AFC Players of the Week – Week 10

CHIEFS QB PATRICK MAHOMES, DOLPHINS CB XAVIEN HOWARD &

COLTS LB E.J. SPEED NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 10

Quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES of the Kansas City Chiefs, cornerback XAVIEN HOWARD of the Miami Dolphins and linebacker E.J. SPEED of the Indianapolis Colts are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 10 (November 11, 14-15).

OFFENSE: QB PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

  • Mahomes completed 35 of 50 pass attempts (70.0 percent) for 406 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions for a 127.6 rating in the Chiefs’ 41-14 victory over the Raiders. He led all quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns in Week 10.
  • Mahomes became the first player in NFL history with three career games with at least 400 passing yards and five touchdown passes in his first five seasons.
  • This is the seventh Offensive Player of the Week award for Mahomes and second this season:
    • 2018: Weeks 1, 2
    • 2019: Week 2
    • 2020: Weeks 3, 8
    • 2021: Weeks 1, 10
       
  • Mahomes joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas (eight) and Dante Hall (seven) as players with at least seven Player of the Week awards in Chiefs history.

DEFENSE: CB XAVIEN HOWARD, MIAMI DOLPHINS

  • Howard recorded five tackles, a forced fumble and a 49-yard fumble-recovery for a touchdown in Miami’s 22-10 win over Baltimore. Howard was the only AFC defensive player with a touchdown in Week 10.
  • This is the third Defensive Player of the Week award for Howard and first this season:
    • 2017: Week 14
    • 2018: Week 13
    • 2021: Week 10
  • Howard is the first Dolphin to earn the honor since Kyle Van Noy (Week 12, 2020) and joins Sam Madison (three) as the only Miami defensive backs with three Player of the Week awards.

SPECIAL TEAMS: LB E.J. SPEED, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

  • Speed returned a blocked punt for a 12-yard touchdown and recorded one special teams tackle in Indianapolis’ 23-17 win over Jacksonville. It marked the first touchdown of Speed’s career.
  • This is the second Special Teams Player of the Week award for Speed (Week 10, 2020). He is the only Tarleton State player to ever earn the honor.
  • Speed is the second Colts player to earn Special Teams Player of the Week this season, joining punter Rigoberto Sanchez (Weeks 4 and 7).

2021 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OffenseDefenseSpecial Teams
Wk 1QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas CityDE Maxx Crosby, Las VegasK Evan McPherson, Cincinnati
Wk 2RB Derrick Henry, TennesseeLB Odafe Oweh, BaltimoreK Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas
Wk 3QB Josh Allen, BuffaloDE Myles Garrett, ClevelandK Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Wk 4QB Joe Burrow, CincinnatiLB Tremaine Edmunds, BuffaloP Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis
Wk 5QB Lamar Jackson, BaltimoreDE Greg Rousseau, BuffaloK Nick Folk, New England
Wk 6RB Derrick Henry, TennesseeLB T.J. Watt, PittsburghK Matthew Wright, Jacksonville
Wk 7WR Ja’Marr Chase, CincinnatiDE Yannick Ngakoue, Las VegasP Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis
Wk 8QB Mike White, N.Y. JetsDB Adrian Phillips, New EnglandK Randy Bullock, Tennessee
Wk 9Wk 10QB Justin Herbert, L.A. ChargersQB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas CityDE/LB Josh Allen, JacksonvilleCB Xavien Howard, MiamiP Tommy Townsend, Kansas CityLB E.J. Speed, Indianapolis