It's kind of sad when you realize that there are only three more weeks left in the NFL regular season.
But it’s also fun to know that we will be knee-deep in the playoffs very soon. And as we have seen in recent years, anything goes once the postseason begins.
This past week, we saw lots of snow, plenty of points, a plethora of touchdowns and thousands of home fans leaving very happy.
And there were plenty of “bests” when it came to Week 14, as we will show you.
Josh McCown, LeSean McCoy, Marques Colston Headline The NFL's Week 14 Honor Roll Slideshow
QB Josh McCown
Yes, the Dallas Cowboys have the worst defense in the league these days but give credit where credit is due. Jay Cutler's veteran understudy has filled in quite nicely to date. On Monday night at Soldier Field, McCown completed 75 percent of his passes (27-of-36) for 348 yards and four touchdowns and added 16 yards rushing and a score in the Bears’ 45-28 victory.
RB LeSean McCoy
Let it snow, let it snow, let ... uh, you know the rest. What the Detroit Lions didn’t know was how to stop McCoy, who appeared undaunted by the blizzard-like conditions in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles rolled to their fifth straight win on the strength of the NFL’s leading rusher, who plowed through the Lions for a franchise-record 217 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on 29 carries in the Birds’ impressive 34-20 win.
WR Marques Colston
Teammate Drew Brees was brilliant Sunday night against the Carolina Panthers’ sturdy defense but we want to give the nod to Colston, who totaled nine receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans’ crucial 31-13 victory. The Saints' wide receivers have taken a bit of a back seat this season but Colston has still totaled 56 receptions. And his two touchdown grabs Sunday matched his total of his first 11 games in 2013.
TE Charles Clay
Simply put, the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't find a way to tackle the underrated tight end Sunday at snowy Heniz Field. Clay totaled nine receptions for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Miami's 34-28 win in the Steel City. The third-year pro ranks second on the Dolphins with 60 receptions and leads the team with six touchdown grabs.
Offensive Line: Denver Broncos
Well, we're pretty sure that quarterback Peyton Manning can play in the cold and obviously so can the guys in front of him. In Denver's 51-28 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Broncos rolled up 551 total yards, including 154 yards rushing on 32 attempts. Manning was not sacked in 59 drop backs and John Fox’s team welcomed him back by running 91 plays in the team’s 23-point victory.
DE John Abraham
The 14-year pro can still get it done when it comes to getting to opposing quarterbacks. And Abraham is quietly having a pretty significant year for the much-improved Cardinals, who at 8-5 are still very much in the playoff mix. On Sunday in his team's 30-10 victory over the St. Louis Rams, Abraham totaled six tackles, three sacks and forced a fumble.
LB Lavonte David
The second-year pro has had a very solid season and his much-ballyhooed late-hit penalty in Week 1 against the New York Jets was a mere bad blip on a terrific campaign. On Sunday against the Bills, David was a Goliath. He totaled nine tackles, one sack, picked off two passes and knocked down a pair of throws as well in his team’s 27-6 win.
CB Alan Ball
Who would have thought that 14 weeks into the season the Jaguars (4-9) would have twice as many wins as the Houston Texans (2-11)? On Thursday night in Jacksonville, Gus Bradley’s team completed a sweep of the defending AFC South champions and Ball had his say. The former Texans defender totaled four tackles, knocked down a pass and picked off another in his team’s 27-20 triumph.
Special Teams: Kansas City Chiefs
Granted, the Washington Redskins special teams aren’t special. But give credit where it is due and in the Chiefs’ 45-10 win Sunday, both Dexter McCluster and Quintin Demps scored touchdowns on kick returns. The former took back a punt 74 yards and the latter returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the rout of the ‘Skins. The duo totaled a combined 300 yards on punts and kickoff returns on Sunday.
Coach: Marvin Lewis
The leader in the AFC North rolled the Indianapolis Colts, 42-28, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score many indicate. The Bengals are 9-4, just a game behind the New England Patriots for second seed in the AFC. Cincinnati is also guaranteed a third straight winning season, something the franchise hasn't done since 1975-77.
-- Read more of Russell S. Baxter at ProFootballGuru.com. Follow him on Twitter @BaxFootballGuru.
