These guys might not exactly be carrying a lunch pail and to the stadium each week, but they did bring an industrious, blue-collar, working-man approach to Week 11. Take a look at all the nominees, then vote in the poll at the bottom of the right column for your choice for the Hardest-Working Man.
Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
It takes a number of big plays for a team to throw up a 50-burger on the scoreboard. On Sunday in Foxborough, it seemed Edelman was making many of the plays that helped the Patriots prevail 59-24 against the shellshocked Indianapolis Colts. Edelman had a 47-yard rush on a reverse that set up a Stevan Ridley touchdown run, a 2-yard touchdown reception and a 68-yard punt return touchdown. The 59 points put up by the Patriots tied a franchise record set in 2009, is New England's second 50-burger of the season, and is also the most points scored in a game this season.
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
RG3 was virtually perfect in leading the Redskins to a 31-6 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. RG3 completed 14 of 15 passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns -- including two that came on long-bomb throws -- to post a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Since 1960, Griffin is the first rookie to have a perfect passer rating. His 93.3 completion percentage is also the best by a rookie in NFL history. By adding 84 yards rushing, RG3 also became just the third rookie in NFL history with 2,000 yards passing and 500 yards rushing (Cam Newton and Vince Young).
M.D. Jennings, Green Bay Packers
With the Packers offense stuck in neutral for much of a critical divisional showdown with the Detroit Lions, it was Jennings -- the victimized defensive back in the famed Hail Mary play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 -- who provided a very necessary spark. With his team down 10-7 in the third quarter, Jennings picked off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and raced 72 yards for a touchdown. That was one of four takeaways for a Packers defense that was missing a number of key starters. The 24-20 win kept the Packers in the race for the NFC North crown and might have critically damaged any remaining postseason hopes for the Lions.
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
Johnson and Matt Schaub posted historic numbers in a surprisingly exciting 43-27 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson provided the winning score, taking a screen pass from Schaub and racing 48 yards for the decisive touchdown. That play boosted the stat lines of Schaub and Johnson into another stratosphere. Schaub finished with 527 yards passing, tied for the second-most in NFL history with Warren Moon (Norm Van Brocklin's record of 554, amazingly has stood for 61 years). Johnson -- with 273 yards -- posted the seventh-most single-game receiving yards in NFL history (Flipper Anderson has the record of 336 set in 1989). If that wasn't enough, Johnson's score helped the Texans make NFL history as the first team to score more than once in an overtime period.
Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Miller continues to add to the sensational standards set during his 2011 Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign. This is the third consecutive week Miller has earned a spot among the Hardest-Working Men, after a three-sack effort in Week 9 and a beast-mode performance in Week 10. In a 30-23 win over the San Diego Chargers, Miller matched his career high with three sacks and added two forced fumbles, helping ensure with his dominant performance that the Broncos would win a fifth consecutive game and build a comfy three-game lead in the AFC West.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
