NFL Week 5: Grading the rookies

Luck had reason to celebrate. (US Presswire)

Andrew Luck, Colts: It was the perfect setup for Luck and the Colts. With so many of the team's thoughts in pregame focused on Colts coach Chuck Pagano -- who's in the hospital undergoing treatment for leukemia (even the Packers wore classy ChuckStrong T-shirts before the contest started) -- it was clear Luck knew his job when he ran onto the field with 4:30 to play and his team losing by five. Find Reggie Wayne and throw him gorgeous passes in tight space. Luck did that four times for 60 yards until the first-and-goal from the 4-yard line when he connected with Wayne on a quick pass, and the veteran receiver just … barely . pierced the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown. It was emotional for the team, and well, it was just right on a day that was dedicated to Pagano.

For most of the day, Luck was outstanding. He finished 31 of 55 for 364 yards, two scores and an interception (he also ran for another touchdown) as the Colts pulled off a big-time upset win against the Packers. His development continues unabated -- according to ESPN Stats, he's the second rookie in league history with at least 300 passing yards in three of his first four games after Cam Newton -- and he looked a little like Peyton Manning, bringing back the Colts from a 21-3 deficit and outdueling Aaron Rodgers to pull off the 30-27 victory on a day when the organization really needed it. Grade: A+

Brandon Weeden, Browns: He had his play of the game early in the contest when his bomb to Josh Gordon led to a 62-yard touchdown and 14-point lead against the defending Super Bowl champs just 5 minutes into the contest. But he had a couple interceptions, and he finished 22 of 35 for 291 yards, two touchdowns and two picks. The 41-27 loss wasn't Weeden's fault -- the Browns were just overwhelmed by the Giants offense -- but Weeden made some solid plays. Grade: B

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins: Picking up the first road victory of his career, Tannehill completed 17 of 26 passes for 223 yards. He didn't have a standout performance -- unlike, say, Miami's defense vs. the Bengals -- and Cincinnati's own defense hounded him for much of the second half. But Tannehill deserves credit for building up a lead the Bengals couldn't overcome. Plus, his 92.3 quarterback rating is a career high. Grade: B

Russell Wilson, Seahawks: He keeps showing why he's on shaky ground to continue on as the starting quarterback, but he also continues to help Seattle keep pace in the NFC West. He threw two interceptions, one of which wasn't his fault, but he also completed 19 of 25 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown in leading Seattle to a road win at Carolina. At this point, we don't see why coach Pete Carroll should replace Wilson with high-priced free agent Matt Flynn. Wilson doesn't always play great, but the team is 3-2 with him as the starter. Grade: B

Robert Griffin III, Redskins: It's not just that Griffin didn't do much of anything for the Redskins on Sunday. It's that he wasn't asked to do much of anything, except hand off to running back Alfred Morris. Overall, Griffin finished 10 of 15 for 91 yards. But he took a hellacious hit from Atlanta's Sean Witherspoon in the third quarter that led to a concussion and gave credence to the critics who said that Griffin and the Redskins are putting the No. 2 pick in danger by having him run the ball too much. Yes, this was a Griffin scramble, but still, this is a reminder that maybe the team should figure out a better way to protect him … Grade: C

Kirk Cousins, Redskins: … Which brings us to Cousins, who made his career debut after Griffin was knocked out of the game. He entered the contest with 2:19 to play in the third quarter, and after a three-and-out, Cousins converted a third down for his team (Griffin was 0-for-6 on third downs) by hitting Santana Moss for a 77-yard touchdown that gave Washington the lead against the Falcons. But after that, Cousins played like a rookie making his debut, getting intercepted on back-to-back late fourth quarter drives in which the Redskins were trying to tie the game. Hey, he walked into a tough situation, but he also didn't give the kind of performance his team needed. Grade: C-

The Others

Trent Richardson, Browns: He scored the first NFL touchdown of the day two plays after New York's Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled on the first drive of the game. He finished with 81 yards on 17 carries.

Vontaze Burfict, Bengals: Early in the first quarter after a Kevin Huber punt, the ball hit Dolphins cornerback Reshad Jones and Burfict grabbed it just before it went out of bounds at the Dolphins 26 to recover the fumble (it led to a field goal).

Harrison Smith, Vikings: A mixed bag of a first half. He recovered a Titans fumble, but then, in the second quarter, he was ejected for making contact with an official (Smith shoved him when the official was trying to break up a mini-skirmish).

Rueben Randle, Giants: Entering the game, Randle's career stat line looked like this: one catch, four yards. Here's what his stat line looked like in Week 5: six catches, 82 yards.

Alfred Morris, Redskins: He had more of an impact than Griffin, rushing 18 times for 115 yards -- his second-straight 100-yard game. He's also averaging 4.6 yards per carry on the season.

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