Bleacher Report's Week 16 NFL Awards

The playoff picture is coming into focus in the NFL.

Two more division titles were settled in Week 16, with the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys capturing the NFC West and NFC East, respectively, thanks to dominant performances.

Not every team came out firing on all cylinders, however. The Cowboys won the East in part because the Philadelphia Eagles fell at Washington Saturday. The Baltimore Ravens, who entered the week in the thick of the AFC North race, fell flat on their face in a blowout loss in Houston.

It was a week filled with equal measures excitement and embarrassment. With that in mind, here is a look at the week's biggest highs and lows in the opinion of the Division Lead and National Lead Writers here at Bleacher Report.

Team of the Week

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Winner: Dallas Cowboys (9 votes)

A door was opened for the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, when the Philadelphia Eagles lost in Washington. Beat the Colts Sunday in Dallas, and the Cowboys would win the NFC East.

Well, the Cowboys beat the Colts all right—like a drum.

After demolishing the Colts 42-7, Gred Bedard of SI.com's The MMQB said it's time we stop looking at the Cowboys as a collapse waiting to happen and start viewing them as legitimate Super Bowl contenders:

"

At one point, this season looked to be on the verge of another collapse. After a 6-1 start, back-to-back home losses to Washington and Arizona signaled weakness. And then the Eagles carved Dallas up a few weeks later on Thanksgiving, a 33-10 loss at that dropped the Cowboys to 8-4. All signs pointed to another disastrous December in Big D.

But then the Cowboys went to Chicago (a 41-28 win) and to Philadelphia (a 38-27 win) and came home to play the Colts (a 42-7 win). It was the second game against the Eagles that proved these aren’t the same old Cowboys, and it showed why they’ll be tough to beat in the playoffs.

The Eagles scored 24 straight points to take 24-21 lead late in the third quarter. But Dallas answered with a 78-yard touchdown drive comprising eight plays, with large chunks gained through the air (two 22-yard passes from Romo to Bryant) and on the ground (a 22-yard run by Murray). Three plays after retaking the lead on Murray’s two-yard run up the middle, Dallas picked off an errant Mark Sanchez pass. Four plays after that, Romo connected with Bryant on a touchdown that put the Eagles—and the Cowboys’ own ghosts—away.

We’ve all had our fun over the years with Jones, Garrett and Romo, and much of the snickering was merited. But it’s time to get serious: The Cowboys are no longer anything to laugh at.

"

A 42-7 final score is hard to argue with—really hard to argue with.

Others receiving votes: Seattle Seahawks (3 votes), San Diego Chargers (2 votes), Cincinnati Bengals (1 vote)

Coach of the Week

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Winner: Jason Garrett, HC, Dallas Cowboys (5 votes)

When the 2014 season began, Jason Garrett was more a punchline than a Coach of the Year candidate. Most lists of coaches on the hot seat included Garrett's name.

That didn't change with a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. However, Garrett told ESPN's Todd Archer that game also set the tone for the entire season:

"

I'm the only guy around that I know who felt good after the San Francisco game. When I watched that game in detail -- and I told our team this -- I said, 'That game told me what we were capable of doing. But it also told me what we had to do as a football team.' If you remember in that game, we turned the ball over three times against a really good football team, and they took advantage of it. They beat us. They beat us handily. But we also did some positive things. We did a good job on defense, slowing them down. We ran the ball fairly well against a good defensive team.

To me, if you get in there and you say, 'Let's take these plays away. Let's not play that way to give good teams these kinds of opportunities. Let's go play this way. Let's defend the run. Let's run the ball. Let's take advantage of some opportunities in the passing game when we get some favorable looks to throw it. That's the kind of team we can be.' I expressed that to our staff after the game. I expressed that to our team.

"

Well, now the Cowboys are NFC East champs and the Colts are still trying to scrub the Cowboys' bootprints off their foreheads. No one's laughing at Jason Garrett and Dallas now.

Others receiving votes: Bill O'Brien, HC, Houston Texans (4 votes); Rod Marinelli, DC, Dallas Cowboys (3 votes); Pete Carroll, HC, Seattle Seahawks (2 votes); Marvin Lewis, HC, Cincinnati Bengals (1 vote)

Goat of the Week

Bill Haber/Associated Press

"Winner": Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (7 votes)

There's been a big, stinky elephant in the room in the Superdome in 2014. No one wants to admit it's there, but after the Saints were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 16, there's no denying its existence.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees hasn't played very well in 2014—by his standards anyway.

Granted, Brees' raw numbers (4,671 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 99.2 passer rating) don't look bad at all. However, the fact remains that when the Saints most needed Brees to deliver this season, he faltered.

The 35-year-old's three turnovers against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 are a perfect example, and Brees didn't sugarcoat his performance while speaking with Evan Woodbery of The New Orleans Times-Picayune:

"

That's been frustrating and disappointing. We could very easily look back and say there were many, many (games) where we had chances in the end and we were not able to capitalize. In every season, the difference between being a 12-4 or 11-5 team and an 8-8 team is a fine line. In the past, we've won some of those (close games). Unfortunately, this year we have not won many of those.

"

Personally, I blame all that DayQuil he keeps taking. That just can't be good for you.

Others receiving votes: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens (4 votes); Jimmy Graham, TE, New Orleans Saints (3 votes); Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos (1 vote)

Rookie of the Week

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

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

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin finally found something to criticize wide receiver Odell Beckham for.

Beckham, who exploded (again) for eight catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's win in St. Louis, was flagged for taunting and got involved in a sideline fracas. Coughlin told ESPN's Kieran Darcy that sort of extracurricular nonsense needs to stop:

"

Every time Odell plays, he learns more about the National Football League, and he learns about the way in which he is being interpreted -- some good, some bad. And I think he continues to try to want to do things the right way, and we'll continue to try to teach him, without taking away from his ability and his excitement.

"

Of course, as Mike Rosenstein of NJ.com points out, it's that ability and excitement part that's of particular interest to the Giants and their fans:

"

• Beckham’s eight receptions increased his season total to 79, the most in NFL history for a player in his first 11 career games.
• Beckham’s 79 receptions is a Giants rookie record. He broke the former mark held by tight end Jeremy Shockey, who caught 74 passes in 2002.
• Beckham extended his Giants and NFL rookie records with his eighth consecutive game with at least 90 receiving yards. Next week, he can tie the league record of nine, set by Hall of Famer Michael Irvin in 1995.
• The 100-yard game was Beckham’s sixth, which doubles the Giants' previous rookie record.
• Beckham is the first rookie in NFL history with at least 130 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in three consecutive games.
• Beckham increased his season receiving yardage total to 1,120, extending his own team rookie record. Shockey held the previous record with 894 yards.

"

At this point, the Offensive Rookie of the Year vote, even in a year where first-year wideouts are blowing up left and right, is looking more and more like a foregone conclusion.

Best QB Performance

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Winner: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (15 votes)

It hasn't been the best season for young quarterbacks across the NFL. EJ Manuel of the Buffalo Bills and Geno Smith of the New York Jets have been benched. Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers has regressed to the point that his future as the starter is by no means cast in stone any more.

Then there's Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, who just keeps rolling right along.

All Wilson did Sunday night was lead the Seahawks to the NFC West title by making one of the NFL's best defenses look like a bunch of fourth-graders—339 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, with another 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

As Bleacher Report NFC West Lead Writer Sean Tomlinson wrote, Wilson put on quite a show against the Redbirds:

"

Wilson is a quarterback chameleon, adapting to his environment while gladly accepting whatever the defense provides. He’s not unique with that mindset, but the athletic tools he can utilize to capitalize on opportunities are rare.

We saw the running Wilson Sunday during a 35-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals. But before he took off downfield, we saw more than that, too. We saw a quarterback who used patience and quickness equally.

"

Given the stakes of the game, it's also hardly a stretch to say we saw the best performance by a quarterback in Week 16.

Best RB Performance

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Winner: Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks (11 votes)

Of course, Wilson wasn't the only Seahawks player who had a big game Sunday night.

Running back Marshawn Lynch got in on the action too, reeling off 113 yards on only 10 carries, including a career-best 79-yard touchdown run that brought back memories of the "Beast Quake" against the New Orleans Saints.

In fact, as Larry Stone of the Seattle Times reports, given the circumstances, the sequel may have even been better than the original:

"

It’s a worthy Morning After question: Which of these instantly iconic runs was better? Is the original unsurpassable, or is this the “Godfather II” of sequels, doing the impossible by somehow surpassing a beloved tour de force?

On the television call, Cris Collinsworth gave the slight edge to Beast Quake I but called the reprise “one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen … It was sick, literally, figuratively.”

The reference was to the stomachache that sidelined Lynch for the first quarter — an element that adds considerable style points to the most recent run.

"

Granted, there were those, including NFL National Lead Writer Mike Tanier, who feel Lynch's performance wasn't the best by a running back in Week 16.

"

Frank Gore and some others put up better numbers, but Foster threw a touchdown pass so his fourth-string quarterback would not have to, caught a 23-yard pass, and thumped out 88 yards against a good defense that had no respect for his team's passing game. Under the circumstances, and considering what was at stake, it was a tremendous performance.

"

However, in a week where the Seahawks ruled the NFL, it was Lynch who won the vote.

Others receiving votes: Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers (2 votes); Arian Foster, Houston Texans (1 vote); Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals (1 vote)

Best WR Performance

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Winner: Odell Beckham, New York Giants (14 votes)

We've been seeing quite a bit of Odell Beckham in this awards article of late.

It isn't hard to figure out why. Over the past three games, Beckham has reeled in a staggering 31 passes for 421 yards and six touchdowns. No other wide receiver in the NFL has even come close to those numbers over that span.

After Beckham's latest huge game inspired a sideline brawl in St. Louis, Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com suggested that he might want to dial back the celebrations in the future:

"

For Beckham, it may be fun. But it put a bullseye on his back. The first-round pick was hit late out of bounds twice in the second quarter, the second time sparking the type of melee you usually don't see on a football field.

Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree didn't just hit Beckham out of bounds on the play, he planted him hard into the ground. He targeted the Giants rookie, who responded by swinging the ball at Ogletree.

Wide receiver Preston Parker and several other Giants came to Beckham's defense. They had to. They couldn't watch their best offensive weapon take cheap shots without any payback. They had to protect their best asset.

And now, Beckham must start protecting himself. A start would be to mute the celebrations, which apparently have caught the attention of the Giants' opponents and made the rookie a target.

"

The Giants may want Beckham to curtail his celebrating, but the team isn't likely to.

Because in a season that will go down in history as being littered with talented rookie receivers, early returns make it appear the Giants got the best of the bunch.

Others receiving votes: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (1 vote)

Best TE Performance

USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Luke Willson, Seattle Seahawks (13 votes)

It looked like this vote was going to be a done deal before Sunday's games were even played, when Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles set a franchise record with 15 catches against Washington.

However, just like a football game, the week wasn't over until it was over—and Sunday night's big NFC West showdown turned the tables for the week's top tight end.

Granted, Luke Willson of the Seattle Seahawks only had three catches against the Arizona Cardinals, but he certainly got big bang for his buck, racking up 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Willson's big day included an 80-yard catch-and-run, but he confessed to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times that he nearly didn't find paydirt there:

"

I was looking up at the scoreboard and I was like ‘Wow, there is someone catching me.' Now, I understand I’m a tight end but I also take a lot of pride when I’m in the open field that I won’t get caught. So when a guy came at my ankles, I was a little nervous. But I was pretty happy the way it ended up.

"

It's safe to say the Seahawks are pretty happy with it too.

Others receiving votes: Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (1 vote); Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins (1 vote)

Best Defensive Performance

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Winner: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans (15 votes)

It's fitting that Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt won the award for best defensive performance as the 2014 regular season winds down.

Because Watt's had the best defensive performance in the NFL this year—and it ain't close.

Watt's sack against the Ravens gives him 17.5 on the season. It also marked the ninth time in 10 games that he reached the passer at least once.

In the opinion of Tom Layberger of Cleveland.com, there hasn't been a more valuable player in all the National Football League this season:

"

Watt is the league's most disruptive player and game-planning against his presence has given many an opposing offensive coordinator ample headaches. In a season in which he has been regularly double- and even triple-teamed by blockers, Watt's 17.5 sacks are a half sack off the league lead and the constant pressure not measured in terms of sacks repeatedly takes its toll on quarterbacks. Then there are the five touchdowns (with three on offense), a total no defensive lineman has ever reached.

It all adds up to a memorable season, and while I do not feel Watt will be named MVP, voters would be remiss in not giving him very strong consideration.

"

Watt may not win the MVP award, but he's absolutely deserving. Wrecking the Ravens (and their playoff hopes) in Week 16 was just his way of demonstrating that—again.

Best Decision

USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Seattle Seahawks offensive game plan (8 votes)

The Arizona Cardinals possess one of the NFL's best defenses. It's been a large part of the team winning 11 games despite numerous injuries to key contributors on offense.

However, for several years, the Cardinals have had an Achilles' heel on defense.

They don't defend tight ends well in coverage.

Generally speaking, fantasy football can help gauge how an NFL team does defensively versus certain positions. In 2013, the Cardinals allowed the most fantasy points in the league to tight ends.

Things didn't get much better this year, with the Redbirds surrendering the third-most fantasy points to the position.

Given that, it makes sense that the Seahawks would exploit that weakness. And exploit it they did, resulting in a big game for Wilson and a blowout win for Seattle.

Others receiving votes: Detroit Lions pounding Joique Bell in the 2nd half (2 votes); Cincinnati Bengals defense disguising coverages/blitzes (1 vote); Giants continuing to attack with Odell Beckham despite Rams dirty play (1 vote); Jets game plan to slow down Patriots offense (1 vote); Houston Texans defensive game plan against Joe Flacco (1 vote); Cincinnati's screen-pass offense (1 vote)

Worst Decision

USA TODAY Sports

"Winner": Dallas Cowboys leaving DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo in a blowout late (6 votes)

Given how much was on the line for some NFL teams in Week 16, more than a few clubs apparently developed vapor lock in crunch time.

For NFL National Lead Writer Mike Tanier, it was head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs forgetting that his team has one of the NFL's best running backs on the roster:

"

Reid does about 96 things right for his franchises and roughly four things noticeably, unfathomably wrong. He abandons productive running games at the worse possible times, falls in love with wide receivers who cannot get open, wastes at least two timeouts per game, and has a gift for coming up empty on pre-halftime drives that end in the opponent's red zone. All four of those flaws manifested at once in the Steelers loss.

"

However, this week's leading vote-getter was a team that actually won its game.

In fact, the Dallas Cowboys pounded the Indianapolis Colts, which made it all the more curious when head coach Jason Garrett left quarterback Tony Romo (back) and running back DeMarco Murray (broken hand) on the field in the second half of a blowout.

It didn't come back to bite him, but being lucky doesn't make Garrett smart.

Others receiving votes: Dominic Raiola's dirty stomp (4 votes); Andy Reid ignores running game, gets crazy with situational decisions (2 votes); Johnny Manziel's attempt to truck Luke Kuechly (1 vote); every decision made by the Colts (1 vote); risking getting Andrew Luck hurt with remedial game plan that packed it in early (1 vote)

Player of the Week

USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

We've already been over the details from Wilson's big game against the Cardinals Sunday night. As Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com reported, Wilson simply had his way with one of the NFL's better defenses:

"

The Cardinals desperately wanted to keep Wilson in the pocket by sealing the edges to prevent him from scrambling around and making plays. That's when he is at his best, when he has room to get mobile and pick up a target on the fly.

He rarely misses on throws in these situations and when he doesn't pass, he can burn you with his running ability.

He did both against the Cardinals.

In the first half alone, I counted seven plays in which he got outside the pocket and those seven plays produced a whopping 187 yards and a 14-3 halftime lead. Only once did it not produce positive yardage, as Wilson scrambled and threw an incomplete pass.

But the others were killers, like his 55-yard run at the end of the first quarter. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Steve Hauschka missed a 52-yard field goal — his first of three misses on the night. But on Seattle's next possession, Wilson scrambled right and hit lon the run. Willson out-sprinted safeties Rashad Johnson and Tyrann Mathieu for an 80-yard touchdown.

After a quick three-and-out by Arizona, Russell Wilson did it again. His 22-yard scramble put the Seahawks in the red zone and four plays later, Marshawn Lynch bullied his way to a 6-yard touchdown to give the Seahawks an 11-point lead.

"

And that's before the second half started and things got really out of hand.

As scary as it must be for the other teams in the NFC that the Seahawks defense has allowed all of 33 points over the past five games or that Marshawn Lynch is running as well as he ever has, the idea of Wilson entering the 2014 playoffs playing at the absolute top of his game should be absolutely terrifying.