Finding an elite passing performance was easy this week, when Nick Foles put on not only the best passing performance of his career, but it could be one of the top performances of all time. This seems like hyperbole, but dig a little deeper and it's easy to see why Foles was so impressive.
NFL players of the week: Nick Foles superstar tour 2013
You don’t have to like it or respect it, but Nick Foles will be forever mentioned in the same breath as some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Brian Bahr
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: Nick Foles, 22/28, 406 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT, 158.3 passer rating
It’s quickly become fashionable to downplay this game in contrast to Peyton Manning’s seven touchdown performance, likely because there’s a sense that Foles didn’t earn it like Manning did.
When looking at the career of both players it’s fairly safe to say that Manning will come out on top, but for one Sunday it’s hard to say that Manning’s seven touchdowns were better than Foles’.
Philadelphia’s quarterback completed 78.6 percent of his passes, used eight different receivers and posted a yards-per-attempt rating of 14.5 -- all were higher than Manning’s. The game became tarnished due to Oakland’s sub-par pass defense, but it didn’t keep this game from counting in record books.
Rusher of the week: Chris Johnson, 23 attempts, 150 yards, 2 TD
The Tennessee Titans have talent, they just can't seem to get it on the same page at the same time. This was apparent on Sunday as Chris Johnson had his best running game of the year, but Jake Locker was off in the passing game.
These were a very efficient 150 yards, as Johnson averaged over 5.5 yards per carry in the Titans’ win. There’s still work to be done on the offensive line, but there are a lot good things for the team to build on moving forward.
Receiver of the week: Andre Johnson, 9 receptions, 229 yards, 3 TD
For the second straight week a receiver with the last name "Johnson" put up silly video game numbers on Sunday. The switch from Matt Schaub to Case Keenum is having a big effect on the Houston offense, as Andre Johnson allowed the Texans to surge to a huge lead, only to see it squandered against the Indianapolis Colts.
Keenum gives the Texans a chance, and with him and Johnson working in concert we might see a team discovering its franchise quarterback over the last seven weeks.
Defender of the week: Jurrell Casey, 6 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble
The strong Titans defensive line was one of the reasons they were able to hold on to a narrow victory over the St. Louis Rams. Casey's six tackles were all solo, and he changed the game with his pressure up the middle.
It’s rare to see a defensive tackle put up these kinds of numbers, but Casey has been excellent this season and is on pace for 10.0 sacks.
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