Bleacher Report's Week 2 NFL Awards

It was a wild week in the NFL.

Off-the-field issues understandably gripped the league in the wake of the child-abuse charges filed against Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Once we were able to focus inside the lines, there was plenty to be seen.

The Browns stunned the New Orleans Saints in Cleveland. The Chargers did the same to the Seattle Seahawks in San Diego. Ditto for the Chicago Bears, who erased a 17-point deficit to upset the 49ers in San Francisco.

And the injuries. Oh the injuries. Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles were just a few of the big names to go down in a week littered with carnage.

As the dust settles, let's take one last look back at the week that was with the Bleacher Report Week 2 NFL awards.

Team of the Week

DENIS POROY/Associated Press

Winner: San Diego Chargers (13 votes)

With the Chargers coming off a sloppy loss at Arizona in Week 1, not many people gave San Diego much of a chance in Sunday's matchup with the defending world champions.

In fact, not a single pundit here at Bleacher Report picked the Chargers to upset the Seattle Seahawks.

However, on a steamy day in San Diego where the temperature reached triple digits, that's exactly what the Chargers did, dominating time of possession 42:15 to 17:45 en route to a 30-21 victory.

The Chargers were also very efficient on third down, converting 10 of 17 attempts.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson gave credit where it's due while speaking with The Associated Press (via ESPN), saying: "They did a real good job on third down when they had the ball. They just sustained drives and kept us off the field offensively."

Now our panel is giving that credit as well.

Others receiving votes: Buffalo Bills (2 votes)

Week 1 winner: Buffalo Bills

Coach of the Week

DENIS POROY/Associated Press

Winner: Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers (14 votes) 

Time to dole out some more of that credit.

A big part of San Diego's upset win over the Seahawks was a fantastic game plan from head coach Mike McCoy, who employed a simple but effective tactic.

The Seahawks can't score if they don't have the ball.

Not only did the Chargers play keep-away much of Sunday afternoon, but the San Diego offense also did a great job of using short passes to throw underneath the Seahawks' vaunted "Legion of Boom" secondary.

It was an impressive coaching job from McCoy, who continues to earn the respect of his colleagues, according to ESPN's Mike Sando (subscription required):

"

An assistant coach whose team faced the Chargers more than once in the years before McCoy's arrival said he was impressed with what McCoy was able to capture as a first-time head coach from a team with a strong veteran element, even as the front office took steps to make the team younger.

"

For this week at least, McCoy has the respect of our voters as well.

Others receiving votes: Doug Marrone, Buffalo Bills (1 vote)

Week 1 winner: Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings

Goat of the Week

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Winner: Sheldon Richardson/Marty Mornhinweg, New York Jets (11 votes)

What could have been.

That's the refrain ringing through the minds of the New York Jets after the team blew a big lead and fell 31-24 at Green Bay in Week 2.

As if it wasn't bad enough that the Jets squandered an 18-point cushion, the team also blew a chance to tie the game with a Three Stooges-esque sequence in the fourth quarter.

ESPN's Mike Mazzeo has the blow-by-blow account, with New York offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg playing the part of Larry and defensive end Sheldon Richardson starring as Moe:

"

With about five minutes remaining and the Jets trailing 31-24 and facing fourth-and-4 at the Packers' 36-yard-line, Mornhinweg, who liked the play he called, noticed that the offense's formation was "aligned improperly."

A video replay appears to show that running back Bilal Powell was lined up on the left side of quarterback Geno Smith instead of the right side. Smith calmly motioned to Powell to switch sides, which the running back did, but it proved to be too late.

The play clock was winding down, and Mornhinweg began moving toward coach Rex Ryan on the sideline trying to get his attention. But Ryan's headset, Mornhinweg said, was on the defensive channel. The Jets had one timeout left, and Mornhinweg wanted to get the play right.

Defensive end Sheldon Richardson, noticing that Mornhinweg wanted a timeout, yelled into the ear of the official standing along the Jets' sideline. The timeout was granted, but only a couple of players on the field knew.

Smith threw a perfect touchdown pass to receiver Jeremy Kerley, but the play was blown dead. The Jets wound up picking up a first down but failed to reach the end zone and turned the ball over on downs.

'First of all, I want to make it crystal clear everything that goes on offensively is my responsibility, period,' Mornhinweg said Monday. 'I've got to do a better job of communicating and trusting 'Big Geno.' I've got to trust Geno to get everything fixed before the 40-second [play] clock. That's the scenario. I was surprised the timeout was called.'

"

I guess that makes head coach Rex Ryan Curly, although most fans of the Jets didn't find anything funny about the gaffe. 

Others receiving votes: Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers (2 votes), Rob Ryan, DC, New Orleans Saints (1 vote), Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line (1 vote)

Week 1 "winner": Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Rookie of the Week

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Winner: Kyle Fuller, CB, Chicago Bears (9 votes) 

The Chicago Bears got a huge road win over the San Francisco 49ers Sunday night, but that win came at a high price.

Veteran cornerback Charles Tillman suffered a season-ending triceps injury in the game, thrusting rookie Kyle Fuller into the starting lineup and under the spotlight.

Fuller came through in a huge way, notching seven tackles and becoming the first Bears rookie to intercept two passes in a game since Chris Harris in 2005.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he wasn't surprised by Fuller's stellar showing.

“I told him it’s not about starting, it’s not about making the Pro Bowl,” Marshall said. “For him, he needs to have Hall of Fame on his brain—because that kid can play.”

It may be a little early to start fitting Fuller for a hideous beige blazer, but there's no denying the youngster came through in a huge way on Sunday night.

Others receiving votes: Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills (5 votes), Joel Bitonio, OG, Cleveland Browns (1 vote) 

Week 1 winner: Allen Hurns, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Best QB Performance

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Winner: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers (14 votes) 

Hey, when you beat the defending champions you're going to get some dap.

Rivers becomes the third Charger (counting the team itself) to bring home some hardware in Week 2 after throwing for 284 yards and three scores (with no interceptions) in San Diego's big win over the Seahawks.

It was a great game played with a heavy heart. As Chris Chase of USA Today reported, Rivers wore the No. 61 on the back of his helmet to honor center (and close friend) Nick Hardwick, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a potentially career-threatening neck injury.

“I thought about him quite a bit out there today, especially pregame [during] the national anthem, thinking he may not be out there again,” Rivers told reporters postgame. “He may not put on that helmet again with that 61 sticker.”

Rivers did right by his friend (and his team) in Week 2.

Others receiving votes: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (1 vote)

Week 1 winner: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Best RB Performance

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Winner: DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (11 votes) 

It wasn't a good week for NFL running backs. The controversies surrounding Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cast a dark cloud over the position.

So it was good to see at least one NFL running back do what NFL running backs are supposed to do.

Run.

DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys did just that, rumbling for 167 yards on 29 carries in the Cowboys' big 26-10 win over the Tennessee Titans.

According to Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN, head coach Jason Garrett lauded his tailback for bouncing back from an early fumble:

"

I told him that was his third [sic] carry and he was going to get about 30, so hold onto the damn ball. ...

We've talked about him being a guy who can be a bell cow, and there's never been any evidence to me from the minute he showed up at the Dallas Cowboys that he couldn't do these kinds of things.

"

It was a performance that impressed our panel as well.

Others receiving votes: Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 votes), C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills (1 vote), Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles (1 vote) 

Week 1 winner: Knowshon Moreno, Miami Dolphins

Best WR Performance

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Winner: Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers (9 votes) 

There were more than a few big performances from wide receivers across the NFL in Week 2.

Take, for example, the three-touchdown game turned in by Chicago's Brandon Marshall in the Bears' big Sunday night win.

As Bleacher Report NFL National Lead Writer Ty Schalter said: "Adam Schefter reported there was a 75 percent chance neither Marshall nor Alshon Jeffery could go. Instead, Marshall turns in a three-touchdown performance in a massive Sunday Night Football comeback upset."

But no performance was as big as Jordy Nelson's

The 29-year-old played a huge role in the Green Bay Packers' comeback win over the New York Jets, reeling in nine catches for a career-high 209 yards.

Nelson's explosion included an 80-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that gave the Packers the lead. But the seventh-year veteran was more interested in the plays he didn't make, as he relayed to Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel after the game.

"Um ... I don't know," Nelson said. "I left some plays out there, honestly."

You know, he's right. Only 209 yards?

What a slacker.

Others receiving votes: Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears (4 votes), Julian Edelman, New England Patriots (2 votes) 

Week 1 winner: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

Best TE Performance

DENIS POROY/Associated Press

Winner: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers (14 votes) 

Heading into the 2014 season, most believed that San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was nearing the end of the line. In fact, some believed Gates had already crossed it.

Someone forgot to tell Gates.

The 34-year-old was the offensive MVP of San Diego's upset of the Seahawks, shredding the vaunted Legion of Boom to the tune of seven catches for 96 yards and three scores.

Of course, as Neil Paine of FiveThirtyEight.com pointed out, Gates being overlooked is nothing new:

"

Seattle shouldn’t feel too bad, though. Gates has been doing this kind of thing for 12 NFL seasons now, practically since he made the transition from being the second-leading scorer on Kent State’s 2002 Elite Eight basketball team to being an All-Pro NFL tight end. Yet, for all of his accomplishments — by Pro-Football-Reference’s Approximate Value system, he’s the second-best tight end ever — Gates’s career remains under-appreciated. That’s what happens when you play in the long shadow of Tony Gonzalez.

"

Well, this week Gates wasn't overlooked here at Bleacher Report.

Others receiving votes: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints (1 vote)

Week 1 winner: Julius Thomas, Denver Broncos

Best Defensive Performance

Associated Press

Winner: Chandler Jones, DE, New England Patriots (9 votes) 

New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones was a very busy man in last Sunday's 30-7 blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings.

In addition to notching a pair of sacks, Jones also had the play of the game, blocking a field goal just before halftime and returning it 58 yards for a touchdown.

Rather than the Vikings trailing 17-10 at intermission it was suddenly 24-7, and the rout was on.

As Michael Whitmer of The Boston Globe reports, the play drew kudos from teammate Matthew Slater:

"

Big man blazing on that one, huh? What was his 40 time out there? Looking like 4.3. That was so encouraging. That’s something Chandler and those guys work on so hard every week, and their hard work finally paid off. That was a huge play for us.

"

It even almost made head coach Bill Belichick smile.

Almost.

Others receiving votes: Ryan Kerrigan, OLB, Washington Redskins (4 votes), Calais Campbell, DE, Arizona Cardinals (1 vote), Dont'a Hightower, OLB, New England Patriots (1 vote)

Week 1 winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

Best Decision

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Winner: Minnesota Vikings deactivating running back Adrian Peterson (13 votes)

Let's be perfectly clear: There are no winners in the Peterson situation.

I'm sure you know about the allegations of child abuse that have been levied against the Minnesota Vikings star running back.

I'm not going to go into detail here. They're already plastered all over the Internet. It's a sad, sickening, sorry story.

It's important to note that while Peterson has admitted to "whooping" his four-year-old son, he has not been convicted of any crime as of yet.

Still, the vast majority of our voters believe the Vikings made the right call in benching Peterson in advance of last Sunday's game against the Patriots.

The fact that the Vikings then reinstated Peterson on Monday?

Well, let's just say we may see that one on a slide next week.

Others receiving votes: Carolina Panthers deactivating defensive end Greg Hardy (1 vote), McCoy milking the clock against the Seattle Seahawks (1 vote) 

Week 1 winner: Seattle Seahawks "pop pass" against the Green Bay Packers

Worst Decision

Uncredited/Associated Press

Winner: New York Jets timeout cancels game-tying TD (13 votes) 

We've already given you the lowdown on the Mensa moment with Mornhinweg and Richardson that resulted in a fourth-quarter touchdown coming off the board against the Green Bay Packers Sunday.

A shining display of savvy it wasn't, and it isn't the first time that Mornhinweg got vapor lock in a game against an NFC North opponent.

Back in 2002, while head coach of the Detroit Lions, Mornhinweg famously elected to take the wind after winning an overtime coin toss against the Chicago Bears. The Bears then took the ball, drove down and won the game without Detroit ever getting a chance to touch the rock.

In fact, Deadspin went so far as to call Mornhinweg (who was 5-27 in two years as head coach of the Lions) the worst head coach in the modern history of the NFL.

Yikes.

Others receiving votes: Jacksonville Jaguars leaving Hurns on the field in garbage time (1 vote), Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton's conservative play-calling late in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles (1 vote)

Week 1 "winner": Josh McCown's interfumbleception against the Carolina Panthers

Player of the Week

DENIS POROY/Associated Press

Winner: Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers (11 votes) 

As will be the case every week with these awards, we've saved the best for last. And given how much run the San Diego Chargers have already received here for their big win over the Seattle Seahawks, it's hardly surprising that Rivers got the nod as Player of the Week.

Rivers' performance was enough for Ricky Henne of the team's website to stump for the 32-year-old to pick up some additional hardware this week:

"

It was a vintage Philip Rivers performance on Sunday as the prolific passer led the Chargers to a thrilling 30-21 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Now it’s time to help reward the quarterback as he’s nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Week.

Number 17 completed 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns for a 124.2 passer rating against the vaunted Seahawks defense to beat the defending champs. His three TD strikes went to Antonio Gates on perfect dimes, knowing exactly where his longtime teammate would be and placing the ball where only he could get it. Rivers was also elusive with his feet, most notably escaping pressure within the pocket to complete important passes while picking up three first downs with his legs as well.

"

It would appear that were our experts in charge of handing out the award, Rivers would be all set. 

Others receiving votes: Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers (2 votes), Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers (1 vote), Darren Sproles, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (1 vote) 

Week 1 winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans