Bleacher Report's Week 7 NFL Awards

Seven weeks into the season, the NFL has gone like the NFL usually goes.

That's to say: For everything we thought we knew, there have been two surprises.

We thought the Denver Broncos would be good, and sure enough they are, but the defense's performance in last week's blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers may have been even more impressive than Peyton Manning's record-setting night.

It's no surprise that the team leading the NFC West sports only a single loss. However, very few people expected that team to be the Arizona Cardinals.

With that in mind, we polled the National Lead and Division Lead Writers here at Bleacher Report, and asked for their takes on the best and worst of Week 7.

Here's what they had to say.

Team of the Week

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Winner: St. Louis Rams (13 votes)

There may have been bigger wins in terms of point differential in Week 7, but magnitude-wise the Rams' upset of the defending Super Bowl champions is hard to top.

After all, the reeling Rams hadn't won since Week 2 and were playing host to an angry Seattle Seahawks squad coming off a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The general thought was this game would be somewhere between Super Bowl XX and Custer's Last Stand on the competitiveness scale.

Well, someone forgot to tell the Rams, who pulled out every trick in the book en route to a 28-26 win that has the NFL asking "what's wrong with the Seahawks?"

Gadget plays? How about a misdirection by Tavon Austin that flummoxed the Seattle special teams, leading to a Stedman Bailey return for a score.

Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports has the play-by-play for the second-quarter switcheroo:

"

Every Seahawks special-teamer followed the Rams' return team and apparent returner Tavon Austin, who looked to be trying to field the punt. Only problem: Punter Jon Ryan kicked it to the complete opposite side of the field.

Stedman Bailey, who was the jammer on the other side, was the man who ran it back for a score. He lined up opposite the Seahawks' gunner, retreated and fielded the punt, nearly unimpeded to the end zone for one of the strangest touchdowns in recent NFL memory.

"

Throw in an incredibly gutsy (or completely insane) fake punt from inside their own 20 in the fourth quarter while nursing a two-point lead, and you have the recipe for the biggest shocker so far this season.

Others receiving votes: Indianapolis Colts (1 vote), Denver Broncos (1 vote)

Coach of the Week

Associated Press

Winner: Jeff Fisher, HC, St. Louis Rams (9 votes)

Jeff Fisher very easily could have been the "Goat of the Week."

After all, had the fake punt that the Rams attempted in the fourth quarter of Sunday's stunner not been successful, it would have effectively handed the game to the Seattle Seahawks on a silver platter.

As Michael Silver of NFL.com reports, Fisher's reasoning was simple. In his mind, if the Seahawks got the ball again the Rams were done.

"They had such momentum," Fisher said. "And look—Russell Wilson's really good. We had them down, and he took it over. So no, we wanted no part of him at the end."

Of course, now we'll never know what might have been. The play worked like a charm, the Rams ran out the clock and a gambit that could have left Fisher a zero instead left him a hero.

One man's brilliance is another's insanity. It's a fine line folks.

Others receiving votes: Jason Garrett, HC, Dallas Cowboys (2 votes), John Fassel, ST coach, St. Louis Rams (1 vote), Chuck Pagano, HC, Indianapolis Colts (1 vote), Todd Haley, OC, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 vote), Jim Caldwell, HC, Detroit Lions (1 vote)

Goat of the Week

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

"Winner": Seattle Seahawks Special Teams (7 votes) 

There's a flip side to those special teams gambles by the Rams in Week 7.

That being a Seattle Seahawks special teams unit that wasn't so special on Sunday.

As Stephen Cohen of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer points out, the Rams' trick plays weren't the only times that Seattle's special teams fell asleep at the wheel in St. Louis.

It left head coach Pete Carroll with some explaining to do, first about the 75-yard kickoff return that set up the Rams' first touchdown.

"We relaxed thinking the guy’s going to take a knee on the ball in the end zone," he said. "He came out with it and split us with a huge return, put the ball on the 30."

Then Carroll remarked on Bailey's tomfoolery touchdown:

"

We really got fooled on the return. We followed the returner instead of chasing the ball like we’re supposed to, and so we gave them a free play. They did a great job of setting it up, and it worked real well. It couldn’t have been more perfect for them.

"

And finally, here are his thoughts on the fake punt that sealed the game:

"

It’s a win-or-lose call right there, and you have to give it to them. It worked out for them and we just didn’t cover the guy well enough in the flat. They had three enormous plays that changed the course of their game, to their credit. It was a great win.

"

Other than that though, the special teams played pretty well. 

Others receiving votes: Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (3 votes), Brian Hoyer, QB, Cleveland Browns (1 vote), San Francisco 49ers (1 vote), Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (1 vote), Rafael Bush, S, New Orleans Saints (1 vote), Chris Borland, ILB, San Francisco 49ers (1 vote)

Rookie of the Week

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Winner: Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills (14 votes)

The Buffalo Bills no doubt have high hopes for wide receiver Sammy Watkins. After all, the Bills spent their first- and fourth-round picks in next year's draft to move up in May and select the former Clemson star.

That investment is already paying dividends.

Watkins had a coming-out party in Buffalo's 17-16 comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings, hauling in nine catches for 122 yards and both the team's touchdowns.

Quarterback Kyle Orton didn't mince words when asked by Joe Leathersich of the team's website about the team's last-second, game-winning score:

"

I was going to Sammy. I was going to go to Sammy. He was doing a good job for us. We had beaten those guys on some slants earlier so we thought we had a good look to hit that play. He ran a great route and a nice catch.

"

Seven weeks to become a team's go-to receiver?

Yeah, that's not too shabby.

Others receiving votes: Greg Robinson, OL, St. Louis Rams (1 vote)

Best QB Performance

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Winner: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (14 votes)

Well, duh.

It's hardly a surprise that Peyton Manning won this week's award for top quarterback after carving up the San Francisco 49ers for four touchdown passes Monday night.

This little story tells you everything you need to know about Manning, who is now the NFL record-holder for touchdown passes both in a season and for a career.

After Manning threw career touchdown No. 509 in the second quarter, surpassing Brett Favre's then-record 508, his receivers played "keep-away" with the history-making ball. Everyone had a good chuckle.

Of course, as wide receiver Demaryius Thomas told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Manning's chuckle was rehearsed. So was Thomas':

"

He actually planned that himself. He came to me, it was either Thursday or Friday. [He said], 'If anybody scores 509, this is what we should do.'

So he came to me and said, 'Keep the ball away, hop-scotch or whatever.'

I was like, 'Cool.'

So we got everybody in on Friday and we practiced it, and it happened tonight.

"

The whole gag was rehearsed, because Manning leaves nothing to chance.

Others receiving votes: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (1 vote)

Best RB Performance

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Winner: DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (12 votes)

DeMarco Murray is having an OK start to the 2014 season.

In Sunday's win over the New York Giants, Murray picked up 128 yards on 28 carries. It was the seventh straight game to start the year in which Murray has gained over 100 yards on the ground.

No back in NFL history had ever accomplished that feat before.

As the engine that drives the offense for the 6-1 Cowboys, Murray is the NFL's leading rusher by a huge margin, with 913 yards (Houston's Arian Foster is second with 615). In fact, some pundits, including Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas, are beating the drum for Murray as an early MVP candidate:

"

I wonder if DeMarco Murray can win the Associated Press' Most Valuable Player award. The only Cowboy to have won the award was Emmitt Smith in 1993. His value was at its zenith since the Cowboys started 0-2 in his absence due to an contract squabble and they ended up winning 12 of their last 14 games and repeated as Super Bowl champs. Smith finished with 1,486 yards and nine touchdowns in those 14 games. Murray leads the NFL with 913 yards rushing. Only three other teams have more yards than Murray.

"

You know a back's off to a hot start when even the writers who didn't vote for Murray, such as NFL National Lead Writer Ty Schalter, make mention of him:

"

DeMarco Murray is having the best season of any back in the NFL, and nothing on Sunday changed that. But Jets tailback Chris Ivory gave the Patriots all they could handle, and then some. It was nearly enough for the down-on-their luck Jets to house the high-on-the-hog Pats.

"

Ivory did indeed have a great game, but so far 2014 is DeYear of DeMarco.

Others receiving votes: Chris Ivory, New York Jets (2 votes), Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 vote)

Best WR Performance

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Winner: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos (9 votes)

It wasn't that long ago that people were wondering what was "wrong" with Demaryius Thomas.

Over the first three games of the 2014 season, Thomas had 13 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Those aren't bad numbers mind you, but hardly elite.

Since the Broncos got back from their Week 4 bye, it's been a different story.

Over the last three weeks, Thomas has reeled in 26 passes for 521 yards and five scores. That's over 20 yards a grab, and a solid half-season from many pass-catchers.

It's an outburst that drew raves from teammate Terrance Knighton, according to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post:

"

If you're going to sign anybody first, it's got to be D.T. He's elite. He's the best receiver in the NFL. With his size, his ability, his gift? Guys don't come around like that. You've got to take care of guys like that. If Demaryius and Calvin Johnson were both the same size — say, 5-10, 185 — and you take their skill set, I think Demaryius would be better.

"

It used to be that calling any receiver in the NFL better than Johnson would get you laughed at.

No one is laughing now.

Others receiving votes: Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (3 votes), Golden Tate, Detroit Lions (3 votes)

Best TE Performance

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Winner: Gavin Escobar, Dallas Cowboys (8 votes)

Gavin Escobar of the Dallas Cowboys got the most bang for his receiving buck in Week 7.

Sure, Escobar only made three catches in the Cowboys' 31-21 win over the New York Giants, but the second-year pro averaged over 21 yards a reception. Two of his catches went for scores.

As Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News reports, it was easily the best game of Escobar's short career:

"

Gavin Escobar had been the invisible man offensively in the resurgence of the Cowboys this season. For that matter, he’s been virtually invisible since the Cowboys spent a second-round draft choice on him in 2013.

Until Sunday.

This is what the Cowboys envisioned when they selected Escobar with the 47th pick of the 2013 draft, passing up quality defenders at need positions in order to claim a second tight end.

"

Granted, one game does not make a breakout, but just like seemingly every other Cowboys player, Escobar's arrow is trending upward. 

Others receiving votes: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers (7 votes)

Best Defensive Performance

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Winner: DeMarcus Ware, DE, Denver Broncos (7 votes) 

Sunday night's performance by defensive end DeMarcus Ware is exactly what the Denver Broncos hoped they were getting when they signed the 32-year-old to a fat free-agent deal in the offseason.

Ware was a force in Denver's blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers, racking up four tackles and three sacks.

Ware now has seven sacks on the year and at least half a sack in five of six games, but Ware told Troy Renck of The Denver Post there's still much work to be done:

"

Ware, alone, creates disruptions. Combine him with Von Miller, who leads the NFL with eight sacks this season, and havoc follows. They have combined for 15 sacks, which is more than 14 teams have. During organized team activities in the offseason, Ware predicted they could finish with more than at least one club, privately wanting at least 32 sacks among them.

'That is a big goal for me and Von to say, 'Why not have two guys that can have as many sacks as one team?' Ware said. 'It's something we want to accomplish. We played well last week, but we have to carry it over to this week and the week after that.'

"

If Ware keeps pulling moves like this, there's no doubt whatsoever that he and Miller (who had two sacks of his own against San Fran) will accomplish those goals.

Don't look now folks, but the Broncos have a defense.

Others receiving votes: Vontae Davis, CB, Indianapolis Colts (4 votes), Jay Ratliff, DT, Chicago Bears (1 vote), Everson Griffen, DE, Minnesota Vikings (1 vote), Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos (1 vote), Leodis McKelvin, CB, Buffalo Bills (1 vote)

Best Decision

Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

Winner: Rams' Fake Punt and Return (13 votes)

The votes for Best Decision of the Week often run the gamut, with upward of 10 different plays or coaching moves garnering at least one vote.

In Week 7 there were variations on a theme, but that theme was nearly unanimous.

The special teams plays by the Rams in their win over the Seahawks were brilliant.

In retrospect, the return really shouldn't surprise anyone. After all, Jeff Fisher is the coach who burned the Music City Miracle into Buffalo Bills fans' brains for all eternity.

But a fake punt deep in your own end, in the fourth quarter of a game where you're nursing a two-point lead?

There's gutsy, and then there's nutsy. That call had plenty of both.

Had it failed and Seattle won the game, the talk today would be about Fisher blowing the win. The Rams would be 1-5, and there would probably be more than a few calls for Fisher's head.

The fake worked though.

Oh man, did it work.

Others receiving votes: Washington turning to Colt McCoy at quarterback (1 vote), Peyton Manning getting the TD record out of the way early (1 vote)

Worst Decision

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

"Winner": Cleveland Browns' 4th-and-Pitiful (6 votes)

Given how the Cleveland Browns played in their Week 7 loss to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars and the fact that two of the top three vote-getters for worst decision of Week 7 wear an orange hat, the team's true worst decision may have been flying to Florida in the first place.

Cleveland's fourth-down futility personifies the defeat. Early in the game, rather than kicking a field goal, the Browns went for it on 4th-and-1.

Nope. Didn't get it.

However, the Browns were only getting started.

In the fourth quarter of a game that was still in reach, the Browns faced 4th-and-5 from the Jacksonville 43.

Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohip Media Group has the postmortem on that play that wasn't meant to be, which is best read while listening to this:

"

With the Browns trailing by four points, coach Mike Pettine sent the punt team on the field before calling them back to the sideline. The offense returned and the Jaguars appeared confused. They had players coming on and off the field.

'We were just trying to catch them in a substitution situation,' Pettine explained. 'I don't know how it ended up being communicated, but the ball was not supposed to be snapped. So that was a frustrating thing for us. We were really just trying to catch them in a substitution. You either get them to call a timeout or you take the delay and go ahead and punt.'

Hoyer and John Greco, tasked with replacing All Pro Alex Mack and starting his first game at any level at center, both admitted there was miscommunication.

'We were thinking one thing up front and Brian was trying to tell us something else,' Greco said. 'It was the heat of the moment...'

Hoyer said the last thing he'd be running is a "speed option" on fourth-and-5.

'It was loud and we were trying to see if we could get them to come off (side), maybe catch them with 12 on the field and we didn't run it, execute it the way we hoped,' the quarterback said.

"

They didn't execute like they'd hoped?

Do ya think, Brian?

Others receiving votes: Drew Brees' fourth-quarter interception (4 votes), Browns eschewing a field goal up 6-0 (3 votes), Seattle punt coverage (1 vote), Bears' defense of zone-read (1 vote)

Player of the Week

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Winner: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos (14 votes) 

I know, you're floored.

You know, Brett Favre really shouldn't resent Peyton Manning for breaking his career passing touchdowns record.

Sure, Manning has that record. And the single-season touchdown record. And he's all but certainly going to break Favre's regular-season win record. Probably his career passing yardage record too.

Yes, Manning's been to the Super Bowl more times than Favre. And he has more MVP awards.

So what?

Favre has this.

Take that, Peyton. 

Others receiving votes: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (1 vote)