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By Jarrett Bell
October 25, 2011
Honor Roll: Week 7
Stud of the week: Drew Brees. For the first time in more than a month, the Saints quarterback didn't pass for 350 yards. That snapped his NFL-record streak at four games. No matter. In just three quarters before getting a rest, Brees completed 31 of 35 passes for 325 yards and scorched the Colts' defense for five TD passes to propel the Saints to a 62-point outburst that matched the most points in a game by a team since the 1970 merger.
Rookie of the week: DeMarco Murray. What a coming-out performance. In his first NFL start for the Cowboys, the third-round pick from Oklahoma torched the Rams for a franchise-record 253 rushing yards. The big day began with a TD jaunt that covered 91 yards, which surpassed his total from the first five games (71 yards). Then Murray topped Tony Dorsett's club mark for yards in a game by a rookie (207 yards) and the single-game mark by Emmitt Smith (237 yards) that stood for 18 years. Murray also left little doubt that St. Louis -- which entered the weekend ranked 32nd in rushing yards allowed -- indeed has the league's worst run defense.
Special teamer of the week: Phil Dawson. The most prolific scorer in a game defined by horrendous offense, the Browns kicker booted 52- and 53-yard field goals -- the difference in squeaking out a win against the Seahawks. Sure, Dawson had 48- and 24-yard attempts blocked. But despite nursing a bruised thigh, he managed to connect on two booming kicks from more than 50 yards when his team could really use the points.