Bleacher Report's Week 15 NFL Awards

Well, it happened. Johnny freaking Football started his first career game.

The rookie's debut was—well, we'll get to Johnny Manziel's first start with the Cleveland Browns in a bit.

Manziel's first game was hardly the only big happening in Week 15, although it was nearly as bad as the M. Night Shyamalan flick of the same name.

There was a huge performance by the Buffalo Bills defense against the Green Bay Packers, and another win by the never-say-die Arizona Cardinals despite another big injury.

And even more losing in the God-awful NFC South.

As has been the case every week this season at Bleacher Report, the Division Lead and National Lead Writers gathered to offer their takes on the best and worst of the week that was.

Here's what they had to say.

Team of the Week

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Winner: Buffalo Bills (9 votes)

Don't look now, but it's the third week of December and the Buffalo Bills are still in the playoff hunt.

The Bills got their biggest win of the 2014 season in Week 15, stunning the Green Bay Packers 21-13 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

It was a win borne of strong defense. For the second straight week the Bills held an elite quarterback very much in check. This time it was Aaron Rodgers, who the Bills held under 200 passing yards. Rodgers didn't throw a touchdown pass and was intercepted twice.

As The Associated Press reported (via ESPN), safety Aaron Williams actually downplayed the win a little, saying, "I wouldn't say statement win. We went up against a Hall of Famer last week, why couldn't we do it again this week?"

Well, as Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com points out, that's a good thing, because if the Bills are going to make the playoffs, they'll need to clamp down on another big name under center soon enough:

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Buffalo fans knew they would have to win two out of three against Denver, Green Bay and New England for a chance to make the playoffs. They still have a shot after the upset of the Packers. If the Bills win in Oakland this week, they should be alive for the final AFC playoff spot before heading to New England for the season finale.

"

No pressure.

Others receiving votes: Dallas Cowboys (4 votes), New England Patriots (2 votes)

Coach of the Week

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Winner: Jim Schwartz, DC, Buffalo Bills (6 votes)

It's not surprising that we're staying in Western New York for this week's Coach of the Week, nor is it surprising that, given the Bills' defensive performance against the Packers, that coach hails from the defensive side of the ball.

In fact, Jim Schwartz's defense played so well that even Green Bay beat writers such as Tyler Dunne of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel were heaping praise on the unit:

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Collectively, Jim Schwartz’s Bills defense played Rodgers as well any team since Detroit in Week 3. He never got comfortable in the pocket — the Bills’ front four did have 48 sacks coming into this one — but probably most impressive was the tight coverage on the back end. The officials let the players play and Stephon Gilmore and company didn’t let receivers run loose.

"

The Bills would be nowhere near the playoffs were it not for that fifth-ranked defense, so our experts decided to throw some praise Schwartz's way as well.

Others receiving votes: Jason Garrett, HC, Dallas Cowboys (5 votes), Bruce Arians, HC, Arizona Cardinals (3 votes), Marvin Lewis, HC, Cincinnati Bengals (1 vote)

Goat of the Week

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

"Winner:" Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns (12 votes)

OK, so about that debut by Johnny Football.

Or should we say Johnny Faceplant, since that's exactly what Manziel did in his first NFL start.

Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated offered a postmortem of sorts on a performance that truly merited an autopsy:

"

Manziel's performance against the Cincinnati Bengals was not one that will have tongues wagging about his future -- at least, not in a positive sense. Manziel looked overwhelmed and frustrated more often than not in Sunday's 30-0 loss, throwing several passes too high and finishing with 10 completions in 18 attempts for 80 passing yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and three sacks. Cincinnati's defense, which had been exploited by the legs of Carolina's Cam Newton in a 37-37 Week 6 tie, shut Manziel down in the Bengals' second matchup against a truly mobile quarterback this season. Manziel ran five times for 13 yards, and most of them were scrambles as opposed to designed runs.

"

For his part, Manziel didn't sugarcoat his play while speaking with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler:

"

First time I've ever not scored a point or been shut out. Played in a lot of games, through high school and through college. Never been shut out, so it's definitely tough. You don't really envision that in your head. I left some throws on the field I would have wanted back. ... I felt like I could do everything I needed to from the pocket yesterday. Whenever I did have the chance to break the pocket, I felt some things happened where we weren't able to capitalize on.

"

That's good, because as everyone knows, you can't sugarcoat a turd.

Others receiving votes: Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears (2 votes), Jeff Fisher, HC, St. Louis Rams (1 vote)

Rookie of the Week

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Winner: Odell Beckham, WR, New York Giants (15 votes)

It's been a truly remarkable season for rookie wide receivers. From Sammy Watkins of the Buffalo Bills to Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kelvin Benjamin of the Carolina Panthers, the NFL is literally littered with first-year wideouts doing big things.

And Odell Beckham of the New York Giants may be the best of the bunch.

Beckham was at it again in Sunday's win over the Washington Redskins, hauling in 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns.

In the opinion of NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, Beckham is having the best season by a rookie wideout in quite some time:

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» Beckham has five 100-yard receiving games this season, the most by a Giants rookie in franchise history.

» Beckham finished Sunday with 972 receiving yards, passing Jeremy Shockey (894) for the most for a rookie in franchise history. Beckham did it in 10 games, Shockey in 15.

» Beckham has three games with at least 10 receptions, which ties him with (the other) Steve Smith (2009) for the most by a Giants wide receiver in one season.

» Beckham is the first rookie in NFL history with at least 12 receptions, 140 yards and three touchdowns in a single game.

» Beckham has 61 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns in the last seven games. That is the most receptions ever by a rookie in a seven-game span and the second-most receiving yards by a rookie in league history.

» Beckham is the first player with 10-plus receptions, 100-plus yards and a touchdown reception in three separate games of a four-game span.

"

Mind you, that's from a player who didn't catch his first pass until Week 5.

Best QB Performance

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Winner: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (12 votes)

Heading into Sunday night's big NFC showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, fans of the Dallas Cowboys were understandably nervous. After all, both the Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo have something of a history of December collapses.

However, even though running back DeMarco Murray was held to a relatively paltry 81 yards on 31 carries, and the fact that the Cowboys blew a 21-0 lead, Dallas was able to emerge from the game with a 38-27 win for one prevailing reason: Antonio Ramiro Romo.

Romo threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in Philly, and Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News thinks Romo's play this season compares favorably with another Cowboys great:

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Romo is having an Aikman-like season. In years past he believed he had to make all the plays for this team to win. So he took too many chances and made too many mistakes. His usual in in the past was 34 of 42 for 310 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Now he's spending most of his time handing the ball off and throwing more efficiently. His Chicago game was a classic Aikman passing line -- 21 of 26 for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Romo has had plenty of quantity in the past but his quality this season has been sterling.

"

Romo's play was also enough to get him the nod from our panel as Week 15's top signal-caller.

Others receiving votes: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (3 votes)

Best RB Performance

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Winner: Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals (15 votes)

As Matthew Florjancic of WKYC-TV reports, back in November, Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill didn't give the Cleveland Browns much credit after the Browns thumped the Bengals in Cincy:

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They're probably worse than I thought, to be honest with you. They didn't do anything special to me. I mean, respect to them, they won the game, but that's all I'll give them. Those guys, they're not that good. It was on us. We gave them the game, in my opinion. They didn't do anything special. We just gave them the game. They just sat back with coverage the whole day.

"

Well, as Andy Behrens of Yahoo Sports pointed out, where Week 15's rematch was concerned, Hill backed up that smack talk:

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Hill seized the lead role in the Cincinnati backfield this week, then feasted on the road, in a division matchup. The rookie rushed for 148 yards and two scores on 25 carries, adding four receiving yards on one reception. Giovani Bernard was invited to the party, too, gaining 103 scrimmage yards on 18 touches. But Hill absolutely dominated the rushing workload in the first-half, when the game was still competitive. He needed only two quarters of play to reach the 100-yard plateau.

"

Next time, Jeremy, maybe skip the leap into the Dawg Pound.

They may not let you back out.

Best WR Performance

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Winner: Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (8 votes)

OK, so maybe Tony Romo wasn't entirely responsible for the Cowboys' big win Sunday night.

After all, someone had to catch Romo's passes. Bryant did plenty of that against Philly, reeling in six catches for 114 yards and three touchdowns.

As Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated reports, Bryant abused Bradley Fletcher so badly in coverage that it's surprising Bryant wasn't arrested for assault Monday morning:

"

Fletcher is not the first (nor will he be the last) defender to experience such devastation at Bryant's hands. This was a massive stage Sunday night, though, with the NFC East lead at stake. And Bryant took over early, perhaps sparked by some pregame jawing with Philadelphia safety Malcolm Jenkins.

The Cowboys already led 7-0 when Romo and Bryant connected for their first score, a simple four-yard fade route that saw Bryant leap over a twirling Fletcher. Six minutes later, Bryant ran past Fletcher for a 26-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead. Finally, after Philadelphia stormed back into the game, Bryant dealt a crushing blow with a 25-yarder, on which he ripped right past Fletcher's meek bump-and-run coverage attempt.

'I don't think it's a secret -- sometimes we just tell him to run as far as he can,' said quarterback Tony Romo of Bryant, 'and I'll try to hit him in stride.'

Bryant's huge night pushed him into the league lead for receiving touchdowns (13), one ahead of Jordy Nelson and Julius Thomas. He also matched his career TD mark, set just last season.

"

Of course, there's a downside to performances like this for the Cowboys.

They aren't going to make it a bit cheaper to re-sign Bryant after the season.

Others receiving votes: Odell Beckham, New York Giants (7 votes)

Best TE Performance

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Winner: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers (15 votes)

It's a testament to the resiliency of the Carolina Panthers that, despite numerous injuries and distractions, they remain in the playoff hunt.

Actually, it's more a testament to how terrible the NFC South is in 2014 that the 5-8-1 Panthers are still in the division hunt, but whatever.

The Panthers were without Cam Newton in last week's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Derek Anderson was able to once again lead the team to victory.

A big part of that victory was Olsen's 10 grabs for 110 yards, but the 29-year-old told Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer that his big day was just another afternoon of—fun?:

"

That the quarterback trusts you that you’re going to get open, he’s going to sit on you and give you a chance, that’s fun. It’s fun to go out there and catch the ball, it’s fun to go out there and be productive but mostly it’s fun to go out there and contribute and help win the game.

"

I doubt that the defenders tasked with covering Olsen in Week 15 would classify their afternoon as "fun."

Best Defensive Performance

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

Winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (10 votes)

Let's just get this out of the way. It's J.J. Watt's world—we're all just living in it. Watt is a mortal lock to win the 2014 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

He could probably take the next two weeks off and still win it.

However, Watt isn't about to take a week off. In Week 15 Watt added two more sacks to his growing pile. The fourth-year pro now has 16.5, tops among all defensive linemen and half a sack off the league lead.

As Lindsay Jones of USA Today reported, Watt's play this season has drawn the praise from a player many consider the best to ever play on the defensive side of the ball:

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'I really like the way the kid plays," Lawrence Taylor told USA TODAY Sports in an email. 'Honest effort on every snap, tremendous size, strength and athleticism. We play two different positions, and he is bigger than I was, but the common similarity is the relentless mindset. I never gave up on a play. The kid plays the same way.'

"

If we handed out actual trophies with these awards, Watt would have enough to go bowling in his rec room.

Using the severed head of a quarterback as the ball, of course.

Others receiving votes: Aqib Talib, CB, Denver Broncos (3 votes), Charles Johnson, DE, Carolina Panthers (2 votes)

Best Decision

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Winner: Buffalo Bills defensive game plan vs. Green Bay Packers (13 votes)

You know somebody did something right when a single decision is the runaway choice of our voters as the week's best.

Given that the Bills won Team of the Week and that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz won Coach of the Week, it's not exactly a stunner that Schwartz's game plan in Sunday's big win over the Packers brought home this week's award for best decision.

As Chris Brown of the team's website pointed out, the Bills defense has been on quite the roll of late:

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While we made the handling of Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers a primary focus in our feature story coming off of Buffalo’s win over Green Bay Sunday. The two quarterbacks are just part of a string of signal callers that have not been able to manage a passing touchdown against Buffalo’s defense.

The Bills held Manning without a touchdown for the first time in 51 games, then held Rodgers, the league leader in touchdown passes to no scoring throws Sunday, but that’s been the case for Buffalo’s the defense the past four weeks now.

Buffalo did not allow Michael Vick or Geno Smith to throw a touchdown pass back in Week 12 and Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel could not reach the end zone through the air either, though Manziel had a rushing score. Ryan Tannehill is the last quarterback to throw a TD pass against the Bills back in Week 11.

In fact Tannehill’s two passing TDs in that Week 11 game are the only two passing touchdowns allowed by Buffalo since midseason. Opposing quarterback have not thrown a touchdown pass on the Bills in six of the last seven games.

That group of quarterbacks has however, throw a total of 11 interceptions to Buffalo defenders.

"

Keep it up at that rate, and the Bills just might make the postseason after all.

Others receiving votes: Cincinnati Bengals defensive game plan vs. Cleveland Browns (2 votes)

Worst Decision

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

"Winner:" Cleveland Browns starting Johnny Manziel (8 votes)

OK, so we've been over Johnny Manziel's resounding dud of an NFL debut. In the words of Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine, per Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated, Manziel "didn't play well. He played like a rookie, and looked like a rookie."

Still, Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks that the Browns need to start Manziel over the last two games of the 2014 season:

"

In the last two games, much can be learned about Manziel. Here's a list:

1. How does he respond to failure? It's doubtful Manziel ever had a game like this at any level where his offense couldn't score a point and he couldn't deliver any plays of real consequence. No matter what he said about not being overwhelmed, he was overwhelmed.

2. How does he prepare? Confusion in getting players lined up correctly reflects poorly on Manziel. The team had four false start penalties. Too often, there was a sense of disorganization. That was not the case with Brian Hoyer. Somehow, Manziel needs to fix this and display better leadership.

3. Can he make the right decisions? Too often, his throws were too late or too early. Not all of this rests with Manziel, as Hoyer also had timing issues with some receivers. But Manziel looked very indecisive, and admitted as much after the game.

4. Can he stay composed? It's true that Manziel often seemed to dance on the edge of chaos when he was in college. But when it comes to passing the ball, he has to plant his feet and throw. Even when running, he needs to come to a quick stop, set himself and then let go of the ball. He had several throws that he rushed, and released the ball while off-balance. The result was a floater that can easily be intercepted.

5. Is he serious about his job? Manziel insisted his night life and summer travels would not impact how he performed. Maybe it didn't. But this game made it seem he wasn't ready when the team turned to him.

"

Our panel, on the other hand, views a Cleveland team that was in a playoff race opening Pandora's box as early as they did as a mistake.

Given Sunday's results, it's kind of hard to argue.

Others receiving votes: Jeff Fisher refusing to go for it on 4th-and-short on a routine basis (3 votes), Green Bay Packers abandoning the run (2 votes), Jay Cutler getting out of bed (1 vote), Peyton Manning attempting to be a hero with a risky block in the second quarter (1 vote)

Player of the Week

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Winner: Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys (8 votes)

As I prepared this article, I was presented with a two-horse race for Player of the Week between a pair of wide receivers who each had ridiculously productive games.

Each sat on seven votes from our experts.

We've discussed Odell Beckham's huge rookie year and Dez Bryant's Sunday night explosion against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Both performances were deserving. However, while the Giants are only playing for pride, the Cowboys are locked in a dogfight for the NFC East title, a fight in which the loser stands a very real chance of missing the playoffs altogether.

Given those higher stakes, it's Bryant's big night that got the soon-to-be very wealthy 26-year-old the nod as Bleacher Report's NFL Player of the Week in Week 15.

Others receiving votes: Odell Beckham, WR, New York Giants (7 votes)