Week 11 Reactions: New Beast in Seattle

Running the Show

Doug Martin's up-and-down season hit a likely high point Sunday against the Eagles, as he rushed 27 times for 235 yards, the highest rushing total by any player this season. It was Martin's second career game with at least 230 yards, and coincidentally he was the last player to accomplish the feat before Sunday. Unfortunately, he missed out on additional history, as a late five-yard loss pushed him down to 235 yards, which meant he failed to join O.J. Simpson and Corey Dillon as the only players in league history to rush for at least 240 yards twice.

Speaking of missing out, he also failed to score a touchdown on an 84-yard run in the second quarter, the fifth-longest run in NFL history that didn't result in a score. He may have been a bit gassed by the end but you have to love the stiff arm and dive for the end zone:

Martin is unlikely to reach that level again (yes, going out a limb there), but he still has decent matchups through the end of the season, with the Colts (11th-most rushing yards allowed per game), Saints (fourth most) and Bears (sixth) still on the schedule. He also gets to face the Falcons, who are allowing the fewest rushing yards per game this season but have given up more touchdowns on the ground than every team but the Lions.

And while Martin was drafted in every fantasy league before the season started, one player who could make a huge difference down the stretch that only recently came on is Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls. The undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan has played exceptionally well in place of the injured Marshawn Lynch, who was surprisingly held out Sunday against the 49ers because of his abdomen injury. Rawls rushed 30 times for 209 yards and a touchdown, while also catching all three of his targets for 46 receiving yards and another score.

In fact, he even looked like Lynch on this powering catch-and-run:

Speaking of injury replacements, the Falcons could have a big void to fill after Devonta Freeman was knocked out of Sunday's game against the Colts because of a concussion. Freeman rushed three times for 43 yards (including a 39-yarder) before suffering the injury, and backup Tevin Coleman was unable to take advantage of a Colts defense that allows over 110 rushing yards per game, as he finished with just 48 on 17 carries. Up next is a decent Vikings defense, though it did allow Eddie Lacy's first 100-yard game of the season Sunday.

And before we finish with the guys who carry the ball, congratulations are in order to the Chiefs' Dontari Poe, who became the fattest heaviest player to score a touchdown in NFL history:

While Doug Martin was racking up 235 rushing yards for the Bucs, quarterback Jameis Winston was making history by becoming the third rookie quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in a game, joining Ray Buivid in 1937 and Matthew Stafford in 2009, according to the game broadcast. And just like Stafford, Winston threw his touchdowns to five different receivers, as Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Russell Shepard, Charles Sims and Cameron Brate all found the end zone. Evans and Jackson are clearly the top targets in Tampa but it's worth noting that neither has a multi-TD game this season, as the only player on the team to accomplish that feat is tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who did it in Week 1 and has been out since Week 2 because of a shoulder injury.

Joining Winston in the 5-to-5 club was Cam Newton, who threw his five touchdowns to Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, Ted Ginn, Greg Olsen and Devin Funchess. It was the first time in his career that he threw for more than three scores, and he's now accounted for 11 touchdowns (two rushing) in the last three games. With the Panthers now 10-0 -- the only undefeated team in the NFC -- Newton and Tom Brady, who quarterbacks the AFC's only undefeated team, are the two clear-cut MVP favorites.

One note of caution: the Panthers play on the road in four of their last six games, and Newton has failed to throw for more than one touchdown in each of his three away games this season. Then again, he's rushed for two in those, and the upcoming trips aren't against the toughest of opponents: Cowboys (Week 12), Saints (Week 13), Giants (Week 15) and Falcons (Week 16).

The End of Peyton Manning?

Brock Osweiler got the start Sunday against the Bears and led the Broncos to a tough 17-15 victory over their former coach John Fox. Playing in place of the injured Peyton Manning (foot/ribs), Osweiler was extremely effective, completing 20 of 27 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, which went to wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Cody Latimer (the first of his career). Even more impressive is that he did it without Emmanuel Sanders (toe/finger), who has been an extremely consistent receiving threat for Manning since joining the Broncos last year. And while the passing game looked better than it has in a long time, it may be the rushing game that Osweiler had the biggest impact on.

The Broncos' rushing attack has been somewhat stagnant this year, as Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson have struggled to gain consistent yardage while being forced to work out of the pistol formation. However, without the physical limitations of Manning, Osweiler took most of his snaps under center, which greatly improved the production out of the backfield. Hillman ran 21 times for 102 yards and Anderson gained 59 yards on 12 carries. It was Hillman's third 100-yard game this season, and while Anderson will continue to poach touches throughout the game, the former will get a solid number of carries if he plays well. Unfortunately, up next on the schedule is a Week 12 matchup with the Patriots, who came into Week 11 allowing the fewest rushing yards per game this season.

Wings Clipped

And finally, the Ravens' tough injury issues peaked Sunday against the Rams, as not only did starting running back Justin Forsett break his arm but quarterback Joe Flacco suffered a torn ACL on their last possession. The injuries came two games after top wideout Steve Smith's season (career?) came to an end thanks to a torn Achilles, and Breshad Perriman, the team's first-round draft pick this year, was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury before ever playing a game. Oh, and as RotoWire's Chris Liss reminded us, they also lost top pass rusher Terrell Suggs to a torn Achilles back in Week 1.