Week 11 of the regular season showed us that the Eagles and Patriots are the teams to beat, rumors of the Falcons' demise were premature and never to count out the Saints. It also gave us some more outstanding performances on both sides of the ball. For their outstanding achievements, six more players were honored by the NFL as Players of the Week.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. The eighth-year veteran out of Central Michigan continued to show why he is the league's top wideout, catching 10 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns -- including an amazing helmet catch -- in last Thursday's 40-17 victory over Tennessee. Brown now has 70 receptions for 1,026 yards and six scores on the season.
The AFC Defensive Player of the Week was Baltimore Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon. Judon, a fifth-round pick out of Grand Valley State in 2016, had seven tackles and two sacks in Baltimore's 23-0 triumph over the Packers of Green Bay. It was a most ripping victory that kept the 5-5 Ravens very much alive in the playoff hunt.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick may have been happy to leave, but kicker Stephen Gostkowski surely will miss the thin air of Mexico City. The AFC Special Teams Player of the Week booted four field goals, including a 62-yarder and a 51-yarder, in the Patriots' 33-8 win over the Oakland Raiders at Estadio Azteca.
Saints running back Mark Ingram needed just 11 carries to rack up 134 rushing yards and a score in New Orleans' incredible 34-31 overtime victory over the Washington Redskins. Ingram's "Backpack Kid" celebration dance after his touchdown scamper probably wasn't a factor in earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, but it was still fun to watch.
The NFC Defensive Player of the Week was New York Giants safety Landon Collins. The Alabama product made 15 tackles -- 11 of which were solo -- in a stunning 12-9 overtime upset of Kansas City. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Giants and sent the Chiefs to their fourth loss in five games.
Seattle came up just short after spotting the Atlanta Falcons a 14-point lead, but Seahawks return specialist Tyler Lockett's performance was just too good to be ignored. Lockett was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned five kickoffs for 197 yards -- averaging almost 40 yards a return -- including a 57-yard return early in the game. The third-year pro out of Kansas State also added four catches for 37 yards in the 34-31 loss.
