Would you believe the Atlanta Falcons at 4-6 would be in first place in the NFC South? Neither would I, but apparently that happened and then some in Week 11. We witnessed Andy Dalton come back to life, Arizona further dominate the NFC, a power struggle emerge in the AFC North, J.J. Watt putting up more touchdowns, Aaron Rodgers making a case for MVP, Le’Veon Bell and Jonas Gray having career days in the backfield, and much more.
So sit down, take a deep breath, and digest the best from week 11 in the NFL.
NFL Week 11 Awards
Best QB: Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)
Flashback to the Thursday night game against the Browns. Andy Dalton had perhaps one of the worst days for a quarterback ever. Rarely did he look accurate on his completions, his vision of the field was horrible (despite what Phil Simms may tell you), and of course, the turnovers were pretty bad. The end looks to be soon for Dalton.
Enter Sunday. Dalton not only bounces back, but has the best passing performance of the week, on the road in New Orleans no less. This is one case where Dalton’s raw stats do not lie, this might have been his best performance as a QB yet.
With improved vision, far better accuracy, and excellent ability to get the ball out with and without pressure, this looked like the good side of the roller coaster ride that is Andy Dalton, as his improved play became decisive in the Bengals 27-10 win over the Saints.
Dalton finished 16/22 with 220 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, a career high 143.9 passer rating, and a 97.8 QBR.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers, Josh McCown, Drew Brees, Ryan Mallet
Best RB: Le’Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers)
I had a really tough time choosing between both Jonas Gray and Le’Veon Bell for best runningback, as both showed up huge in primetime.
Jonas Gray, with 201 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, and four touchdowns, was instrumental in getting the Patriots offense going when Tom Brady struggled early. Le’Veon Bell stepped up for the Steelers offense when Big Ben couldn’t, rushing for 204 yards, a touchdown, and 6.2 yards per carry, practically carrying the Steelers offense.
Overall, I give it to Bell because he was more instrumental in the Steelers victory over the Titans (may or may not have been persuaded by an SB Nation Steelers writer). Gray was terrific, but when you have Gronk, the impact isn’t as huge as you’d think. Le’Veon Bell is currently making a case for the best running back not named DeMarco Murray, with supreme vision, cutting abilities, and speed.
Honorable Mentions: Jonas Gray, Alfred Blue, Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Hill
Best WR: Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
No disrespect to Josh McCown, but the Tampa Bay offense on Sunday was more about rookie sensation Mike Evans than it was him.
As well as giving my fantasy team 34.90 points, Mike Evans showed up impressively on the field. The Redskins secondary could not get even a fingertip on him, as he was effortless in running routes and creating separation for McCown to make the deep ball throws.
Many comparisons were made to Randy Moss, and I could not agree more. Evans appears to be one of those Moss-esque receivers that makes his quarterbacks better, which is what he did with Josh McCown on Sunday, as Tampa Bay won 27-7 against the Redskins.
Evans finished with 7 catches for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and an incredible 29.9 yards per reception. Good. Lord.
Honorable Mentions: Alshon Jeffery, Randall Cobb, Kenny Britt, AJ Green
Best TE: Coby Fleener (Indianapolis Colts)
Despite being on the losing side of the field, Fleener played a terrific game Sunday Night. With the help of Andrew Luck and some great route running, Fleener had one of his best performances, catching seven passes for 144 yards and 20.6 yards per reception.
Just barely beat out Rob Gronkowski for the award. Sorry, Gronk.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski, Jermaine Gresham, Larry Donnell, Heath Miller
Defensive Player of the Week: Chris Borland (San Francisco 49ers)
The 49ers rookie linebacker had a huge day Sunday against the Giants, and is entering the conversation for defensive rookie of the year. According to Pro Football Focus, Borland only allowed one catch beyond five yards, and achieved 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss, three deflected passes, and two of Eli Manning’s interceptions.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Best Kicker: Matt Bryant (Atlanta Falcons)
Again, none of us expected the Falcons to be in first place at 4-6, but here we are, in part thanks to Matt Bryant, who once again gave the Falcons a victory with a clutch game winning kick (44 yards) against the Panthers. Bryant was a perfect four of four on the day.
Biggest Upset: St. Louis Rams
The NFL’s best offense heading into the game was expected to be lights out once again in St. Louis. This was not the case, as the Rams gave Denver a wake up call with a 22-7 beating.
The offensive line for the Broncos sucked throughout the entire game, as the Rams defense ate it up long enough to prevent Peyton Manning from making any big time throws and forcing two interceptions and 12 deflected passes on the day.
On the Rams offense, Shaun Hill performed surprisingly well, throwing for 220 yards, a touchdown, a 102.7 rating, and a 68.8 QBR. Tre Mason had low yards per carry (3.9), but exploded when he needed to, rushing for 113 yards, including a long of 27. Kenny Britt was excellent on the receiving side, catching four passes for 128 yards, a touchdown, and 32.0 yards per reception, insane numbers.
All in all, it’s a game that largely affected the outcome of the AFC playoff race, as Denver and Indianapolis play second fiddle to New England now.
Best Team: Green Bay Packers
With the best quarterback of 2014 in Aaron Rodgers, an explosive force in Eddie Lacy, the one-two knockout punch Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson, Green Bay’s offense was unstoppable on Sunday.
But we already knew that. The defense, on the other hand, shut down Mark Sanchez and the Eagles offense completely, not allowing any big plays until the depths of garbage time. Green Bay got three sacks, four quarterback hits, and returned two takeaways for touchdowns in a blowout 53-20 victory at Lambeau Field.
It was a huge performance for a Packers team in need of it more than ever with a threat in the Lions for the NFC North race.
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