After a week off due to a frustratingly busy workload, and not enough time to sit and write, I'm back with the weekly roundup of the NFL's top performers.
In London, the Atlanta Falcons raced to an unexpected 21-0 lead before the Detroit Lions launched an unexpected 22-point comeback to win the game in the dying seconds. There were a number of noteworthy results from around the league, as the struggling Saints beat the Packers on Sunday night, the Steelers put 50 points on the heavily-favoured Colts and the Bengals got back to winning ways following a frantic fourth quarter with the Ravens that saw the lead change three times in the final six minutes (before a penalty overturned a last-gasp 89-yard Steve Smith touchdown).
Not much more needs to be said other than Big Ben became the first player in NFL history to post two games with over 500 yards passing. Only 15 quarterbacks have one game of over 500 yards passing to their name, including Norm Van Brocklin's record of 554 yards, set against the New York Yanks in 1951. Roethlisberger finished with 522 yards (and six touchdowns), and at one point early in the third quarter was on pace to break 600. No one is doubting Ben as a singular talent but that offense has struggled in recent weeks, and it is staggering that this feat was accomplished against a Colts team with a respectable defensive unit.
Arian Foster
The first of three players on this list to score three touchdowns, Foster was again the focal point of a Texans offense that dominated the Tennessee Titans. He continued his comeback from injury, and one of the best seasons of his career, with 151 yards off 20 carries and two touchdowns. Foster added 22 yards receiving and a touchdown to complete his hat-trick.
Emmanuel Sanders
Another three-touchdown performance came from the Broncos' latest receiving threat. Sanders arrived from Pittsburgh via free agency prior to this season and has emerged as Peyton Manning's new favourite weapon. He highlights how dangerous the unit can be because, should defences shut down Demariyus and Julius Thomas, Manning will find new and explosive ways to beat you. The San Diego Chargers found this out the hard way when Sanders torched them for 120 yards and three touchdowns off only nine receptions.
Rob Gronkowski
Recurring injuries and a slow start to the season had many people wondering whether we had already seen Rob Gronkowski at his peak. Some suspected he would never regain his formidable 2011 form, in which he accumulated 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. The man they call Gronk bounced back in a big way on Sunday when he caught 149 yards and three touchdowns against the Chicago Bears, in a performance that wouldn't have been out of place in his dominant first three seasons in the league.
Recurring injuries and a slow start to the season had many people wondering whether we had already seen Rob Gronkowski at his peak. Some suspected he would never regain his formidable 2011 form, in which he accumulated 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns. The man they call Gronk bounced back in a big way on Sunday when he caught 149 yards and three touchdowns against the Chicago Bears, in a performance that wouldn't have been out of place in his dominant first three seasons in the league.
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