Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has burst upon the NFL scene in his debut season, and his latest showing has garnered him some well-deserved accolades.
Following Chase's huge outing on Sunday and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara's impressive showing on Monday night, they were among the NFL Players of the Week, which were unveiled Wednesday morning.
Chase tallied 201 yards receiving -- a Bengals rookie record -- to send Cincy past the Baltimore Ravens, 41-17, on Sunday and into first place in the AFC North. Chase hauled in eight catches, averaging an eye-popping 25.1 yards per catch and tallying a touchdown to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Chase is the third rookie to nab a Player of the Week accolade this season, but the first on the offensive side of the ball.
Kamara was the engine that drove the Saints to a 13-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night and garnered NFC Offensive Player of the Week in the process. Kamara racked up 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown -- his team's only TD of the game. He added 51 yards rushing.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been one of the key reasons for the Silver and Black's improved pass rush, and his performance Sunday earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Ngakoue had four tackles, two sacks and two passes defensed in a 33-22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite playing during an unrelenting storm, Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez had a masterful game and was recognized as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Sanchez's six punts averaged 45.5 yards with a long of 79 and two coming to rest inside the 20-yard line. He played a pivotal role in the Colts' 30-18 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
NFC Special Teams Player of the Week was had by New York Giants kicker Graham Gano. Gano was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals, tallying makes of 49, 53 and 44 in the Giants' 25-3 throttling of the Carolina Panthers. Gano had a perfect day overall, adding two made point-after attempts.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones was all over the field in his squad's 30-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Jones registered 15 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack en route to being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
