The first week with a bye has come to a close, and it’s been another interesting one. We saw standout performances from Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Alex Smith, Mike Glennon, Teddy Bridgewater, etc. Running backs such as DeMarco Murray and Knile Davis offered terrific performances in the ground game. And of course, we witnessed an upset that came out of nowhere.
With all this being said, I present my NFL Week Four Awards.
Best QB: Eli Manning (New York Giants)
Safe to say that the two-time Super Bowl MVP is back in his prime.
On Thursday night, Eli put on a near flawless display, orchestrating the G-Men to a 45-14 victory over the Redskins. Eli went 28/39 (71.8 completion percentage) for 300 yards, four touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, an interception that should have counted for a touchdown, a 97.5 QBR, and a 117.5 Rate.
Despite several dropped passes, Eli was terrific in his decision making and the velocity of his passes, making three beautiful touchdown throws to tight end Larry Donnell. He looked poised and calm even during his few actual mistakes.
Eli has been playing great football for three consecutive weeks, and is convincing the rest of us that his slump has come to an end.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger
Best RB: Jerick McKinnon (Minnesota Vikings)
DeMarco Murray had the higher ratings, but Jerick McKinnon had the better week.
Along with Teddy Bridgewater, McKinnon orchestrated the Vikings offense to an impressive 41-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. McKinnon, despite rushing for no touchdowns, led the rushing attack with 135 yards on 18 carries and 7.5 yards per carry.
The rookie running back was playing in his first career game, and with Adrian Peterson out, we could possibly expect more.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarco Murray, Knile Davis, Matt Forte, Frank Gore
Best WR: Steve Smith (Baltimore Ravens)
His former Panthers are the latest team of schoolyard kids Steve Smith’s been running around.
On Sunday, Smith was incredible, showing off exceptional athleticism despite his age (35). He had seven receptions for 139 yards, two touchdowns, and 19.9 yards per catch. Those are elite numbers right there.
Joe Flacco and Smith led the 38-10 victory, and with Smith’s performances such as these, Carolina’s going to regret cutting him for a long time.
Honorable Mentions: Keenan Allen, Antonio Brown, Golden Tate, Randall Cobb
Best TE: Larry Donnell (New York Giants)
Eli’s #1 weapon Thursday Night was an undrafted tight end in Larry Donnell.
With 54 yards and three solid touchdown catches, there was no question Donnell was the best tight end of week four. His talent and athletic ability is a breath of fresh air on a team with a declining receiving corps, and he did a fantastic job of avoiding defenders and getting open in the end zone.
The potential of the Eli-Donnell combo is scary.
Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce, Martellus Bennett, Heath Miller, Delanie Walker
Defensive Player Of The Week: J.J. Watt (Houston Texans)
It’s really come to the point where I have to start naming this award after J.J. Watt.
On Sunday, Watt put on another clinic, getting NINE quarterback hits on the Bills’ EJ Manuel, along with five tackles, a deflected pass, and (of course), a pick six, as the Texans moved to 3-1 (more wins than 2013 already) with a 23-17 victory.
Watt is making a case to be the first MVP from the defensive side since Lawrence Taylor in 1986. Everyone knows Watt I’m talking about.
Best Kicker: Nick Novak (San Diego Chargers)
Aside from Philip Rivers, the other key in the Chargers 33-14 victory over the Jaguars was kicker Nick Novak. Novak was a perfect 3/3, including a long of 37, and added three extra points as well.
Novak’s leg helped make the Chargers victory conclusive, as they roll to a 3-1 record.
Biggest Upset: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No one saw this coming. No one expected it. But it happened.
The Bucs finally got a win, and did it against the Steelers 27-24 in Herm Edwards’ Super Bowl matchup (stop laughing, I’m not joking, he actually said this). Despite a great performance from Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, the Bucs rallied around Mike Glennon, who by just showing up was already better than Josh McCown.
But Glennon did more than just take McCown’s place. Last year, Glennon did fairly well for rookie standards, throwing 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He wasn’t great by any means, but he created something to build on as a rookie, and should have been the starter going into 2014.
After a failed game-winning drive, the Bucs got the ball back with under a minute to go. Glennon finally took advantage, making two beautiful throws (one to put Tampa Bay inside the red-zone), and another to Vincent Jackson with seven seconds left to seal the improbable victory.
Glennon earned the praise of many after his impressive game winning drive, as Tampa earned their first win of the season.
Best Team: Kansas City Chiefs
It may be time to start taking the Chiefs seriously this year.
Simply put, Kansas City played a perfect game against the Patriots, shutting them down defensively and exploding for 443 yards on offense in a 41-14 blowout.
Alex Smith played very well, throwing three touchdowns and 248 yards to go along with a 144.3 passer rating and a 79.1 QBR. Jamaal Charles was back as a dual threat, and rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown while catching two touchdown passes. But it was Knile Davis who really stole the Chiefs running game, exploding for 6.7 yards per carry, 107 yards, and a long of 48.
On the receiving edge, Travis Kelce put up solid tight end numbers, catching eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Dwayne Bowe caught five passes for 81 yards and 16.3 yards per catch, and slot receiver Donnie Avery caught two passes for 46 yards and 23.0 yards per carry.
The defense played just as good. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks to finally be stepping down as one of the game’s elite quarterbacks, spiraling towards an apparent decline, as he overthrew receivers, made terrible decisions, and had zero trust in his offensive line.
But the Chiefs allowed no breathing room either, only giving up 159 passing yards from Brady, two interceptions (including a pick six from Husain Abdullah,) two forced fumbles, seven deflected passes, three sacks, and two quarterback hits.
The Patriots seemed to have lost their identity on all fronts, while the Chiefs showed they’re no slouch in the AFC.
And yes, the decibel record setting Chiefs fans were amazing as well.
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