This was a very sloppy week of football. But somehow I’ve found enough good out of it to make lists such as this.
We saw solid QB play from guys like Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, etc. We saw Aaron Rodgers get demolished by the Bills defense, the NFC South get even more messy, Jeremy Hill dominated Cleveland’s defense, Odell Beckham Jr with another OROY worthy performance, Arizona clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2009, the Cowboys taking control of the NFC East, and Detroit taking control of the NFC North.
Let’s get to the basics. It’s time for the awards from Week 15.
NFL Week 15 Awards
Best QB: Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)
Before I get to Romo’s actual game, let me just note that he’s been on fire on Sunday Night Football this year. 62/86 (72.1 CMP%) for 802 yards, 10 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, an average passer rating of 136.3, and an average QBR of 93.3. Oh yeah, and the Cowboys are 3-0.
Back to the game. Romo was solid throughout, outside a fumble, and his mobility, footwork, and accuracy were much better in the rematch against the Eagles than on Thanksgiving Night. He hit Dez Bryant beautifully on all three touchdown passes, including a rainbow on the third one.
You can say it helps to have a solid offensive line and DeMarco Murray, but Romo’s accuracy and mobility are what really count. He’s been playing some of his best football this season, as part of a criminally underrated career. This time, the team around him isn’t collapsing as much as some of us would like, as indicated by the 10-4 record. Romo finished 22/31 (71.0 CMP%) for 265 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, a 129.1 passer rating, and a 91.6 QBR. Dallas won the game 38-27.
Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco
Best RB: Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati Bengals)
It wasn’t a solid week for runningbacks, and even Hill’s performance wasn’t as good as it looked (38.5% of his rushing yards came on three 15+ yard carries as well as 2 fumbles), he still gets the game ball for runningbacks this week, as he made the Browns defense miserable on Sunday, with explosive strength and very patient footwork, in addition to being the cockiest SOB on the field. Hill finished with 148 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 5.9 yards per carry as the Bengals destroyed Johnny Manziel and the Browns 30-0.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy, Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, Giovani Bernard
Best WR: Odell Beckham Jr (New York Giants)
No contest here. Perhaps the best rookie wide receiver in an excellent receiver draft class from 2014 comparable to 1996’s class, Odell Beckham has been nothing short of a superstar in his first season in the NFL.
Perhaps one day I’ll write about Beckham’s skill set and what it brings to the table, but sadly I have to keep this short for the sake of the article. As great as Beckham has been this season, this was his best game yet. His first two touchdown catches were slightly off target throws from Eli Manning, yet Odell adjusted his hands and made it easier for the Giants.
Needless to say, Odell Beckham Jr was money on Sunday. On another note, Beckham missed the first 4 games of the season, yet has 942 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 97.2 yards per game. In 10 games. As a rookie. Is it any wonder he’s a top candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year? He’s a one of a kind talent, and I can’t wait to see him further develop in his NFL career. Beckham finished with 12 catches for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Giants finished with the 24-13 win over the Redskins.
Honorable Mentions: Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, Harry Douglas
Best TE: Greg Olsen (Carolina Panthers)
A solid tight end this season, and the only returning guy on Carolina’s receiving core from last year, Olsen had another good outing on Sunday, staying consistent on his catches and role with the team. He caught 10 passes for 110 yards, including a long of 16. While not the most worthy tight end, Olsen’s been a guy Carolina can count on, and he was against the Buccaneers in the Panthers 19-17 win. Oh yeah, and he raps like a boss.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Josh Hill, Delanie Walker
Defensive Player of the Week: Chandler Jones (New England Patriots)
In an AFC East clinching 41-13 victory over the Dolphins, the Patriots defense shut down the competition, led by defensive end Chandler Jones. Jones had 4 stops on his tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits, 4 hurries, and a forced fumble, as he contained the Dolphins passing game and run game completely.
Best Kicker: Connor Barth (Denver Broncos)
A guy the Broncos picked up off the streets, Connor Barth has solved Denver’s special teams issues completely (or at least for the time being), as he had his most reliable game ever. Going 5/5 on field goal kicks (yes, FIVE FOR FIVE), including a long of 49 yards, Barth was crucial to Denver’s 22-10 victory over the Chargers on the road.
Biggest Upset: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo’s had the longest playoff drought in the NFL having missed the playoffs every year since the end of the 1999 season. So it’s refreshing to see them at 8-6 and playing meaningful games in December. On Sunday, they made a statement game against the Packers. While Aaron Rodgers’ receivers dropped a whopping nine passes, the Bills defense allowed little room either way, picking off Rodgers twice (both from strong safety Bacarri Rambo), getting 10 deflected passes, 3 QB hits, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Kyle Orton had the exact same QBR as Aaron Rodgers (17.2), so it was huge for the Bills defense to have a game like this when their quarterback failed to step up to the plate. A notable example was on the Bills last passing play; Orton threw the ball out of bounds to give Green Bay the ball right back. Then Rodgers fumbled in the end zone for a safety.
The Bills defense in the last two games allowed zero touchdown passes and fourced four interceptions on Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers. While no one’s sure they’ll make the playoffs, games like this suggest that perhaps Buffalo is finally heading in the right direction. After all, they officially clinched their first non losing season since 2004.
Best Team: New England Patriots
As the best team in the AFC and perhaps the entire NFL, the Patriots clinched the AFC East on Sunday with a 41-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Offensively, it was a great day, as Tom Brady rebounded off an early interception to throw for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns (with an 86.1 Total QBR), as Jonas Gray got the run game going for 62 yards and 5.6 yards per carry. Rob Gronkowski caught 3 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, while Julian Edelman got a touchdown to go along with 7 catches for 88 yards.
On defense, the Patriots forced 2 picks, 4 sacks, 7 tackles for a loss, 6 deflected passes, a blocked field goal for a touchdown, 10 QB hits, and 3 forced fumbles, as guys like Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, and Don’t’a Hightower had big games, while New England has made a statement that they’re the team to beat this year.
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Main Photo Julio Cortez
