Bleacher Report's Week 7 NFL Awards

It's good to be on top in the National Football League.

Through seven weeks of the 2015 NFL season, five teams remain undefeated. Granted, only two of those teams (the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots) were in action in Week 7, but both took care of business.

Then there's the bottom. And this year, the National Football League is sporting a fat one.

After seven weeks, 18 of the NFL's 32 teams sport losing records, including the entire AFC South.

Apparently, the theme of the 2015 campaign is "misery loves company."

However, even amid the futility there are bright spots, including an AFC East team that isn't sporting a losing record any longer.

It's there we'll begin this week's look at the best and worst of Week 7, as voted on by the NFL National Lead Writers and NFL Analysts here at Bleacher Report.

Team of the Week

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Winner: Miami Dolphins (6 votes)

After dropping their third game in a row to the New York Jets in London, the 1-3 Miami Dolphins looked like one of 2015's most disappointing teams.

The bye week commenced with the firing of head coach Joe Philbin. However, since coming back from the bye under the leadership of Dan Campbell, the Dolphins have looked like a different team.

And then some.

Since that change at the top, the Dolphins have poured 82 points on opponents in two wins, including a 44-26 blasting of the Houston Texans in Week 7 that wasn't nearly as close as the score may indicate.

By weight of comparison, the Dolphins scored 65 points in their first four games combined.

As Andy Cohen of the team's website wrote, to say there's a different mindset in Miami would be one whopper of an understatement:

"

I expected the Dolphins to play well on Sunday. But this well? This dominating? A 35-0 lead early in the second quarter? A franchise-record 41-0 lead at halftime? You get outscored 26-3 in the second half and it really doesn’t matter? That’s the type of day it was; the type of game these Dolphins played.

This was a team clicking in almost every imaginable way. This was, indeed, the new and very improved Miami Dolphins.

So now we have further proof. This is no longer just a one-game joyride. This is now a two-game winning streak, the first in almost a year, and this is now two straight games when the Dolphins have showed up with the right mindset, the right aggressiveness and clearly the right game plan.

"

It wasn't that long ago, with the Patriots rolling along and the Jets and Buffalo Bills surging, that the Dolphins were considered the laughingstock of their division.

No one's laughing now.

Others receiving votes: Oakland Raiders (2 votes)

Coach of the Week

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Winner: Dan Campbell, Miami Dolphins (6 votes)

I've seen quite a bit of football in my day. Seen really good teams. And really bad ones.

As a Browns fan, it's been mostly bad ones, but that's a story for another day—at my therapist's office.

With that said, I can't remember the last time I saw the latter become the former as quickly as the Miami Dolphins have after switching from Philbin to Campbell.

And as linebacker Jelani Jenkins told Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, the players very much want the "interim" tag removed from Campbell's job title.

“Everybody can say—100 percent—that we want him as the permanent head coach,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins was joined by batterymate Kelvin Sheppard in his praise of Campbell:

"

I’m not saying the coaching change was the answer to all. But it had a lot to do with it. The way he was able to change the mindset of a group of grown men.

He gave us the option. You can buy in or you can’t. You choose. We’re going to be out here, we’re going to compete, and you can be the one guy on film not competing or you can be the guy all bought in. It’s a man’s game. He holds everybody accountable and we hold each other accountable.

"

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry is all-in as well:

"

We’re just out there, raw passion, guys just playing fast, knowing their assignment, knowing their details and just going.

When coach Campbell took over as head coach, that was one of the first things he said: There’s a storm coming. We’re going to wake these giants up. So far, so good.

"

It's hard to argue with the results so far.

Others receiving votes: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers (1 vote); Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders (1 vote)

Goat of the Week

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

"Winner": Greg Hardy, DE, Dallas Cowboys (4 votes)

You know, given that Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy is trying to rehabilitate his image with a new team after losing almost the entire 2014 season and the first four games of 2015 to a domestic violence scandal and suspension, one would think he'd be on his best behavior.

However, as Chris Chase of USA Today reported (sic), in first getting into a fracas with a coach and then a teammate in last week's loss to the New York Giants, Hardy showed that one would be wrong:

"

The new Cowboys defender, playing in just his second game with the team, gets in (special teams coach Joe) Bisaccia’s face, screams, tries to swat what appears to be a game plan out of the coach’s hands and then makes contact with the Bisaccia, who appears to get a shove in himself while the argument continued. It was only then that the explosion with (Dez) Bryant began.

When it was just beef with Bryant, the whole thing was excusable — just some guys blowing off steam. Now that this new video has emerged, everything changes. Jawing with a teammate is one thing. Pushing a coach is a whole other.

"

Team owner Jerry Jones, on the other hand, wasn't bothered by Hardy's tirade, according to Chase's colleague, Nancy Armour: "That's the kind of thing that inspires a football team. He's just getting guys ready to play, in my view. I don't have any issue with him being involved in motivating or pushing in any part of the football team because he plays and walks the walk."

In other words, the ends justify the means.

Stay classy, Jerry.

Others receiving votes: Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets (2 votes); Chuck Pagano, HC, Indianapolis Colts (2 votes)

Rookie of the Week

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Winner: Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams (8 votes)

It takes a big man to admit he's wrong—and an even bigger one to do so publicly.

That's exactly what Bleacher Report's own Brent Sobleski (one of the voters on this very panel) did Sunday after St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley gashed his third straight opponent:

"

The premise seemed simple enough: Due to the devaluation of the running back position and the depth of the 2015 draft class, any team that selected a running back in the first round of this year's draft made a major mistake.  

At least, this became part of the rationale I used in June when I railed against the St. Louis Rams' selection of Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick in this year's NFL draft. 

Nearly five months later, I couldn't have been more wrong as chants of "Gurley! Gurley! Gurley!" echoed throughout the Edward Jones Dome. 

Certain talents simply supersede sound logic. Gurley is already playing at an elite level through his first three starts and proved to be the exception to the rule.

"

Gurley has now gained at least 125 rushing yards in three straight games while averaging at least 5.3 yards per carry in each of those games. And the rookie from Georgia added his first two NFL touchdowns against the Browns.

Granted, the Browns run defense falls somewhere between a middle school team and a troop of Girl Scouts, but still.

It would appear that the ACL injury that slowed Gurley's entry onto an NFL field is fully healed.

Because since he got out there, he hasn't been slowed by much of anything.

Best QB Performance

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

Winner: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins (4 votes)

In case you haven't noticed, there's a theme to this week's awards.

Miami Nice.

Of course, it's hard to find fault with the performance of Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill after Sunday's performance.

Sure, Tannehill only attempted 19 passes in the game and didn't top 300 passing yards.

But the fourth-year pro threw four touchdown passes. His only incompletion of the game came on his final attempt. As a matter of fact, combined with the seven straight completed passes Tannehill threw in Week 6, those 18 straight completions set an NFL record.

Had Tannehill not been pulled before having enough attempts to qualify, he could also have set the record for completion percentage in a game.

A 94.7 completion percentage is good, right? It sounds good.

As ESPN.com's James Walker pointed out, it doesn't stop there:

"

Tannehill became the first quarterback in 15 seasons to throw three touchdowns of 50 yards or more in a game. He also completed his first 18 passes and showed deadly accuracy, with his first incompletion happening at 7:46 in the fourth quarter. Tannehill finished with a video-game-like 18-of-19 passing for 282 yards, four touchdowns and a 158.3 passer rating. He had the highest completion percentage (94.7) for any QB in a game in which he threw at least four TD passes, according to Elias.

"

Other than that, though, he was only OK.

Others receiving votes: Tom Brady, New England Patriots (3 votes); Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins (1 vote)

Best RB Performance

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

Winner: Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins (8 votes)

Yep. More Dolphins.

Over the first four games of the 2015 season, Lamar Miller never received more than 15 touches. However, Miller's workload has increased since Dan Campbell took over.

And he's making the most of it.

Against the Texans, Miller turned 17 touches into a ridiculous 236 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He averaged well over 10 yards a carry. His scores came compliments of an 85-yard run and a 54-yard catch.

That's the most home runs Miami has seen since Giancarlo Stanton was shut down for the season last month.

Miller credited Campbell and the bigger workload while speaking with Walter Villa of the Miami Herald:

"

Every day, [Campbell] preaches, "Win your one-on-one battles." I’m just trying to win my battles and make explosive plays.

Earlier in the year, I was worried about how many opportunities I was going to get. I wasn’t getting the ball that much. So every time I got it I was trying to make a big play, and I wasn’t reading my keys.

Now, I’m trusting my offensive line more. They’ve been getting a lot of movement. I’m being patient and decisive.

"

And now our voters are crediting Miller.

Best WR Performance

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Winner: Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders (8 votes)

Someone forgot to tell Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper that he's a rookie.

The Raiders' first-round pick in 2015, Cooper has taken to the NFL like a duck to water. In fact, as Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, with his 133 receiving yards in a win over the San Diego Chargers Sunday, Cooper joined some rarefied air among first-year receivers:

"

Cooper has become a must-see star in a star-laden league. And he was that again Sunday, the centerpiece of a comprehensive beating of the Chargers. Though the final score was 37-29, that was thanks to a fourth quarter the Raiders forgot to play. The win put the Raiders at 3-3 and in second place in the AFC West, squarely still in the playoff picture with two wild-card hopefuls (the Jets and Steelers) up next.

Something good is happening with the Raiders and the easiest place to point to is the top draft pick who is producing in ways that too many high Raiders draft picks didn’t. Cooper, the fourth overall pick, joined some rarefied air Sunday. With his 133 receiving yards, he became the third rookie in NFL history to go over 500 yards in receiving in his first six games, along with Randy Moss and Anquan Boldin.

"

Yes, you read that right.

Something good is happening in Oakland.

We live in a universe of infinite possibilities, folks.

Best TE Performance

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Winner: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (5 votes)

With the New England Patriots completely abandoning the run game in Sunday's AFC East showdown with the New York Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis shadowing Julian Edelman, everyone and their mother knew that Tom Brady would lean on tight end Rob Gronkowski.

I knew it. You knew it. The Jets knew it.

Of course, knowing it and being able to do anything about it are two different things.

The all-world tight end gave Gang Green a Gronking to remember, reeling in 11 passes for 108 yards and the game-sealing touchdown grab.

On that play the Jets came with an all-out blitz, leaving Gronk so alone as to defy all description.

Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald described it anyway:

"

He was wide open, as in as wide open as the Great Plains.

But before we get to what happened — which we don’t really need to do because you already know that Tom Brady connected with Gronk on a 15-yard touchdown in the Patriots’ 30-23 victory over the New York Jets — let’s stop and pose a question.

As in: When you’re a big-time NFL receiver, and you’re so open that you begin to wonder if there’s been a stoppage of play in another area code of the field — do you turn into that 12-year-old kid in the schoolyard who practically jumps up and down and says, “I’m open! I’m open!”

“Oh, yeah, for sure,” said Gronk, channeling his inner junior high football player from Williamsville, N.Y. “When you’re that wide open, you always want to be seen by the quarterback. But he can’t see the whole field at one time, though.

“Whenever you’re that wide open, of course you’re like, ‘Hey, (I’m) open.’”

"

Next time, New York, you might want to cover the big guy wearing No. 87.

Others receiving votes: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (3 votes)

Best Defensive Performance

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Winner: Michael Bennett, DE, Seattle Seahawks (4 votes)

It's possible that by the time this article is published, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick may have gotten a good night's sleep.

Then again, it's equally possible Kaepernick is still having nightmares after what happened during last week's Thursday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

As Peter King wrote in his Monday Morning Quarterback column this week, the chief cause of Kaepernick's nightmares was Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett:

"

The San Francisco offensive line, which used to be good, got absolutely abused by the Seattle pass-rush Thursday night in the Seahawks’ 20-3 victory. The primary abuser was the man New England thought was Seattle’s best player entering Super Bowl 49, Bennett. He had 3.5 sacks Thursday night and appeared to thoroughly discombobulate Colin Kaepernick.

"

There was at least one other instance where Bennett probably should have been credited with a sack but wasn't.

Guess the scorekeepers wanted to spread the discombobulation around a little.

Others receiving votes: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, New York Giants (2 votes); Eric Kendricks, MLB, Minnesota Vikings (2 votes)

Best Decision

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Winner: Patriots Abandoning the Run Game (4 votes)

There are many factors that figure into making Bill Belichick one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. Talented players. A keen defensive mind. Mastery of the dark arts of sorcery...allegedly.

However, perhaps Belichick's greatest asset is his willingness to change things up from season to season. Week to week. Even quarter to quarter.

And as Jason Lisk of The Big Lead wrote, that flexibility was in evident in Sunday's win over the Jets:

"

Bill Belichick does not believe in “establishing the run,” wasting rush attempts just for the sake of getting something established. Against the Jets’ strong defensive front, and with Dion Lewis out, he simply put the ball in Tom Brady’s hands over and over and over as New England held on to win 30-23 in Foxboro and remain undefeated.

Tom Brady threw the ball 54 times, and was sacked three other times. New England Patriots ran the ball 5 times with running backs, for 1 total yard (Brady had 4 official rush attempts). What is remarkable about this is that it was not a game where the Patriots overcame a significant deficit. From start to finish, the Patriots just opted to pass against the Jets.

It was the highest ratio of passes to runs in NFL history, going back to at least 1960.

The Patriots appear on the list twice, just from this year. The 2007 team also did it against the Steelers’ defense. On a day when the Jets showed again that they are real playoff contenders, Belichick simply refused to give in to the Jets and waste carries. On the final drive, leading by a field goal, in a situation many coaches would have run the ball, the Patriots threw it 9 times in 10 plays, including Brady hitting Rob Gronkowski for the decisive touchdown.

"

Belichick couldn't care less about beating you "his" way. Or how he beats you at all.

Only that he beats you.

Others receiving votes: Washington's onside kick (2 votes); Saints' fake field goal (1 vote); Jeff Fisher moving Mark Barron from safety to linebacker (1 vote)

Worst Decision

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

"Winner": Tampa Bay Buccaneers two-minute defense (4 votes)

Actually, that title is a bit misleading, as it's actually the Buccaneers' lack of a defense late that's getting blasted by our panel this week.

There's a saying about the "prevent" defense.

All it does is prevent you from winning.

If you want, you could take the entire defense to task. After all, the Buccaneers built a 24-0 lead against the Redskins in Week 7—the Kirk Cousins-led Redskins.

And then, as ESPN.com's Jim Corbett wrote, the wheels came off:

"

The beleaguered Cousins led the Redskins to the biggest comeback in franchise history because the Bucs' defense disappeared during an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with an uncontested, 6-yard slant pass to tight end Jordan Reed with 24 seconds left.

The seat has to be getting warm for Lovie Smith, the one-time Chicago Bears defensive guru, whose team was called for 16 penalties worth 142 yards, sacked Cousins just once and couldn't force a turnover by a scattershot quarterback who had thrown two interceptions in each of his team's four losses.

"

Never mind the marshmallow-soft play calls on that deciding drive. Here's an idea for late in a close game where you know the other team will throw and you've been unable to generate a pass rush.

Blitz.

Or you can lose. Whatever works.

As a disgusted Gerald McCoy said after the game, "The offense won the game today. This one was on us."

Others receiving votes: Playing Arian Foster in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss (2 votes); Cowboys going with Matt Cassel (1 vote); Blitzing Tom Brady late in the game (1 vote)

Player of the Week

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

Winner: ***TIE*** Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins; and Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins (3 votes each)

I will freely admit that my vote in this article is occasionally used more as a tiebreaker and is not truly given to the player I think most deserves that particular award.

I detest ties. They are un-American.

But in this particular instance, given the Dolphins lovefest that was this week's award, it seems fitting that Tannehill and Miller share POTW honors after their big-play beatdown of the Texans.

ESPN.com's James Walker was left with the same dilemma, and he went with Tannehill: "He tossed four touchdown passes in the first half, three of which were of 50 yards or more. He completed his first 18 passes and finished with 282 yards, four touchdowns and a 158.3 passer rating."

David Dwork of CBS Miami, on the other hand, lauded Campbell's effect on Miller's production this season:

"

If there is any player who is benefitting from the Dolphins coaching change, it’s Lamar Miller. Before Campbell took over as head coach, Miller was averaging just 9.2 carries and 32.7 yards per game with zero touchdowns on the season.

In the two games since, he’s carried the ball 33 times and picked up 288 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and keep in mind that Miller didn’t play a full four quarters in either game as the Dolphins were blowing out both opponents in the second half.

"

The Dolphins don't have any time to enjoy these accolades, however. Next up?

The Patriots on Thursday night.

Others receiving votes: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots (2 votes)