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The Award Section

Offensive Players of the Week

Brett Favre, QB, New York Jets. Favre had played 282 games in the NFL before Sunday. Three times he'd thrown five touchdown passes in a game. But he'd never thrown six in a game -- until one of the weirder games he'd been a part of was contested at his new home field Sunday.

Favre threw no touchdown passes in the first and third quarters. He threw three touchdown passes in the second and fourth. For the game, he was 24-of-34 for 289 yards, with the six scores and one interception. "I don't think it's time for anyone to start printing playoff tickets yet,'' he said after the game, but let's be honest. The Jets stunk big-time the last two weeks, and they looked like serious playoff contenders Sunday, and much of that is because Favre, week by week, is getting more in sync with his receivers.

Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City. Most of us geniuses in the media wrote off Johnson last year, and even last summer. But here's the most interesting thing the 28-year-old Johnson told me after the game: "Nothing hurts.'' His 28-carry, 198-yard, two-touchdown performance was indicative of a couple of things. One: He has his power and quickness back after a 2007 foot injury. Two: He was running against Denver. "People everywhere doubted I still have it,'' he said. "But I do.'' We see.

Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Derrick Brooks, LB, Tampa Bay. All the homework -- the endless, weekly, daily, hourly homework -- done by Brooks over the years culminates sometimes in the kind of game he had against the Packers on Sunday. Specifically, let's examine the first three defensive plays of the second quarter, plays that should go in the Brooks' career time capsule.

Brooks lay in wait, near running back Brandon Jackson, and came away with an Aaron Rodgers pass after it was bobbled. Play two: Ryan Grant tried to go around right end, Brooks burst through the line, and plowed through Grant; loss of six. Play three: A coiled Brooks waited for another short Rodgers pass, leaped and batted it away. Later in the game, in the third quarter, he ramrodded the ball out of Grant's grasp on a running play, and safety Jermaine Phillips picked it up and ran it 38 yards for a touchdown. "You practice a long time for hits like that,'' Brooks said of his hit on Grant.

That was a vintage Brooks performance: three tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two passes defended.

Chicago defensive front. For its classic goal-line stand against Philadelphia on Sunday night. I don't know if Kyle Orton is ever going to be the Bears long-term answer at QB, but until he is, the Bears are going to have to be led by their rock-ribbed front seven. Against the Eagles with five minutes to go, Chicago had to make three stops from the 1. In order, fullback Tony Hunt, Correll Buckhalter and Buckhalter again could never get through the navy blue-jersied swarm of Bears.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Matt Bryant, K, Tampa Bay. A day after Bryant buried his three-month-old son, Tryson, in Texas, Hollywood entered Raymond James Stadium. With the Packers on top 21-20, Bryant booted his third field goal of the day, the game-winner, from 24 yards out with 2:26 left in the game, then looked to the sky and wiped his eyes. "I didn't think it was very fair for his life to end ... so short ... This was the best way for me to go out and honor him,'' Bryant said.

Montel Owens, FB, Jacksonville. Is it my imagination, or did Houston fall for a fake punt play, WHEN THERE WAS NO PUNTER ON THE FIELD, and allowed Owens to rumble 41 yards for a touchdown? Owens made a couple of nice moves and bulled his way downfield.

Coach of the Week

Jim Zorn, head coach, Washington. And not only for entering the lair of the best team in football, Dallas, and coming away with a mentally and physically tough 26-24 victory. But for replacing a legend, Joe Gibbs, whose departure last January prompted tears all over Redskins Nation. For installing a new offense for an offense weary of new offenses. For not panicking after a ridiculous debacle in the season-opening loss at the Giants. And for playing 16 quarters, so far, without an offensive turnover.

For a team adjusting to a new offense, that's a sign of tremendous progress. And since the first game, when Campbell struggled mightily against the Giants, he's played very well. On Sunday, Washington went toe to toe with the Cowboys, and what some 'Skins fans feared would be a finessy offense is most certainly not soft. Washington out-rushed the Cowboys 161 yards to 44.

Stat of the Week I

The stat is a record: 4-12. That's the average Lions season in the seven-and-a-quarter years Matt Millen ran the franchise. "There's a weight lifted off all of our shoulders,'' said one Lions insider Sunday night. "It's like Matt became our trademark. It wasn't a Lion on the side of our helmet anymore, it was Matt's face. And our fans just couldn't stand it.''

Millen's Detroit legacy will include more than his record -- a shocking 4.3 wins per year -- but a succession of misery in the first round. It was all downhill after his first pick ever, which probably was Millen's best. Jeff Backus is a serviceable, borderline Pro Bowl left tackle. If Calvin Johnson becomes a big star, he'll overtake Backus, but for now, Johnson's stuck in the muck and mire of a horrible team.

Year Overall Pos. Player Comment 2001 17 T Jeff Backus Great pick. Started every game since being drafted. 2002 3 QB Joey Harrington Awful 55-percent passer in 4 long Lion years. 2003 2 WR Charles Rogers Always hurt. Just 36 career catches. 2004 7 WR Roy Williams Could be dealt for a first-round pick this season 2005 10 WR Mike Williams God-awful. Passed on DeMarcus Ware for miscast TE. 2006 9 LB Ernie Sims Legitimate building-block leader and linebacker. 2007 2 WR Calvin Johnson Will never approach potential with Kitna throwing. 2008 17 T Gosder Cherilus I keep hearing he's tough. We'll see.

One more Millen note: I'll never forget being in the Cowboys draft room before the 2002 draft. The phone rang, and Jerry Jones picked it up, and it was Millen, desperately trying to unload the third pick in the draft. Jones had no interest. "I couldn't give it away,'' Millen said years later. "That's the problem with picking high these days -- if you don't want the pick, there's not much you can do about it.''

High first-round picks have become anchors, not lifelines. There's too much risk involved in the picks. Whereas 20 years ago, high picks were sought-after gems, now you've got to use the pick, often on a player you don't love, and almost always you feel is not worth the $8 million or so per year it costs.

Stat of the Week II

Adam Dunn's home-run totals in the last four major-league seasons: 40, 40, 40, 40.