The Best Sunday Performances of Week Eleven
We saw a variety of performances at the quarterback position in Week Eleven. Nathan Peterman posted one of the worst performances in NFL history, tossing five interceptions in just 15 pass attempts, the first since Archie Manning did it against the Falcons in 1970. Peterman’s first NFL start was nothing short of disastrous and definitely didn’t justify the benching of Tyrod Taylor.
On the other end of the spectrum, we saw some of the best performances all season this past week. Below you will find the top-ten quarterback performances of Week Eleven.
5. Matthew Stafford
Landing at number five on our list is Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions. Stafford tallied 299 passing yards and two touchdowns in Detroit’s win against their division rival, the Chicago Bears. Stafford added another career game-winning drive to his total following a Tarik Cohen touchdown that tied the game with 5:02 left in the fourth quarter.
His premium play has been a constant reminder of how deserving Stafford was of the massive contract he received this past offseason. It will be interesting to see if Stafford can keep the Lions’ momentum going against the stout Vikings defense on Thanksgiving.
4. Kirk Cousins
At number four, we have Washington’s very own cash cow, Kirk Cousins. Cousins will notably be a free agent at the end of this season and the better he plays, the more zeroes he can expect to see on his next paycheck. Luckily for Cousins, his play wasn’t the reason the ‘Skins dropped Sundays matchup with the Saints in dramatic fashion.
Cousins threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns against a Saints defense that was red hot entering the game. His strong play on Sunday showcased not only his arm talent, but his cerebral ability to read NFL defenses and remain efficient. As Cousins lost another weapon to injury (Chris Thompson fractured his fibula in the 3rd quarter), he continued to perform at a high level.
Cousins’ best throw on the day came when he found a wide open Ryan Grant for a deep touchdown after taking an absolute shot on an all out blitz by the Saints. Even though they were able to upset a strong Kansas City Chiefs team in Week Eleven, a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the New York Giants should prove to be another opportunity for Cousins to excel.
3. Tom Brady
Tom Terrific went into the high altitude of Estadio Azteca and dominated the Oakland Raiders’ defense en route to 339 passing yards and three touchdowns. It cannot be overstated how impressive Tom Brady’s performance has been as the age of 40. The five-time Super Bowl winning quarterback is performing just as he did in the prime of his career.
Brady outlasted the Raiders by commanding a no-huddle offense in the high altitude environment. This led to a very fatigued Oakland defense and resulted in a big day for Brady’s new favorite target, Brandin Cooks, who hauled in six receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. Brady operated with surgical precisions on Sunday and with a Week Twelve matchup with Miami on the schedule for the Pats, Brady should tear through the dysfunctional Dolphins defense.
2. Drew Brees
Boy are the Saints hot right now. The Washington-New Orleans matchup probably came in as the best game of Sunday. Cousins may have been solid for Washington, but Drew Brees was flat out great, especially in the second half. The future Hall of Famer threw for 385 yards and two crucial touchdowns despite an interception early on. Brees continued to demonstrate his clutch factor, leading the Saints back from 15 points down to win their eighth straight game. He absolutely shredded the Redskins defense with four minutes remaining and quickly sealed overtime, to which the Saints locked up the game. Brees is a surefire MVP candidate this year and this game showcased why the Saints scare me as an Eagles fan. Brees will once again be tested in Week Twelve, as he goes up against the surprisingly impressive Los Angeles Rams.
- Ben Roethlisberger
Drew Brees may have led the league in yards this week, but Big Ben obliterated the Tennessee Titans with four touchdowns. The Titans are no pushover either, their defense has played well enough to win games all season. The combination of Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown was too much for Tennessee to handle, as they connected for 10 receptions, 144 yards, and three of the four touchdowns that Big Ben passed for this past Thursday Night. Roethlisberger silenced the critics with a vintage Big Ben performance and the Steelers are continuing to press onward for the top spot in the AFC. The Steelers face a depleted Green Bay Packers squad on Sunday Night of this upcoming week.
