MMQB (cont.)

The Award Section

Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, pictured here with his daughter Corri, chose to coach on Sunday, three days after his wife, Vikki, died. AP Peter King's Mailbag Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Peter King on Twitter

Coach of the Week

Mike Zimmer, defensive coordinator, Cincinnati.

Coaching three days after his wife, Vikki, died, Zimmer went to battle on the road against the NFL's third-rated offense in both scoring and yardage. His troops played an inspired game, holding the Ravens to a season-low 257 yards and seven points. (Baltimore's defense scored the other seven.).

Zimmer had an agonizing decision to make -- whether to coach or not -- and the Bengals gave him the latitude to do whatever he wanted to do. And what he wanted to do was coach his defense. "Vikki loves you,'' Zimmer told his players in a halting voice after the 17-14 Cincinnati upset of the Ravens.

Offensive Players of the Week

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver.

As I said earlier, Orton is rapidly becoming to the Broncos what Brady was to New England when he took over for Bledsoe in 2001 -- an efficient player who does precisely what his game plan directs him to do. In his biggest Denver start to date, Orton, the anti-Cutler, completed 35 of 48 throws for 330 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception, and drove the Broncos to the tying touchdown in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, and to the winning field goal on the first drive of overtime. Jay Who?

Miles Austin, WR, Dallas.

What does he do for an encore? In his first 41 NFL games, Austin totaled 23 catches for 435 yards. In his 42nd -- also his first NFL start -- Austin caught 10 passes for 250 yards in the Cowboys' 26-20 overtime victory at Kansas City. His 60-yard TD reception on second-and-16 midway through overtime, saved the Cowboys from having the most miserable bye week of the NFL season.

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta.

With 27 minutes left at San Francisco, White already had broken the Falcons' single-game record for receiving yards. His six-catch, 210-yard day was the best ever by an Atlanta player, and his 90-yard catch-and-run over ace Niner corner Nate Clements broke the game open in the first half.

Defensive Player of the Week

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Arizona.

With the Cards on the verge of blowing a 21-0 halftime lead, the Texans were driving near midfield in a 21-21 game with 2:30 left. Matt Schaub threw for Kevin Walter along the right side, a garden-variety out pattern Schaub has thrown hundreds of time -- and a route Rodgers-Cromartie has read hundreds of times. Rodgers-Cromartie picked it off at the Cards' 49 and high-stepped in for the winning touchdown. Arizona, 28-21 ... with a massive assist from Darnell Dockett and the middle of the Arizona defensive line, which held fast when Houston tried to bull-rush on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Dave Zastudil, P, Cleveland.

Amazing a team can win, especially on the road, when its quarterback goes 2-of-17. The Browns beat Buffalo 6-3 in one of the all-time ugly NFL games because of Zastudil, and almost because of Zastudil alone. On nine punts, the Bills had seven return yards. Seven! With one of the best returners in football, Roscoe Parrish. Ladies and gentlemen, take note of this game, because it's one of the best a modern punter has had -- as significant as the game Mike Scifres had for San Diego in the playoffs last year against Indianapolis. Charting how Zastudil pinned the Bills back all day:

Punt Length Punted to Return status 1. 25 Buffalo 17 0 (fair catch) 2. 31 Buffalo 11 0 (out of bounds) 3. 54 Buffalo 25 22 yards 4. 44 Buffalo 1 0 (downed) 5. 42 Buffalo 13 0 (out of bounds) 6. 43 Buffalo 42 minus-15 yards 7. 45 Buffalo 1 0 (downed) 8. 45 Buffalo 4 0 (downed) 9. 57 Buffalo 16 0 (forced fumble leading to winning FG)

Average drive start for nine Buffalo drives on Zastudil's punts: Buffalo's 15-yard line.

MVP Watch

1. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis. Every week he plays, he laps the field in the MVP race. I can't figure out a way, barring the Colts collapsing, that he doesn't win this award.

2. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants. It's sort of cute to have the Mannings 1-2. I'll admit that. But in Eli's game performance against the Raiders, he had his fifth straight strong performance. His five passer ratings in the Giants' 5-0 start: 93.5, 110.6, 106.4, 104.0 and 158.3 (perfect against the Raiders -- eight of 10, 173 yards, two touchdown, no picks).

3. Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets. Well-documented. I love him. Shutdown machine.

4. (tie) Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota. Even on a relative off-day, Peterson's two touchdowns were a big key in the road win at woebegone St. Louis.

4. (tie) Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans. Off day. I think he'll break the two-game touchdownless streak Sunday against the Giants at the Superdome.

4. (tie) Kyle Orton, QB, Denver. New entry to the list. That's what happens when you're under one of the hottest spotlights in football, and you lead your team to a 5-0 start, and you've thrown one interception in 20 quarters.