Welcome to the latest edition of HNGN's NFL Weekend (and Monday and Thursday) Hero!
Every Monday, our panel of knowledgeable (sorta) experts (really, keep reading) will hand-pick the players we thought made the biggest impact for their team, win or lose.
A big block, a timely tackle - heck, even some interceptions or a touchdown or two; every game is different and every play is important.
Here, we let you know who we thought really brought it.
Week 7
Brandon Follow @Great_Katzby
-Ryan Grigson, Indianapolis Colts' General Manager: Grigson made the blatantly obvious choice of drafting Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in 2012. Way to go, buddy. He also selected receiver T.Y. Hilton in the third round. Since starting 0-2, the Colts have ripped off five straight victories largely thanks to these two.
Luck is having an MVP-caliber season and Hilton has become one of the best receivers in football. Luck ranks first in passing yards and was tied with Peyton Manning for the lead in touchdowns coming into Week 7. Indianapolis leads the NFL in total yards per game and points. Hilton is top five in yards, receptions and targets.
Grigson's choice of Luck may have been a no-brainer, but he still put together the rest of a team that has made two straight playoff appearances since finishing 1-15. Grigson, you're the real MVP.
Jordan Follow @webb_ej
-Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos' Quarterback: This is for the touchdown record he broke rather than any specific in-game heroics in Sunday's win against San Francisco (hard to have in-game heroics when you blow out the other team). Love him or hate him, you won't see another one like him for a long, long time. He won't be around forever, so it's exciting to watch him make history.
We won't witness what happened Sunday night again for a long time. Out of all the active quarterbacks, Drew Brees (374), Tom Brady (372) and Eli Manning (243) are the closest to Manning's record.
He took Favre's all-time touchdown record and finished the game with four scores, pushing his career total to 510. Moreover, the season isn't even halfway over - not only is Manning on pace to completely obliterate the previous record of 508 touchdowns, if Manning plays another season or two, he could reach the 600-mark.
Thomas Follow @TurkeyTom17
-Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks' Head Coach: Despite losing to the lowly St. Louis Rams on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks' head coach cut his losses and shipped wide receiver Percy Harvin out of town.
Carroll and the team accepted they lost the trade that sent 1st and 7th round draft picks to Minnesota in 2014, as well as a third-rounder in 2014. Harvin's issues were obvious, but Carroll and the Seahawks' front office were at least brave enough to take a chance on the troubled player who they thought they could change his behavior with the help of Seattle's heavily team-oriented philosophy.
That obviously didn't work, as reports have surfaced drastically suggesting otherwise, so Carroll and GM John Schneider did what any other team would do: send their unneeded and/or wasteful players to a desperate team such as the New York Jets. Seattle didn't get much in return, but they got rid of someone who was considered a cancer to the locker room. Cheers, Pete.
Cal Follow @CalSFro
-Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers' quarterback: A Rodg is back!
Well, not that he was ever really gone, but after a lackluster opening to the season, Rodgers and the rest of the Green Bay Packers' offense were positively humming on Sunday, laying a commanding 38-17 beat down on the Carolina Panthers and moving his team to 5-2 with their fourth straight victory.
According to the NFL stats keepers, a perfect quarterback rating is 158.3 - Rodgers managed a not-quite perfect but not-too-shabby at all 154.5 on Sunday.
Rodgers went 19-for-22 for 255 yards and three touchdowns, meaning he threw as many touchdowns as he did incompletions. He was so good through the first three quarters that he was able to watch the final stanza from the sidelines.
