BENGALS WR JA’MARR CHASE, RAIDERS DE YANNICK NGAKOUE &
COLTS P RIGOBERTO SANCHEZ NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 7
Wide receiver JA’MARR CHASE of the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive end YANNICK NGAKOUE of the Las Vegas Raiders and punter RIGOBERTO SANCHEZ of the Indianapolis Colts are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 7 (October 21, 24-25).
OFFENSE: WR JA’MARR CHASE, CINCINNATI BENGALS
Chase recorded eight catches for 201 yards and a touchdown in Cincinnati’s victory over Baltimore and at 21 years and 237 days old, became the second-youngest player in NFL history to record at least 200 receiving yards in a single game.
The fifth overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase ranks second in the NFL with 754 receiving yards this season, the most-ever by a player through his first seven career games.
He becomes the first rookie to win Offensive Player of the Week this season. Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool (Week 5) and Rams running back Cam Akers (Week 14) were the only rookies to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors last season.
Chase is the first-ever Bengals rookie wide receiver to win Offensive Player of the Week. He is the first Cincinnati rookie (any position) to earn the honor since running back Jeremy Hill (Week 15, 2014).
With kicker Evan McPherson earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 1, it marks the first time in franchise history that the Bengals have had two rookies win a Player of the Week award in the same season.
DEFENSE: DE YANNICK NGAKOUE, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Ngakoue registered four tackles, two passes defensed and two third-down sacks in Las Vegas’ Week 7 victory over Philadelphia.
This is the first-career Defensive Player of the Week award for Ngakoue. He becomes the first former University of Maryland player to earn the honor since linebacker D’Qwell Jackson (Week 13, 2014).
With defensive end Maxx Crosby earning the honor in Week 1, the Raiders join the Bills and Cardinals as the only teams this season to have multiple players earn Defensive Player of the Week honors.
SPECIAL TEAMS: P RIGOBERTO SANCHEZ, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Sanchez punted six times in Indianapolis’ Sunday Night Football victory in San Francisco, with an average of 45.5 yards (38.7 net) and a long of 79 yards, the second-longest punt this season. Two punts landed inside the 20.
This is the second-career Special Teams Player of the Week award for Sanchez, with the other coming in Week 4 of this season. He becomes the first player this season to win multiple Special Teams Player of the Week awards.
He becomes the first Colts punter to earn the honor twice in one season and joins Pat McAfee (two) as the only Indianapolis punters to win Special Teams Player of the Week multiple times.
2021 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
Defense
Special Teams
Wk 1
QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City
DE Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas
K Evan McPherson, Cincinnati
Wk 2
RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee
LB Odafe Oweh, Baltimore
K Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas
Wk 3
QB Josh Allen, Buffalo
DE Myles Garrett, Cleveland
K Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Wk 4
QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati
LB Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo
P Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis
Wk 5
QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
DE Greg Rousseau, Buffalo
K Nick Folk, New England
Wk 6
RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee
LB T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh
K Matthew Wright, Jacksonville
Wk 7
WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
DE Yannick Ngakoue, Las Vegas
P Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis
