Best:
Andrew Luck, Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
When the season got rolling, things looked really bleak for the Colts. Indy had started the year off by losing five of its first six games. Now Indy seems to have turned it around, winning four straight games to pull back to .500 on the year at 5-5. That streak moved to four in a row thanks to Sundays 38-10 win over the Titans, with Andrew Luck having himself a pretty good day. The Colts QB finished going 23 of 27 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't sacked and din't turn the football over at all during this win which is showing that Luck is hitting his stride and finding himself again under center. He's now thrown for at least three touchdowns in a game for the seventh straight week with this performance on Sunday. Luck's got his game back, and hopefully it can keep the Colts rolling towards a playoff spot.
Worst:
Alex Smith, Quarterback Washington Redskins
You really have to feel bad for Alex Smith in Washington right about now. It was thirty three years to the day that Joe Theismann suffered a horrifying broken leg against the Giants that is still talked about to this very day. Now, another Washington QB goes down with a broken leg. What are the odds. This time it's Alex Smith going down with the injury. Smith broke his right tibia and fibula while being dragged to the ground on a sack. He was carted off, taken to the hospital in an ambulance and required immediate surgery. To nobody’s surprise, he will miss the rest of the season, head coach Jay Gruden announced after the game. To add more salt to the wound, the Redskins lost 23-21 to a rolling Texans team, to put them at 6-4 for the season. Colt McCoy looks like he might be the starter for a little while, but after that who knows. Four of the final six games for Washington is on the road, which won't make this any easier. It going to be tough for the Redskins, who are going to have to go it without Smith.
Best:
Dallas Cowboys Offense
Facts are, the Cowboys looked like they were in trouble with the way the year started. Going 3-5 to kick the season off had the Boys looking like a fish out of water. But then they seemed to wake up of sorts. They've won their last two games, including a very solid 22-19 win over Atlanta on Sunday. Zek had a big week last week, and he went off even more this week. Try to the tune of 201 total yards, 122 of which were gained on the ground. Dak also had a solid showing with 208 through the air and they made the Falcons D look average at best. Dallas is starting to get back on the right track at the right time. Sure, even with Amari Cooper, the passing game seems to be average at best at the moment, they're still finding ways to win football games. With what happened in Washington, this could be an opening for the Cowboys, since they play each other on Thanksgiving.
Worst:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterbacks
OK I'll give a little credit where it's due, the Bucs found a way to hang around for a little while against the Giants. It ended in favor of the G-Men 38-35, but the problem in Tampa is there is no consistent play from the men under center at all this season. They've had to keep bouncing back and forth between Winston and Fitzpatrick, I think its hard for anybody to really keep it straight as to who the true leader is at QB on this team. Fitzpatrick went 13 of 21 for 1767 no scores and three picks. This coming after throwing for over 400 yards last week. Then Winston takes over, gets picked off once but does throw for two TD's and tosses 167 yards through the air. Tampa managed to outgain the Giants by a wide margin but because of the inconsistent play of their QB's, they came up just short on getting a victory. This has got to be frustrating for Bucs fans and for the organization as well.
Best:
Chicago Bears Defense
If somebody had said to me at the start of the that the Bears would be leading this division the weekend before Thanksgiving, I would have thought you were nuts. Chicago's D has been great this year, some of which should be credited to General Manager Ryan Pace going out and getting Khalil Mack. Kirk Cousins had a brutal night that saw him throw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Minnesota’s run game managed a paltry 22 yards on 14 carries as Chicago’s defensive line was relentless against both the run and the pass. This defense has allowed the Bears to extend their lead in the NFC North, despite a second-year quarterback in Mitch Trubisky who is still quite raw. They made the Vikings look average and they're carrying the team to the top spot in the division. Chicago is turning into a dangerous contender
Worst:
Jaguars Playoff Hopes
Things were looking good for the Jags early on in their rematch with the Steelers on Sunday. It looked like a carryover from what happened in the playoffs last year.Jacksonville was dominating that game, they held the Steelers in check in the first half. Jalen Ramsey picked off Big Ben twice, and the Jacksonville defense had three interceptions overall. Despite the best showing Jacksonville has put up in weeks, it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh fought all the way back, and walked away with a 20-16 win over the Jags, sending them back to Jacksonville with their tails between their legs. the fact that Jacksonville got beat drops them to 3-7 and are now saddled with a six game losing streak. That puts them at 14th out of the 16 teams playing in the AFC. It makes it an even bigger uphill climb for the Jags to get back to the post season.
Best:
Saquan Barkley, Running Back New York Giants
I think there's no real denying that the Giants MVP this season has been Barkley. Yes the Giants came away with the 38-35 win over the Bucs, but Barkley had the Giants going in the right direction.; Tampa out gained and out threw the G-Men but Barkley controlled the clock for Big Blue with his league best 142 yards rushing this week. It seems like every time you need a big play for the Giants, Barkley has been the one providing that spark when it's needed. He's been good and reliable when the Giants have needed him. Big Blue has managed to win two straight games
Worst:
Doug Peterson, Head Coach Philadelphia Eagles
Talk about embarrassing. Doug Peterson's bunch was nowhere near ready to go on Sunday, getting blasted by the Saints to the tune of a 48-7 loss. This 41 point margin of defeat was the worst loss of Pederson’s head coaching career and the biggest margin of defeat by a defending Super Bowl champion. To be fair, there are injuries on the Eagles. The Secondary has taken a bit of a hit in the depth department, as has the offensive line. Peterson should take some of the fall here for not being able to figure out how to fix those holes along his line and secondary to put a competative team out on the field each and every week. Philly has lost two in a row and is 2-3 in its last five and the remaining schedule is unforgiving. Missing out on the playoffs is a very real possibility.
Bonus Best:
Monday Night Football
What. A. Game. There was a sense of electricity in the air in LA on Monday night. Kansas City and Los Angeles lived up to all the hype as the Rams walked away with a 54-51 win by the Rams. It was the highest scoring game in the history and the 3rd highest scoring game in history. The Chiefs became the first team ever to score 50 or more points in a game and lose. Every other team to drop 50 or more points on an opponent had gone 2016-0 prior to this contest. Jared Goff threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns, but got sacked five times. Patrick Mahomes had another night, throwing for 473 yards and six touchdowns. But he was sacked three times and the killer was throwing three picks, which Goff didn't do. It was a hell of a football game that blew away expectations and could be a preview of the big game in February!
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