Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones is making a case this season to be the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He helps his case with his second Defensive Player of the Week honors.
The team announced he earned the honors for his play in Week 16.
Against the Seattle Seahawks in a 27-13 win, he had six tackles (two for loss), four sacks, two forced fumbles and six quarterback hits.
The four sacks and two QB hits were a career-high. It was the second time this season he had four sacks in a game. He became only the third player in NFL history to have two four-sack games in a season. Karl Mecklenburg did it in 1985 and Reggie White did it in 1986.
He was also Defensive Player of the Week after Week 7 when he had his first four-sack game. It is the fourth time a Cardinals player has been named a player of the week. Kyler Murray earned offensive honors after Week 6. Patrick Peterson earned defensive honors last week after his play against the Cleveland Browns.
Jones is only the second Cardinals player ever to earn two defensive player of the week honors in the same season. Antrel Rolle did it in 2007.
Jones has a career-high and franchise-record 19 sacks this year, breaking the previous record he set in 2017 of 17. With eight forced fumbles, he is only the second player in NFL history to have at least 19 sacks and eight forced fumbles in a season. Robert Mathis had 19.5 and 10 in 2013.
Jones has won the weekly award four times in his career and three with the Cardinals.
He could tie the NFL season sack record of 22.5 with 3.5 sacks in the team’s season finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Ep. 253:
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Ep. 252:
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