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BRONCOS RB RONNIE HILLMAN, TEXANS DE J.J. WATT & CHIEFS LB D.J. ALEXANDER NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 17
Running back RONNIE HILLMAN of the Denver Broncos, defensive end J.J. WATT of the Houston Texans and rookie linebacker D.J. ALEXANDER of the Kansas City Chiefs are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the 17th week of the 2015 season (January 3), the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: RB RONNIE HILLMAN, DENVER BRONCOS Hillman rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 15 carries (7.8 average) and one touchdown in the Broncos’ 27-20 win against San Diego. With the game tied 20-20 in the fourth quarter, Hillman capped the scoring with a 23-yard game-winning touchdown run with 4:44 remaining to help the Broncos clinch their fifth consecutive AFC West title and home- field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Hillman, who also had two catches for 10 yards, led a Broncos’ rushing attack that produced a season-high 210 yards on the ground. His 117 rushing yards ranked first among AFC players in Week 17, and his 7.8 rushing average was tops in the league. In his fourth season from San Diego State, this is Hillman’s first career Player of the Week Award and second by a Broncos running back this season (C.J. ANDERSON, Week 12). This year marks the first in Broncos history in which two different running backs won Offensive Player of the Week Awards in the same season.
DEFENSE: DE J.J. WATT, HOUSTON TEXANS Watt had eight tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed in the Texans’ 30-6 win against Jacksonville. He posted three of the Texans’ eight sacks, the most of any NFL team in Week 17, and helped Houston limit Jacksonville to six points while clinching the division title and No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. Watt led the NFL with 17.5 sacks this season and is the seventh player to lead the league twice since the statistic became official in 1982. He also led the NFL with 20.5 sacks in 2012. He joined Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE as the only players with at least 15 sacks in three of his first five NFL seasons. In his fifth season from Wisconsin, this is Watt’s sixth career Player of the Week Award and second of the season (Week 11). Watt’s six Player of the Week Awards are the most in franchise history and trail only Pro Football Hall of Famers CHRIS DOLEMAN (nine) and BRUCE SMITH (nine) and JASON TAYLOR (seven) for the most ever among defensive linemen.
SPECIAL TEAMS: LB D.J. ALEXANDER, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Alexander blocked a punt in the end zone that resulted in a safety in the Chiefs’ 23-17 win against Oakland. His punt block came with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter and gave Kansas City a 16-10 lead. The play marked the first blocked punt by a Chief since October 14, 2012 (SHAUN DRAUGHN vs. Tampa Bay) and first Kansas City safety since September 23, 2012 (JUSTIN HOUSTON vs. New Orleans). The Chiefs scored on their ensuing possession when quarterback ALEX SMITH connected with tight end DEMETRIUS HARRIS for a 15-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the winning margin. In his first season from Oregon State, this is Alexander’s first career Player of the Week Award. Alexander is the third rookie linebacker in franchise history to win a Player of the Week Award, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DERRICK THOMAS (Defense, Week 2, 1989) and TRACY SIMIEN (Defense, Week 14, 1991).
2015 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense Defense Special Teams Wk 1 QB Marcus Mariota, Tennessee CB Aqib Talib, Denver PR-WR Jarvis Landry, Miami Wk 2 QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh CB Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets PR-WR Travis Benajamin, Cleveland Wk 3 WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati LB Preston Brown, Buffalo P Pat McAfee, Indianapolis Wk 4 QB Philip Rivers, San Diego S T.J. Ward, Denver K Justin Tucker, Baltimore Wk 5 QB Josh McCown, Cleveland S Mike Adams, Indianapolis K Mike Nugent, Cincinnati Wk 6 WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston DE Cameron Wake, Miami K Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Wk 7 QB Ryan Tannehill, Miami LB Telvin Smith, Jacksonville K Stephen Gostkowski, New England Wk 8 QB Tom Brady, New England DE Derek Wolfe, Denver K Justin Tucker, Baltimore Wk 9 QB Marcus Mariota, Tennessee CB Darius Butler, Indianapolis P Ryan Quigley, N.Y. Jets Wk 10 QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh S Baccari Rambo, Buffalo K Stephen Gostkowski, New England Wk 11 QB Brock Osweiler, Denver DE J.J. Watt, Houston P Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City Wk 12 RB C.J. Anderson, Denver CB Leon Hall, Cincinnati S Will Hill, Baltimore Wk 13 WR Brandon Marshall, N.Y. Jets S Tyvon Branch, Kansas City PR-WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Wk 14 QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, N.Y. Jets DE Khalil Mack, Oakland PR-WR Rashad Green, Jacksonville Wk 15 WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh CB Marcus Peters, Kansas City DE Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati Wk 16 QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, N.Y. Jets LB Robert Mathis, Indianapolis P Marquette King, Oakland Wk 17 RB Ronnie Hillman, Denver DE J.J. Watt, Houston LB D.J. Alexander, Kansas City
Other nominees for AFC Offensive Player of Week 17 as submitted by AFC clubs: Pittsburgh wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN, who had 13 catches for 187 yards and one touchdown in the Steelers’ 28-12 win at Cleveland. Miami quarterback RYAN TANNEHILL, who completed 25 of 38 passes (65.8 percent) for 350 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 112.8 passer rating in the Dolphins’ 20-10 win against New England.
Other nominees for AFC Defensive Player of Week 17 as submitted by AFC clubs: Cincinnati linebacker VONTAZE BURFICT, who posted a team-high 12 tackles, including one for a loss, an interception and two passes defensed in the Bengals’ 24-16 win against Baltimore. Indianapolis linebacker JERRELL FREEMAN, who had eight tackles, two sacks and one interception in the Colts’ 30-24 win against Tennessee. Houston linebacker WHITNEY MERCILUS, who had five tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Other nominee for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 17 as submitted by AFC clubs: Indianapolis kicker ADAM VINATIERI, who had converted all three field-goal attempts and three PATs.