Bleacher Report's Week 14 NFL Awards

Chaos. Madness. Mayhem.

That's what Week 14 brought to the NFL.

The AFC's top seed entering the week lost the battle and the war. Not only did the Cincinnati Bengals fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but in losing quarterback Andy Dalton to a broken thumb the Bengals may have watched their Super Bowl dreams go up in smoke.

The NFC's top team (the 13-0 Carolina Panthers) kept right on rolling, blowing out the reeling Atlanta Falcons, but now every team in that conference is glancing nervously over its shoulder at a Seattle Seahawks squad looking more and more like the two-time reigning conference champs every week.

However, it isn't in the Pacific Northwest where we'll begin our look back at the best (and worst) of Week 14, as voted on by the National Lead Writers and NFL Analysts here at Bleacher Report. 

Or in the Queen City.

No, this week we'll kick things off with a little Mile High Mack Mayhem.

Team of the Week

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Winner: Oakland Raiders (four votes)

After watching the Bengals fall to Pittsburgh, the Denver Broncos were presented a golden opportunity. Beat the Oakland Raiders (as they had eight times in a row), and the Broncos would gain a game on Cincy in the fight to obtain a first-round playoff bye.

Piece of cake, right?

Wrong.

The Raiders stunned the Broncos 15-12 in Denver on Sunday afternoon, putting a huge dent in the legend of Brock the Beatific and making an emphatic statement that this year's improvement in Oakland is no mirage, according to Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton:

"

The Oakland Raiders finally beat the bully in the AFC West sandbox in a physical matchup that further transformed the team's image.

Change doesn't transpire overnight, but the Raiders finally earned a notable victory worth pointing to as a sign of what's to come in the near future. ...

The Raiders earned a victory over the 10-3 Denver Broncos without major mitigating circumstances Sunday, snapping an eight-game losing streak to a team that outscored them 88-31 in 2014.

This season, Denver failed to score an offensive touchdown against the Raiders. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. scored the team's only touchdown between the two contests on a pick-six in Week 5.

"

The Raiders may not be ready to compete for a playoff spot just yet after stumbling over the past month, but the Silver and Black sent a message Sunday.

The Raiders are doormats no more.

Others receiving votes: Jacksonville Jaguars (two votes), Philadelphia Eagles (one vote), Seattle Seahawks (one vote)

Coach of the Week

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Winner: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers (six votes)

There's a new sheriff in Titletown. A sheriff who looks an awful lot like the old sheriff.

Before the 2015 season, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy relinquished play-calling duties in the interest of concentrating on the big picture.

Well, this season, that big picture included an offense that has sputtered of late. And as McCarthy told Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he decided in advance of last week's tilt with the Dallas Cowboys that the time had come to take back the reins:

"

The decision was made because I feel as a leader of this football team, I had to make sure I maximize all the opportunities and resources and give our team a chance to win. Personally, it didn't feel very good. It didn't feel good at all.

That's the challenge with these types of decisions. But professionally, it was what I felt I needed to do.

"

McCarthy may not have felt good about the decision beforehand, but after the Packers rushed for more than 200 yards and posted their highest yardage total (435) since Week 3, it's a good bet he's feeling just a tad better.

Long live the sheriff.

Others receiving votes: Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars (two votes)

Goat of the Week

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

"Winner:" The Minnesota Vikings offensive brain trust (four votes)

Late in a close game, when a team is out of timeouts and in range for a game-tying field goal, there are only two things said team absolutely must not, cannot do.

Take a sack or turn the ball over.

And yet, as John Marshall of the Associated Press reported, the Minnesota Vikings managed to do both in last Thursday's loss at Arizona:

"

Minnesota got the ball back at its own 20-yard line and quickly moved down the field, reaching Arizona's 31 with 18 seconds left. Hoping to get a few more yards to [get Blair] Walsh a closer look, the Vikings called for a pass play.

The decision backfired when [Dwight] Freeney used a spin move to break free and hit [Teddy] Bridgewater's arm just as he was about to throw, causing Minnesota's third fumble of the game. Calais Campbell recovered and Arizona (11-2) took a knee to secure a playoff spot with its seventh straight win.

"I was just ready to throw the ball out of bounds so we could live and see another down," said Bridgewater, who threw for 335 yards and a touchdown on 25-of-36 passing. "I didn't want to take a loss, sack or get tackled in bounds."

"

Mind you, this was after Walsh hit a 54-yarder earlier in the game.

Blame the head coach. Blame the offensive coordinator. Blame the quarterback.

But for once you can't blame the kicker.

He didn't even get a chance.

Others receiving votes: Adam Jones, CB, Cincinnati Bengals (one vote); LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills (one vote); Dan Quinn, head coach, Atlanta Faceplants (one vote); Rex Ryan, head coach, Buffalo Bills (one vote)

Rookie of the Week

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

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

A couple of months ago, it looked like this category was going to become Todd Gurley's mailing address. From Week 4 to Week 8, the St. Louis Rams tailback reeled off four straight 100-yard games on the ground.

Then defenses figured out Gurley was the Rams offense, boxes were stacked and Gurley's numbers nosedived.

Against the St. Louis Rams in Week 14, it didn't seem to matter if the box was stacked or not. Gurley put the Rams on his back and single-handedly carried the team to victory over the Detroit Lions, gaining 140 yards and scoring two touchdowns on only 16 carries.

Gurley's big day came with Jay Z in the stands, and the former Georgia star credited the hip-hop legend (who's also his agent) for inspiring him to rack up the yardage against the Lions:

"

I saw him after the game and he just said, "Good job." I told him I appreciated him coming. It's always good for your agent and your agency to come show love and support. The team was happy we got a win, so everybody was happy to see him.

Everybody grew up listening to him or idolizing him. It was a cool thing to happen.

"

If that game was any indication, a new generation of NFL fans is going to grow up watching Gurley gash defenses.

Best QB Performance

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Winner: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (eight votes)

OK, so Russell Wilson is on something of a hot streak.

If the surface of the sun could be considered "somewhat hot."

In fact, as Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com wrote, Wilson is in the midst of one of the greatest stretches of play by an NFL quarterback since, well, ever:

"

Since losing to the Cardinals in Week 10, Wilson's numbers are surreal. It would be unfair to call them video game numbers; they're video game numbers you might post against a particularly talented household pet. Over that four-game stretch, he has gone 89-for-118 for 1,171 passing yards. That's a staggering 75.4 percent completion percentage and an average of 9.9 yards per pass attempt. Even more impressively, he has thrown 16 touchdowns without a single interception.

It all adds up to a passer rating of 145.9. Pro-football-reference.com has game logs for quarterbacks going back through the 1960 season, 10 years before the AFL-NFL merger.

Do you know how many quarterbacks have thrown 100 or more attempts over a four-game stretch and posted a better passer rating over that span than Wilson? Zero. It has never happened before.

"

Mind you, this is without Marshawn Lynch. And Jimmy Graham.

Wilson probably isn't going to catch Cam Newton (or Tom Brady, or Carson Palmer) to win NFL MVP this season.

But I'm not about to sit here and say he definitely won't.

Not the way he's playing right now.

Best RB Performance

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

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

I've already mentioned that Todd Gurley was in an Empire State of Mind in Week 14. That he was Big Pimpin' against the Detroit Lions to the tune of 140 yards and two scores.

The youngster appears ready to Run This Town in St. Louis—or wherever the Rams end up.

See what I did there?

Cian Fahey of Sports on Earth isn't ready to say Gurley single-handedly won the game for the Rams. He will, however, say they would have lost it without him:

"

The Rams are a hugely limited offense. Over the five games before this one against the Lions, they had failed to score 20 points, twice scoring fewer than 10. Gurley wasn't producing in those games because he wasn't being given any running lanes to work with. He doesn't need much space to create big plays and he does...help his offensive line a lot with his awareness and movement before the line of scrimmage, but it wasn't enough in those games. Against the Lions, Gurley proved to be the difference. He didn't win the game on his own, obviously, but if the Rams had played this game with just Benny Cunningham and Tre Mason, chances are they would have lost it.

"

The only question now with the immensely talented rookie is...

Who Gon Stop Him?

Others receiving votes: Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns (two votes); Eddie Lacy/James Starks, Green Bay Packers (two votes)

Best WR Performance

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Winner: Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks (five votes)

Given the ridiculous tear that Russell Wilson's been on, it stands to reason that at least one of Seattle's pass-catchers would have joined him in downtown Gonzo.

Enter one Dougie (if I called him that he'd probably punch me in the snout) Baldwin, who reeled in six passes for 82 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's blowout win over the Ravens.

As Peter King of the MMQB wrote, given how much time Baldwin has spent in the end zone of late, he's probably going to have to start paying property taxes pretty soon:

"

Not a fan of invented stats like this, but it's an interesting one: Baldwin is the only receiver in the past 10 seasons to have eight touchdown catches over three weeks. Three TD balls came at Baltimore on Sunday, of 14, 22 and 16 yards in the second, third and fourth quarters of Seattle's 35-6 win. Baldwin has Russell Wilson's implicit trust, and the combo platter of Baldwin and rookie Tyler Lockett accounted for all five of Wilson's TD passes Sunday.

"

By weight of comparison, Baldwin's eight scores over the past three weeks are more touchdowns than Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons has all season.

And more than Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers has this season.

And more than Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions has this season.

Others receiving votes: Ted Ginn Jr., Carolina Panthers (two votes); A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals (one vote)

Best TE Performance

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Winner: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (eight votes)

When the NFL's elite tight ends are discussed, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots is usually the first name mentioned. Then Jimmy Graham of the Seattle Seahawks. Greg Olsen of the Carolina Panthers. Youngsters like Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and Tyler Eifert of the Cincinnati Bengals.

After Jordan Reed hauled in nine passes for 120 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams believes Reed belongs in that discussion.

In fact, according to Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post, Williams thinks Reed should lead the discussion.

"As I've said before, and said every week, I don't know nobody who can guard that young man," Williams said. "When he's on, he's on and it's tough to stop. I think he's definitely the best receiving tight end in the NFL, hands down. I think he's having a Pro Bowl year."

Did Reed have a great game for a Washington team that badly needed a road win? Yes. Is he having a Pro Bowl year? Yes.

Is he the best receiving tight end in the NFL?

Not until Gronk goes back to his home planet.

Best Defensive Performance

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Oakland Raiders (all the votes)

Two sacks in a game is a great performance.

Three is dominance.

Four is almost unheard of.

Five? Well, five is what Khalil Mack just did to Brock Osweiler in the Oakland Raiders' upset win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The outburst propelled Mack to the NFL lead with 14 on the season and got the second-year phenom a nod from Peter King as one of Week 14's top defenders:

"

Mack is threatening to become the most feared edge player in the game. He's right there with Justin Houston now. With a five-sack game in Denver on Sunday—as the Raiders stunned the Broncos—Mack took advantage of a weak right side of the Denver line and tormented Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler with three additional pressures and two points. (One of his sacks was for a safety.) Then, for his fourth sack, he abused left tackle Ryan Harris. Mack now has nine sacks in the past three games.

"

One of the best defenders? One of the best?

What's the dude gotta do? Fly?

Want a reason why the Raiders aren't a doormat anymore?

The past two drafts, and players like Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Mack.

Best Decision

Andrew Weber/Getty Images

Winner: Mike McCarthy taking back play-calling duties (four votes)

As I mentioned earlier in this article, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy reclaimed play-calling duties prior to last week's win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Packers blew Dallas out in one of their best offensive performances of the season, leading many to add two and two and get four.

However, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky isn't buying the math:

"

If you thought Mike McCarthy's decision to reclaim play-calling duties would return the Green Bay Packers to offensive juggernaut status, it was probably wishful thinking.

Yes, McCarthy made a clear commitment to the running game in his first game since taking the job back from associate head coach Tom Clements -- the Packers responded with 230 rushing yards -- and they were able to move the ball at times Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. But in other ways, it looked like the same offense that came into the game ranked 22nd in the league.

They still couldn't convert third-and-1 plays after back-to-back touchdown drives in the second quarter, and they punted on four straight drives (including two drives without a single first down) before they finally scored again. It was enough to pull away late from the punchless Cowboys. However, the game was much closer than the 28-7 score indicated.

"

OK, the Packers aren't scoring 40 a game, and Rodgers isn't passing for 400 yards every week.

But did Demovsky stop to consider that maybe this particular incarnation of the Packers is best served running the ball to set up the pass? That driving rain affected the game plan? That said driving rain may have impacted McCarthy's play-calling?

The Packers tallied their second-most yardage of the year and their largest margin of victory.

Seems to have worked pretty well to me.

Others receiving votes: Turning Russell Wilson loose (two votes); Derek Carr's pump fake on Mychal Rivera TD (one vote); starting Johnny Manziel (one vote)

Worst Decision

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

"Winner" Putting Matt Hasselbeck back in blowout loss to Jaguars (three votes)

The 2015 season has been a disaster for the Indianapolis Colts. Labeled a Super Bowl contender entering the year, the Colts find themselves scrambling to stay afloat in a bad AFC South.

Well, that disaster may have hit Hindenburg proportions, because the Colts' starting quarterback in next week's decisive game against the Houston Texans may well be Charlie Whitehurst.

That's because Matt Hasselbeck, himself subbing for an injured Andrew Luck, was twice hurt in Sunday's blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the third quarter, Hasselbeck missed a few plays after appearing to injure his hand after being hit by two Jags linemen.

Then in the fourth quarter, despite the game's being all but decided at that point, the Colts kept Hasselbeck out there, where the 40-year-old was injured again on a sideline hit by linebacker Telvin Smith.

It's believed to be the same rib injury Hasselbeck suffered the week before against Pittsburgh, although Mike Chappell of Fox 59 reports head coach Chuck Pagano was forced to clarify Monday after Hasselbeck was spotted with his arm in a sling:

"

He's having some spasms that go along with his rib injury. Mobilizing the arm helps with the spasms. ...

Taking it day-to-day, but hopeful he'll be out there at least by Thursday. I don't know if he'll make Wednesday. Probably rest him on Wednesday.

"

Make no mistake: If the Colts can't get Luck or Hasselbeck back on the field PDQ, the team is going to be out of luck where making the playoffs is concerned.

Others receiving votes: Vikings' final play call (two votes); Andy Dalton trying to tackle Stephon Tuitt (two votes); Bengals FG attempt down 16 late (one vote)

Player of the Week

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Oakland Raiders (five votes)

It's a relative rarity for a non-quarterback to take home this award.

Even rarer for a defensive player to do it.

Of course, it's also pretty danged rare for a player to rack up five sacks in a game, but that's what Mack did in Oakland's surprise victory in Denver.

Mack's Herculean effort (as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reports) was enough for teammate Charles Woodson to compare Mack to another pass-rusher known for racking up sacks in bulk:

"

That was awesome. The way he can get around the corner and get low to the ground, reminds you of (Hall of Famer) Derrick Thomas. We played against Derrick Thomas my first game in the NFL, against the Chiefs, and he had six sacks against us.

Today, Khalil kind of reminded me of that.

"

Mind you, this isn't Trent Williams (a good tackle, mind you, but no Hall of Famer) comparing Jordan Reed to Rob Gronkowski.

This is one (future) Hall of Famer comparing Mack to another.

That's heady praise indeed.

Others receiving votes: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks (two votes); Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks (one vote)