Tag: Player of the Week

Notre Dame football: Hayes named ACC defensive lineman of the week

After what was perhaps his best game ever in a Notre Dame uniform, Daelin Hayes was a named the ACC Lineman of the Week on Monday.

After Saturday’s 31-13 win at Georgia Tech, defensive end Daelin Hayes walked away with game ball honors from his head coach Brian Kelly as well as from every member of the Fighting Irish Wire staff.

On Monday it was announced that the graduate student received an even bigger award, this as the ACC’s defensive lineman of the week.

Release:
NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Notre Dame graduate student defensive lineman Daelin Hayes was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the 31-13 win at Georgia Tech last week. The selection marks the first ACC weekly honor for Hayes, and the sixth of the season for the Irish.

Hayes, named the Pro Football Focus Defensive MVP of the Week, totaled 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles at Georgia Tech, both career-high single-game marks for the graduate student. Both forced fumbles came on the sacks. Hayes’ two forced fumbles tie for the most in a single game among all FBS players this season, and he was the only player in the Power 5 to reach the mark over the weekend.

In Atlanta, the Irish D-Line held Georgia Tech to just 88 rushing yards, while entering the game, Georgia Tech had averaged 180.7 rushing yards per game (sixth in the ACC). With the help of Hayes’ 2.0 sacks, the Irish sacked Georgia Tech a total of 5.0 times. Entering the game, Georgia Tech had allowed just 1.67 sacks per game (10 total).

Hayes finished the day totaling 2.0 sacks (-14 yards), two FF, five tackles (four solo) and one QBH.

No. 4 Notre Dame (6-0, 5-0 ACC) returns home to face No. 1 Clemson (7-0, 6-0 ACC) Saturday. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

NOTRE DAME ACC WEEKLY HONORS: 

9/14: Kyren Williams, Running Back of the Week (Duke)

9/21: Robert Hainsey, co-Offensive Lineman of the Week (South Florida)

10/19: Kyren Williams, Rookie of the Week (Louisville)

10/26: Ian Book, Quarterback of the Week; Liam Eichenberg, Offensive Lineman of the Week (Pittsburgh)

11/2: Daelin Hayes, Defensive Lineman of the Week (Georgia Tech)

Colts’ player of the game vs. Bengals: QB Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers had a day.

After a wild win in Week 6 in which the Indianapolis Colts survived a rocky start, they move to 4-2 on the year. This victory would not have been possible without Philip Rivers and his ability to lead consistent drives down the field and put the Colts in a position to win.

Rivers finished the day with 371 yards passing and three touchdowns. The throw of the game was a 55-yard deep ball to Marcus Johnson, who also had a great day.

Rivers was also fantastic in the red zone with two of his touchdown passes coming inside the 20-yard line.

The 38-year-old’s toughness is something that can’t be denied. Rivers has multiple plays today where he moved outside the pocket and extended plays despite taking some shots at the end. He stayed in there though and got the job done.

Rivers will need to play like he did this week going forward as the Colts struggle to develop a consistent run game. After the bye, the Colts will travel to take on the Detriot Lions in Week 8.

Wil Lutz recognized as NFC Special Teams Player of Week 5

New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 5 of the 2020 NFL regular season.

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New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 5, following a perfect performance in his team’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Lutz went 3-for-3 on field goal tries from distances of 48, 53, and 36 yards out. He also converted all three of his extra-point kicks in the 30-27 victory. Not bad for someone who received his first Pro Bowl nod last season.

It’s the seventh time Lutz has received this award in five years in the NFL, most recently for his efforts in 2019’s season-opener against the Houston Texans. His 58-yard field goal in that matchup remains the longest last-second game-winner in NFL Week 1 history.

This is also the second time in the 2020 season for a Saints specialist to win this award; punter Thomas Morstead claimed it in Week 1. This is the second year in a row for both Lutz and Morstead to be recognized here within the first five weeks (Morstead also won recognition in Week 3 last season). The Saints have invested a lot in the kicking game, and it’s still paying dividends.

Other player of the week awards around the NFL:

  • Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (NFC offense)
  • Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (NFC Defense)
  • Steelers rookie receiver Chase Claypool (AFC offense),
  • Ravens rookie linebacker Patrick Queen (AFC defense)
  • Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders (AFC special teams)

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Cowboys defense to face reigning NFC Player of Week in Murray on MNF

Just when you thought it was safe… Kyler Murray is coming to town to torment the Dallas defense.

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has been much maligned over the course of the first five weeks of the 2020 season. A lack of pass rush combined with an inability to stop the run has spelled doom for them on multiple fronts. Certainly, this is not what Mike McCarthy expected (but maybe should have) when he hired Mike Nolan to coordinate the effort.

The scary part, save for a Week 3 matchup with early MVP front runner Russell Wilson, the Cowboys haven’t really had to deal with a quarterback as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm. That issue may be even more personified in this week’s opponent, as they prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals and second-year phenom Kyler Murray on Monday night. Excuse me, that’s reigning NFC offensive player of the week, Kyler Murray.

Even moreso than Wilson, Murray is an absolute dynamo with the rock in his hands on designed runs and plays where the passing game doesn’t reveal downfield options. In fact, the 2019 AP rookie of the year accounted for 411 yards in his team’s Week 5 win, 380 through the air (with a 103.4 passer rating on a 73% completion percentage) and another 31 on the ground.

For the year, Murray has already rushed for 296 yards and five touchdowns, already surpassing his scoring total from 2019. His 7.2 yards per carry leads the NFL through five weeks.

He’s improved his passing as well, bumping his completion percentage to 69.6% for the season. He is turning the ball over a bit more, with six interceptions against his eight touchdown passes, but the pass rush will have to rattle him while also keeping him from escaping for big gains. Good luck.

The addition of DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver, has really opened things up for the Arizona offense and has led them to a 3-2 record through the early portion of the season.

Murray is just outside the top 10 in Pro Football Focus’ QB rankings, coming in tied for 11th. With a matchup against a struggling Dallas defense on tap, he could be in for more highlight plays and more recognition.

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Bills Wire’s Week 5 Player of the Game: RB T.J. Yeldon

As the Bills lost their first game of the 2020 season, there was a challenge in finding a Bills Wire Player of the Week.

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As the Bills lost their first game of the 2020 season, there was a challenge in finding a Bills Wire Player of the Week. No one on the Bills played particularly… well… in a 42-16 loss. 

However, the player that showed the most spark throughout the evening was running back TJ Yeldon. The unlikely choice for a Player of the Week nod led the team in rushing yards, with 52, and caught a 22-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

Buffalo hopes to rebound next Monday against the Kansas City Chiefs and get back on track after this bump in the road after a wishy-washy game.

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Bills Wire’s Week 4 Player of the Game: CB Josh Norman

The Bills moved to 4-0 on the season, and due in part to some significant momentum-changing plays from Josh Norman.

Josh Norman played his first game with his team on Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 30-23. The Bills moved to 4-0 on the season, and due in part to some significant momentum-changing plays from Josh Norman.

The veteran cornerback arrived in Buffalo this offseason, in a low-risk, high-reward move from general manager Brandon Beane. Norman was activated off of the injured reserve list this week after dealing with a hamstring injury, and he proved to be worth the wait. While Buffalo played decent throughout the game, it was a turnover by Josh Norman that helped the Bills maintain their lead and slow the Raiders’ comeback attempt.

Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders were starting to heat up, and on a pass to tight end Darren Waller, Norman made the pivotal tackle, created the fumble with a punch, and recovered it. It leaves much optimism for Norman’s future with the Bills this season, as the turnover seemed to be the spark that the Buffalo defense needed to come alive.

Congrats to Norman on his first win of the illustrious Bills Wire Player of the Week award.

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Xavier Rhodes is Colts’ player of the game vs. Jets in Week 3

Rhodes were closed in Week 3.

The Indianapolis Colts (2-1) pulled off a dominant performance against the New York Jets (0-3) in which the defense shined all afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The 36-7 win would not have been possible without an amazing performance from cornerback Xavier Rhodes and the rest of the Colts secondary.

Rhodes finished the day with not one, but two interceptions. His biggest play was in the first quarter when he picked off Sam Darnold and took it to the house for a 44 yard score.

He was all over the field on Sunday and matched up well with tight ends that were split out wide due to the Jets’ injuries at receiver. With Rock Ya-Sin inactive due to an illness, Rhodes and fellow corner T.J Carrie have picked up the slack in a big way. Carrie also had a pick-six in the fourth quarter.

The Colts travel to Chicago next week to face a 3-0 Bears team that is struggling at the quarterback position. If the defense can put up 16 points on their own like they did against the Jets, the Colts can go toe to toe with anyone in the league.

Longhorns in the NFL: Former Texas punter named NFC Player of the Week

Seahawks punter Michael Dickson was awarded NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Patriots.

It’s been a great week for Texas ex’s in the NFL. Continue reading “Longhorns in the NFL: Former Texas punter named NFC Player of the Week”

Bills Wire’s Week 2 Player of the Game: WR Stefon Diggs

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is Bills Wire’s Player of the Game for Week 2 vs. the Miami Dolphins.

It was a tough choice because of how many players contributed, with two of the Buffalo Bills’ finest having career days, but we’re sure that quarterback quarterback Josh Allen wouldn’t mind letting wide receiver Stefon Diggs have this one.

Both Diggs and Allen put up monster stats in their 31-28 victory, but no one played a bigger part in Allen’s 417 yard passing day than Stefon Diggs, who hauled in eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Also a plus, Diggs became the first Bills receiver in nine years to have two consecutive games with eight-plus receptions. Stevie Johnson was the last to do so.

Diggs gets the nod over Allen this week, due to Diggs extending drives with big chunk gains, helping Allen and the Bills offense stay on the field, and keeping the ailing and banged up defense on the sidelines to rest.

Plus, Allen got our Week 1 nod. Spreading the love around after back-to-back offense explosions by the Bills.

Buffalo will look for a three-peat there against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 at Bills Stadium next week.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Vikings: RB Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor is the player of the game in Week 2.

The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) picked up a much-needed win on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (0-2). The 28-11 victory wouldn’t have been possible without rookie running back Jonathan Taylor, who had a stellar first start of his career.

Taylor finished the day with 101 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. He also became the first Colts rookie to rush for over 100 yards since 2012 when Vic Ballard did it against the Texans in Week 14.

Colts vs. Vikings game recap: Everything we know from Week 2

The Colts showed today the type of offense they want to be—a ground and pound rushing attack that can chew the clock all the way down the field. Taylor can handle a lot of carries and will be the perfect back to lead this team in the coming weeks.

An honorable mention for player of the game is also rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, who nailed all four field goals with a long of 44 yards.

The Colts looked a lot better than they did last Sunday, but still have a long way to go especially inside the red zone. Taylor, Blankenship, and the rest of the Colts host the Jets next week as they try to ride this success into Week 3.