Every Monday, Gregg Rosenthal picks the five throws that explain the week. Marc Sessler alreadyhas knocked out the defining runs.
We thought about including Robert Griffin III's only incompletion of Week 11 as one of the throws, but that would be trying too hard. Instead, let's go with his fourth Washington Redskins touchdown pass. RG3's two bomb touchdowns included a blown coverage and a fantastic grab by Santana Moss in double coverage, but this toss to Logan Paulsen showed why RG3's ceiling is so high.
He's so calm in the pocket with pressure encroaching on all sides. He surveys the field for his secondary receivers. He stands tall and puts the ball exactly where it needs to be on Paulsen's left shoulder, leading him to the end zone.
I thought about including Josh Freeman's game-winner to Dallas Clark in overtime just for the great radio call. (Compare that to the brutal TV call. "Panthers win! ... Buccaneers win!")
Anyhow, this toss to Vincent Jackson at the end of regulation can't be denied. Freeman delivered the ball between three defenders while being hit. The Carolina Panthers were in great position to stop them. You might not see a better big-moment play all season. This Tampa Bay Buccaneers team has a lot of magic to them.
Joe Flacco's stats weren't pretty in Pittsburgh, but he has a knack for doing just enough. This is the type of throw that other quarterbacks just can't make: falling backward on the move with two defenders in his face. Flacco quietly is throwing for more yards per game and yards per completion than ever before. The Baltimore Ravens' win was massive, no matter who was at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Larry Fitzgerald had Atlanta Falcons backup cornerback Robert McClain in single coverage early in the first half Sunday. He torched him, but Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton threw the ball nowhere near Fitz. This was the pass that made Ken Whisenhunt go to sixth-round draft pick Ryan Lindley despite a 13-0 lead. This is how you become just the third team since 2001 to go plus-5 in turnover margin and still lose. This is how a team that once was 4-0 got forked before Thanksgiving.
You can't beat the New England Patriots when you let their defense score points. This throw just got away from Andrew Luck. If he's had any weakness this season, it's that he has almost too aggressive like Peyton Manning was during his rookie year for the Indianapolis Colts.
