15 Biggest Winners and Losers from the NFL's Week 6

Football might be the quintessential team sport, but individual performances always manage to stand out. And Sunday was no exception.

I’ve chosen 15 winners and losers from yesterday’s slate of games, and although there are certainly a few household names on this list, rather than put up the same old characters like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Tony Romo (as a “loser”), a few of these selections come from outside the box. After all, statistics shouldn’t be the only measuring stick for great or pitiful performances.

And as Billy Hoyle learned by the end of White Men Can’t Jump, “Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose.”

Winner: Earnest Graham, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Was there a bigger fantasy football sleeper/darling this summer than LeGarrette Blount? 

Well, before the experts out there crown him the next Earl Campbell, they might want to take a look at the man who filled in for him Sunday and did a masterful job.

Graham carried the ball just 17 times, but racked up 107 yards and continually helped the Bucs offense stay on schedule while Blount was sidelined with a bum knee. 

Once Blount is healthy, he'll return to the feature back role, but considering Graham has struggled to stay healthy and was used more as a fullback in recent years, today's effort (more rushing yards Sunday than he had in either 2009 or 2010) and consistency in a key NFC South battle came at the perfect time. 

Loser: Ryan Longwell, K, Minnesota Vikings

There are far more pressing concerns with the 1-5 Minnesota Vikings than kicker, but that doesn't mean Longwell gets a pass for his play Sunday night.

Granted, they were already far behind (23-3 to be precise) when Longwell missed a 38-yarder late in the first half, but those three points would have helped give Minnesota at least some hope heading into halftime. 

Still, it was his third quarter kickoff to Devin Hester that really ruined Longwell's day. Short of the end zone, right down the center, and not terribly high either, Longwell's kick was tailor-made for a trademark Hester touchdown return. Sure enough, Hester took it to the house for the fifth kick return score of his great career. 

Longwell's whiffing on the tackle attempt and tumbling to the ground was just the icing on the cake. 

Winner: Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens

You'd be crazy to call Ray Lewis "underrated." He's been the face of that franchise for a decade and a half, he's a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest linebackers of all time.

But over the last few years—2011 included—he's been a bit overshadowed by the play of several of his younger teammates: Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, and Terrelle Suggs. 

That wasn't the case Sunday in Baltimore: Lewis led the team with 12 tackles and recorded a sack.

But for Lewis, the defense's overall performance is what matters. And since the Ravens limited Arian Foster to 49 yards rushing on 15 carries, kept Matt Schaub from getting the ball down field, and allowed the Texans to score only twice, it was a win-win day for #52. 

Loser: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Brees' performance on Sunday was a classic example of stats not always telling the full story.

If you look just at his passing yardage total (383) and completion figures (29-for-45), you'd think he had an outstanding day. And he did pinpoint a touchdown pass to Marques Colston in addition to hitting Jimmy Graham repeatedly for big gains.

But he threw three really costly interceptions Sunday in an important divisional showdown with Tampa Bay. The first came because he and Robert Meacham were not on the same page, the second was a bad decision and an underthrown pass to Colston, and the third sent the Saints back to New Orleans with their second loss of the season. 

Much more is (rightfully so) expected of a recent Super Bowl MVP. 

Winner: Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Any time a running back racks up well over 100 yards on less than 20 carries, it's a big deal. But for Gore to put up the number he did Sunday (15 carries, 141 yards, 9.4 yards-per-carry) against a front four featuring Ndamukong Suh is quite an achievement. 

Give the five guys in front of him credit (and Gore certainly did, saying "our offensive line did a hell of job"), but Gore has peaked the last few weeks. By going on the road and defeating one of the NFL's last two undefeated clubs, he deserves special attention. 

Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh have earned most of the praise for the 49ers' great resurgence as of late, but Gore's play since a rocky preseason is the reason they've been so successful. He proved that today. 

Loser: Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers

This story is bound to get old really soon (just wait until ESPN's many talking heads tackle the issue tomorrow for 24 straight hours), but until then, I'm siding with Jim Schwartz.

I know that Harbaugh is a "fiery" coach and was a former player, so his sideline demeanor is going to be more demonstrative and excited than someone like Bill Belichick or Andy Reid. But there is etiquette to the post-game handshake, and Harbaugh knows that for those two or three seconds, emotion is supposed to be removed from the equation. 

Slapping Schwartz's hand and back and not displaying even an ounce of sportsmanship may not have been deliberate or conscious, but it was a disrespectful act on Harbaugh's part, and he should take some heat for it...for a day or so, not the next six months. 

Worse yet, the post-game fracas that Harbaugh started is what people are talking about, not his team's great road win or their 5-1 record. 

Winner: Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills

Both starting running backs in yesterday's game at the Met Life Stadium had great days, but I'll take Jackson's performance over Ahmad Bradshaw's for one simple reason: the Giants run defense is good, and the Bills isn't.

Even without Justin Tuck in the lineup, the Giants still have Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora, so for Jackson to rack up 121 yards is admirable. 

And while a huge chunk of those yards came on his one long run, he was also one of the team's leading receivers, catching five passes for 47 yards. 

Loser: Pierre Garcon, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Compared to the performances he turned in the previous two weeks (two touchdowns and at least 125 yards against the Chiefs and Buccaneers), Garcon's eight catch, 52-yard, touchdown-less effort today was something of a letdown.

But that's not the reason why he earned a spot on this list. 

Despite some relatively courageous efforts given the absence of Peyton Manning, the Colts are probably the worst team in the AFC. Still, they had a chance to earn that first win of 2011 today. 

Behind Curtis Painter, they put up 10 fourth quarter points to pull within three of the Bengals. And after Mike Nugent missed a 43-yard field goal, they held all the momentum...until Painter connected with Garcon on a short route with barely three minutes remaining. 

While being tackled, Garcon seemingly and inexplicably tried to lateral the ball only to be stripped, then see Cincinnati linebacker Carlos Dunlap pick up the fumble and return it for the game-clinching touchdown. 

Winner: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Prior to today, Rashard Mendenhall wasn't necessarily in danger of losing his job as the Steelers' starting running back. Sure, he was averaging less than three yards per carry the past few weeks, and Jonathan Dwyer did have a nice game in his place last week against Tennessee. But he's definitely the Steelers best option as a ball carrier.

Still, Mendenhall needed a solid game to earn back some love from the fans, and perhaps even the coaching staff. Rushing for 146 yards on 23 carries (one of which was a 68-yarder, the longest of his career) was a huge step in the right direction.

And imagine what his numbers might have been if Bruce Arians and Ben Roethlisberger didn't fall in love with attempting (unsuccessfully) a deep ball on just about every series. 

Loser: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit Lions

If we are going to hold Suh up as a player in the class of Joe Greene, Alan Paige, or Reggie White—not just a great defensive lineman but a game-changing one—then he's going to have to absorb some of the blame when his unit gets handled. 

And that's what happened Sunday in Ford Field. 

Suh and that front seven did not get very much pressure on the quarterback, and it ultimately cost them the win as Alex Smith was able to drive the 49ers' offense down field in the closing minutes for the game winning touchdown. 

But forget about those failures in the passing game for a moment and consider this: the 49ers rushed for 203 yards (seven yards per carry) on Sunday. That should be a huge disappointment for the entire front four. Especially Suh. 

Winner: Corey Webster, CB, New York Giants

It's been a challenging season for Webster. The injuries to Prince Amukamara and Terrell Thomas have forced him to handle more responsibility than he or the coaching staff imagined in training camp.

But he came up with a pair of huge interceptions in Sunday's game (a must-win for the Giants considering the loss last week at home to Seattle), the second of which came at a critical moment. 

With the score tied at 24 late in the fourth quarter, Webster outjumped Stevie Johnson to nab his second interception of the Bills' Ryan Fitzpatrick, all the while hanging on to the ball as Johnson yanked him down to the ground by way of his facemask.

Since that extremely athletic play prevented the Bills from taking the lead and set up the game-winning score, it was enough to earn Webster a spot on the list.  

Loser: Josh McDaniels, Offensive Coordinator, St. Louis Rams

As much of a disappointment as the Eagles, Jets, Cowboys, and Colts have been this year, the Rams might be the biggest underachiever through six weeks of the NFL season.

Despite the numbers (they actually accumulated more total yards than the Packers on Sunday), the Rams offense was once again pathetic. They ran a grand total of four plays inside the Green Bay red zone, and for the second time in three weeks managed just one offensive score.

In years past, McDaniels might have been able to justify the total lack of production as growing pains: a new offense being installed on the fly without the benefit of a full offseason. But considering how impressive the 49ers have been in their first year under Jim Harbaugh, and likewise the Panthers in their first year under Rob Chudzinski (and with a rookie quarterback), that excuse doesn't seem valid. 

Winner: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

He's still seeking that first win as a starting NFL quarterback, but Blaine Gabbert continues to look better each week, and today he took another giant step forward.

Gabbert certainly struggled at times today, but the five sacks he endured were more a result of poor protection than him holding on to the football too long. And his receivers dropped a few passes that might have bolstered his completion percentage closer to the 50 percent mark. 

More importantly, he made plays: some with his feet, some with his arms. His touchdown pass to Jason Hill in the face of a blitzing Steeler linebacker was extremely impressive. And when it came down to crunch time, Gabbert made a few throws to at least set the team up for a potential game-winning Hail Mary. 

Loser: Rex Grossman, QB, Washington Redskins

Not much explanation needed here, I hope.

Although Mike Shanahan wouldn't cop to it, there's a good chance that the Rex Grossman experiment is over in the Capital City. In addition to throwing four interceptions, including two inside Philadelphia territory, Grossman completed just nine of 22 pass attempts.

John Beck, who relieved Grossman at the start of the fourth quarter, wasn't exactly stellar, but he probably played well enough to earn a start next week against the Panthers. 

The Redskins weren't asking Grossman to play like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. They just needed him to avoid turnovers. But since he was once again completely incapable of doing that, he's looking at a second failed tenure as an NFL starter. 

Winner: Andy Reid, Head Coach, Philadelphia Eagles

Through the first month of the 2011 NFL season, no one was under fire more than Andy Reid. So the importance of winning on the road against the team that entered the week in sole possession of first place in the division cannot be understated. 

Sure, they nearly squandered a 20-0 lead, and had to claw and fight until late in the fourth quarter to hold on for the win. And sure, they were held scoreless in the second half against a team that had the NFL's worst defense a year ago. But a win is a win is a win (especially with the bye right around the corner), and 2-4 is a far cry from 1-5.

And it's worth mentioning that the tweaks to the front seven made by Reid and his staff this week yielded noticeable dividends: after allowing over 140 rushing yards per game through five games, the Eagles surrendered just 42 today against a pretty good Washington ground attack.