Week 5 in the NFL had a game with more than 1,000 yards of total offense and almost 100 total points, so it's a safe bet that at least one of our top players would come from Sunday's astounding game between the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys.
NFL players of the week: Two team records fall in Week 5
It has been over 50 years since two team records fell, both happened on Sunday.
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James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Passer of the week: Tony Romo, 25/36, 506 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Tony Romo threw a late interception to seal Denver’s victory, we know.
Now that’s out of the way, we can start talking about a game that would be the best single-game passing performance of the last five years if not for Manning’s stunning seven-touchdown game to open the season.
Romo found eight different receivers and managed to stay in step with the Denver juggernaut. The Cowboys quarterback doesn’t have the full complement of weapons Manning does, but he managed to keep Dallas in the game on a day where his defense added nothing. He finished Sunday with the Cowboys’ single-game passing record, breaking Don Meredith’s mark from 1963.
Rusher of the week: Jamaal Charles, 108 yards, 1 TD, 37 yards receiving
Jamaal Charles hasn’t been hugely effective in 2013, but it looks like head coach Andy Reid is starting to learn how to use his running back.
There's no reason Charles can't be as effective as LeSean McCoy was with Reid in Philadelphia, but this was his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. Charles was efficient, averaging 4.9 yards per carry against a stout Titans defensive front.
The next step is using him more in the passing game, which should be a natural fit with Alex Smith at quarterback. Charles had 37 yards receiving, but there was room for a lot more.
Receiver of the week: Alshon Jeffery, 10 receptions, 218 yards, 1 TD
The second single-game record of the week came in Chicago, where the Bears lost a shootout with the New Orleans Saints despite Alshon Jeffery's stellar game.
Jeffery was slammed pre-draft amid reports of ballooning weight and slow speed, causing him to fall to the second round in 2012. The Chicago Bears were the benefactors of his slide and, just 18 months later, he broke a team receiving record that stood since 1962 -- when Johnny Morris finished with 201 yards receiving against the Dallas Cowboys.
The only thing we’re left wondering is how two football fields worth of yardage could result in only one touchdown.
Defender of the week: Tramaine Brock, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown
A defensive back is given opportunities to make plays when facing Matt Schaub, but that shouldn't penalize Tramaine Brock.
Brock broke the will of Houston's defense with his pick-six early in Sunday's game, which saw Schaub benched in the fourth quarter. The interception returned for a touchdown was impressive, but his second interception was better -- Brock broke on a pass intended for Andre Johnson, batting it in the air to himself and gaining possession.
On a day where San Francisco’s offense was unremarkable, it was Brock’s play that helped set the tone for entire game.
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