Sour Rankings: Odd fashion choices made on and off the field in Week 11

From Cam Newton's fox tail accessory to James Jones's hoodie, Chris Burke highlights several questionable fashion choices (and more) in the Week 11 Sour Rankings.

The updated Power Rankings arrive on Wednesday. But first, the Sour Rankings take a spin through the worst of the past week in the NFL …

• News, analysis, highlights, injuries and more from Week 11 in the NFL

10. The Panthers go trolling

Prior to their Week 11 showdown, The social media staffs from Carolina and Washington exchanged a little Twitter trash talk ... which is an actual thing that happens in modern sports.

Washington started by declaring Carolina "Redskins country." The Panthers' folks shot back with a shot at Washington ownership's fight to keep the team's moniker.

@Redskins Good luck with getting a trademark on that 😊

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 22, 2015

The Panthers also got the last laugh, thanks to a 44–16 victory.

You like THAT #PantherNation? Carolina improves to 10-0 with a trademark victory over Washington! #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/NOEsXsHgf7

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 22, 2015

Bonus Redskins content in Sour Rankings: After the 28-point loss, defensive lineman Jason Hatcher said that officials are not giving his team a fair shake because of its name. “Every game, calls after calls should have been made it our favor but go to them,” Hatcher said. “It's just not right.”

• ​BANKS: Week 11 Snaps—Broncos should stick with Osweiler

9. Run, squirrel, run

Thirty-three years ago last Friday, football gifted us with “The band is on the field!” at the conclusion of a Cal-Stanford game. Sunday, we got this:

8. Antonio Gates vs. Philip Rivers

The Chargers' season flew off the rails long ago, so it doesn't come as a huge surprise that the team's veterans are a little on edge. During San Diego's 33–3 loss to Kansas City, Gates and Rivers got into it on the sideline. (Possible bad language ahead...)

“Really, what he said doesn’t matter,” Rivers said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Brothers fuss and fight, if any of you have brothers. I love Antonio and I think he’ll tell you the same thing. It’s two of probably the most competitive guys on the team, been here long as anybody. I think we’re kinda at our last straw, you know?”

7. Brock Osweiler plays defense

The Broncos won Sunday, 17–15, so Osweiler's debut as the starting quarterback was mostly considered a success. Key word: Mostly.

Denver might have had an easier time of it were it not for Osweiler accidentally taking down running back Ronnie Hillman on a fourth-and-1 play from Chicago's two-yard-line.

Brock Osweiler is new at this starting QB thing
Ronnie HilIman was about to score but got tripped up.
By his own QB. https://t.co/ln54LGg8oG

— NFL (@NFL) November 22, 2015

“I've got to get my big feet out of the way,” Osweiler said, via the AP.

• ​KING: Osweiler's performance puts Denver in an agonizing situation

6. Cam Newton's tail

Newton often draws attention for his fashion choices at postgame press conferences. And, well ...

Cam Newton wore a fox tail to today's postgame press conference. pic.twitter.com/bw7Plw9Syj

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 22, 2015

If anyone can explain what's going on here, please do so.

5. The Carson Palmer "Thrust Fund"

The Cardinals' quarterback celebrated his team's clutch win at Seattle last week with a pelvic thrust aimed at the stands. Of course, the league decided that was far too inappropriate for its conduct standards, so Palmer was fined $11,576 under the “Won't somebody think of the children” rule.

(Side note: Denver's T.J. Ward was fined $10K after throwing a punch in Week 10; Pittsburgh's Arthur Moats was fined $8,691 for a brutal face mask that nearly ripped Johnny Manziel's head off. But, yea, don't pelvic thrust.)

Anyway, some Cardinals fans are trying to help Palmer pay his penalty, hence the “Carson Palmer Thrust Fund” GoFundMe page. To date, 226 people have pledged a total of $2,216.

• ​BANKS: Cardinals deliver again under the bright lights

4. Rob Ryan, TV personality

Ryan was fired by the Saints a few days ago, so naturally he turned up as a guest analyst on the NFL Network's pregame show Sunday in place of Kurt Warner, whose jaw is wired shut after breaking it in several places. It went about as expected:

In case you missed it, that was: "Of course, everything in the world is being blamed on me, including [Hurricane] Katrina." Rich Eisen's reaction is all of our reactions.

3. Matt Barkley forgets his pants

OK, so he didn't really forget to get dressed. But before the Bengals-Cardinals game Sunday night, several reporters tweeted out a shot of an underdressed Barkley.

Well Matt Barkley clearly lost a bet. Just had to run to midfield and dance in this get up. pic.twitter.com/oYXEEWyDao

— Tim Ring (@timringTV) November 22, 2015

Speculation for the antics assumed that Barkley, Arizona's backup, had lost a bet involving the outcome of Saturday's USC-Oregon game. (Barkley played for USC.) Former Cardinals kicker Jay Feely cleared up the mystery, tweeting: “Nope, he lost the weekly Az QB challenge. Loser pays up on Sunday.”

• ​​FARRAR: Cam Newton's latest performance silences his critics

2. The Raiders' “incomplete pass”

This is a catch. The officials in Detroit on Sunday did not rule it so, instead waving it off because Michael Crabtree dropped the ball after he was pushed out of bounds. But this is a catch.

Crabtree had two feet down, inbounds with control, before he was shoved down. This should not have fallen under the “going to the ground” provision that requires a receiver to maintain control through the entire process of his reception, because Crabtree was not going to the ground when he gained possession. Attempted catches along the sideline also do not require receivers to establish themselves as a runner, as they must do in the field of play.

The Raiders didn't challenge. They probably should have, but it's also hard to blame Jack Del Rio for not risking a timeout over a rule that no one understands in the first place.

1. James Jones' hoodie

Jones caught six passes for 109 yards in Green Bay's win Sunday, including a touchdown and a spectacular sprawling 37-yarder. I'm a member of the camp that thinks if you play like that, you can wear whatever you want.

The reviews from the Packers-Vikings audience, though was mixed over Jones' odd fashion choice.

FOX officiating expert Mike Pereira confirmed that wearing a hoodie under a jersey is not illegal. He added, however, that—as is the case with a player's hair—Jones could have been pulled down by the hoodie without the defender being tagged for a horse-collar tackle.