NFL Week 13 awards: The Allen Robinson breakout is here

Offensive Player of the Week

Allen Robinson, WR Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags lost a 42-39 thriller in Tennessee, but Allen Robinson cannot take the blame. The former Penn State standout had the best game of his young career on Sunday, catching 10 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and he seemingly had an answer for everything that Tennessee threw his way during the game.

This has undoubtedly been a “breakout” season for Robinson, but he lapped the competition as the best receiver in the league in Week 13, including the fact that Pro Football Focus gave him a stellar +4.8 grade. There is no question that a receiver needs competent quarterback play to post this kind of day, and Robinson received it from Blake Bortles. Still, this was a case when Robinson was the best player on the field for the Jaguars, and he is transforming into an elite option on a weekly basis.

Runner-up: Odell Beckham Jr., WR New York Giants

Defensive Player of the Week

Olivier Vernon, DE Miami Dolphins

There was fierce competition for this nod during Week 13, as some of the best players in the league put together strong performances. Still, none of them could outshine Vernon, who was utterly dynamic in helping Miami top Baltimore by a 15-13 margin.

The talented pass-rusher contributed 2.5 sacks on the day, trailing only Pittsburgh’s James Harrison across the league, and lived in the backfield to help sink the Baltimore offense. Pro Football Focus tracked Vernon with 11 (yes, 11) disruptions on the day, and he hit the quarterback on at least four occasions during the game. It is probably fair to characterize Vernon as a pass-rush “specialist,” and the Dolphins needed everything he had in order to pull out the win on Sunday.

Runner-up: Aaron Donald, DL St. Louis Rams

Next: Week 13 MVP