hardy is a Cowboy (and really, in the NFL at all) is because of the impact he can have on the field, and I would expect we’ll see his pass rush presence right away. The Cowboys have just six sacks this year (tied for 23rd), and are now adding a player who recorded 26 sacks in his last two full seasons (2013-2014). Will it be enough to slow Tom Brady and the Patriots today? Probably not. But in a wide-open NFC East, adding an elite pass rusher, even one with objectionable off-field behavior, should make a huge difference for Dallas.
TOM PELISSERO
Hardy has the opportunity to make the biggest impact, provided he's in as good of shape as his agent says. He's a factor against the run and the pass. And that Cowboys defense sorely needs it.
ERIC PRISBELL
Greg Hardy has done plenty with his mouth this week (none of it good). Now it’s time for him to back it up with his play. The Cowboys badly need a pass rush. They badly need to disrupt offenses and create turnovers. The Falcons and Saints in back-to-back weeks made this defense look below average after halftime. The Cowboys have a scarcity of playmakers on the offensive side because of injuries to Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Lance Dunbar. Hardy is an impact player on the defensive side. He has not played a game since Week 1 of the 2014 season. If he gets to Tom Brady early, this game could get interesting. The best chance the Cowboys have today against the Patriots could be if Hardy manages to cause havoc defensively to shake up the vaunted Patriots offense. It remains a big if.