Pay the man

If ESPN is smart they will burn the tape of Monday night's game between the Jaguars and Ravens. The first half alone was so offensive that coach John Harbaugh should write a personal apology to all Ravens fans. Monday's debacle was one of many ugly games this past weekend. It wasn't all bad, however. Darrelle Revis had another interception, his third in two games, as the Jets won their second straight in a dramatic contest against the Chargers.

Time now to take a look back at what else happened in Week 7.

Star of the week:

Honourable mention goes to receiver Plaxico Burress after scoring three touchdowns in the Jets' win over the Chargers. That was Burress' first three-touchdown game since Week 1 of the 2007 season.

Drew Brees was almost perfect Sunday night in the Saints' win over the Colts as he went 31-for-35 for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray also had a huge game (more on him later).

With that being said, the undisputed star of the week was Texans running back Arian Foster.

Losers of two straight, the Texans were in dire need of a breakout game from Foster and he did not disappoint. By the time the smoke cleared in the Texans' romp over the Titans, Foster had run for 115 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 119 yards and one touchdown receiving.

With Andre Johnson still injured the entire Titans game plan was built around stopping Foster, and they couldn't do it. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub said to expect to see more of Foster in their passing game. "Once he gets the ball in his hands, it is hard to bring him down," Schaub told reporters after the game. "If you are in open space and it is one-on-one, he is going to win that battle nine of 10 times."

Stiff of the week:

Up until the last three minutes of their game against the Dolphins, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was the runaway winner of this award. But since Tebow rallied the Broncos to an overtime win we are forced to look elsewhere.

Raiders quarterback Kyle Boller received a ton of votes after going a dismal 7-for-14 for 61 yards and three interceptions. Boller was so bad that his first pass of the game was a pick-six.

The winner of this award, however, goes to Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco for his horrific effort in their loss Monday night to the Jaguars. At halftime the Ravens had one yard passing and 16 yards in total offence, so it wasn't surprising to see the Ravens not complete a first down until the third quarter.

Team on the rise:

After their convincing victory over the Cardinals, the Steelers have now won three straight game and five of their last six. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley has 18 tackles, five and a half sacks and an interception during the Steelers' three-game winning streak.

During that time Ben Roethlisberger has been just as good with nine touchdowns and only one interception. The next two weeks the 5-2 Steelers will find out what they are really made of with games against the Patriots and Ravens.

The best touchdown run:

A lot of people consider Bears running back Matt Forte one of the best all-around offensive players in the NFL. Forte's incredible skills were on display during this 32-yard touchdown run in the Bears' win over the Bucs at Wembley Stadium.

Forte is now third in the NFL in rushing with 672 yards and is ranked eighth in the league with 38 receptions for another 419 yards. Why the Bears haven't handed this man a lucrative long term contract is a real mystery.

The Ronnie Lott award:

This is not your typical example of a "big hit," but I am quite sure it hurt Packers guard T.J. Lang just as much. During a scuffle in the Packers' win, Vikings defensive lineman Brian Robison kicked Lang square in the package.

After the game Lang (@TJLang70) Tweeted an update on his boys: "Glad to report my genitalia are in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery!"

The unsung hero award:

DeMarco Murray is the unanimous pick for this week's award. Prior to Sunday's amazing performance against the Rams, Murray hadn't really done much in his rookie season, running for a grand total of 71 yards in five games. On Sunday Murray carried the ball 25 times for 253 yards and one touchdown. Those 253 yards by Murray broke Emmitt Smith's Cowboys record for most rushing yards in a single game. It was the ninth best single game performance by a running back in NFL history.

The catch of the week:

This week's award goes out to the man who is pound-for-pound the fastest wide receiver in the NFL, the Steelers Mike Wallace. After taking a heave from Ben Roethlisberger, Wallace turned on the afterburners and took off on a 95-yard touchdown.

Two defenders thought they had an angle on Wallace but he easily ran away from them and waltzed into the end zone.

The big injuries of the week:

The Redskins suffered two significant injuries in their loss to Cam Newton and the Panthers. Wide receiver Santana Moss suffered a hand injury and he's gone anywhere from five to seven weeks. On top of that, starting running back Tim Hightower ripped up ligaments in his left knee and is done for the year.

What to watch for in Week 8:

One of the marquee games of Week 8 takes place Sunday at Rogers Centre when the Bills host the Redskins. Tebowmania will be alive and well in Denver when Tim Tebow and the Broncos host the Lions. The Eagles host the Cowboys in an old fashioned NFC East grudge match. The surging Chiefs host the Chargers in a big AFC West game. The poor Rams get to host Drew Brees and the Saints. The undisputed game of the week will take place in Pittsburgh where the Steelers host the Patriots.

Jim Lang is co-host of Brady and Lang in the morning on SPORTSNET 590 The FAN and a columnist for sportsnet.ca.