Can't Spell Elite Without Eli

Eli Manning, QB, Giants
The Super Bowl XLII rematch was deja vu all over again for the G-Men. Four seasons ago, Manning found Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard TD pass with 35 seconds to play for a 17–14 upset of the then 18–0 Patriots. This time around, Manning hit Jake Ballard for a one-yard score to take a 24–20 edge with 15 ticks on the clock, capping an eight-play, 80-yard game-winning drive. Although Manning’s final stat line was not off-the-charts (20-of-39 passes for 250 yards, two TDs and one INT), his heroic final drive could not have been better. As defensive end and team captain Justin Tuck said afterwards, “You can’t spell elite without Eli.”

Patrick Peterson, CB, Cardinals
It was a good weekend to be an LSU Tiger. One day after Les Miles’ club won the “Game of the Century” over Alabama, 9–6 in overtime, the Bayou Bengals’ most recent top-five pick had the best game of his young NFL career. The rookie cornerback snagged his second INT of the season, winning a one-on-one jump ball against Brandon Lloyd on an underthrown pass by Sam Bradford. But the highlight of the night was Peterson’s 99-yard walk-off punt return TD — his third return TD of the year — giving the Cardinals a 19–13 overtime win over the Rams.

Julio Jones, WR, Falcons
The rookie out of Alabama hauled in three catches for 131 yards and two TDs, while also adding two carries for 33 yards on the ground during a 31–7 blowout of the winless Colts. Jones had scoring grabs of 50 and 80 yards — showing off the big-play ability that prompted the Falcons to trade their first- (No. 27 overall), second- (No. 59) and fourth-round (No. 124) picks in 2011, as well as their first- and fourth-rounders in 2012, to the Browns in exchange for the No. 6 overall pick and a chance to add Jones to an already impressive offense.

Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens
Baltimore swept Pittsburgh for the first time since 2006, rallying for a 23–20 Week 9 win on Sunday night after an impressive 35–7 Week 1 victory to start the season. Flacco led a 13-play, 92-yard game-winning drive that ended with a 26-yard scoring strike to rookie Torrey Smith with eight seconds remaining. Smith went from goat to great after dropping a sure TD five plays earlier and being called for holding on the first play of the night, negating a 76-yard trip to the end zone by Ray Rice. The Ravens’ road win was especially sweet considering that two of their past three seasons have ended in playoff losses at Heinz Field.