The Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys combined for more than 900 yards of passing offense, including a franchise record by Tony Romo -- but the best play came from an unexpected place as Peyton Manning did the unthinkable.
NFL plays of the week: Peyton Manning gets naked
A game with over 1,000 yards of total offense gave us an unpredictable rushing touchdown.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Naked Peyton
Is this the most impressive play of the weekend? No, it’s not -- but look at how an entire NFL defense falls for the play fake so hard. There’s no reason to believe the Denver Broncos would risk their entire season by having their 37-year-old franchise QB rush at the goal line, so nobody covers it.
Peyton is a boss because he shows no lack of urgency. A casual glance to his right because he’s fooled them all, before a leisurely trot into the end zone.
That’s 20 passing touchdowns and now one awesome rushing touchdown.
Chris Johnson, master of improvisation
Chris Johnson had a terrible rushing day against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he made up for it on this heads-up play where he caught the shovel pass and darted down field for a touchdown.
We'll never know what the play call was supposed to be, but I'll wager it wasn't this. Give some credit to Ryan Fitzpatrick for find his running back, but really this is all about Johnson and his ability to make something out of nothing.
Jordy’s awareness rating just went up
The throw is inconsequential in this clip, it’s all about foot positioning. This pass easily sails out of bounds if not for Jordy Nelson’s heads-up play to extend and drag his feet to the sideline. It’s one of those things great receivers do that’s so often overlooked when it comes to making flashy plays.
Nelson came up big on Sunday, catching five passes for 82 yards -- including his sideline grab.
Schaubception
Matt Schaub throwing interceptions is old hat, but this play by Tramaine Brock deserves more recognition for how he didn't give up on the play. The fourth-year defensive back made a great read on Andre Johnson as the wide receiver made his break, but it was his concentration after the tip that makes this really impressive.
The ball moves a good six yards through the air and sideline in a perfect arc that allows him to come down with it. Schaub will continue to get lambasted, but give credit where it’s due on this INT.
Not the top play: Ryan Fitzpatrick likes to improvise too
OK, so I don’t really know what else Ryan Fitzpatrick was supposed to do here. A yo-yo football isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence, but he shows those Harvard smarts to at least attempt to make a play. So it didn’t go as well as planned, that happens -- but special attention to the offensive linemen who see Fitzpatrick coming and have no desire to block for him.
Alright, it felt a little mean to rail on a guy who did the best he could with the options presented, so we’ll give you your moment in the sun Ryan.
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