Note, these are the NFL's awards. These are not fans voting for GMC Players of the Week of which Robert Geathers is a nomination for. You can vote for that here. Actually, why not do that real quick before continuing on. Voting ends Thursday at 4 p.m. EST. He's our boy. And we hook our boys up!
AFC
Offense: RB Chris Brown, Tennessee Titans
Titans running back CHRIS BROWN rushed for an NFL Kickoff Weekend best with 175 yards (career-high) on 19 carries in a 13-10 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Brown surpassed his previous career-high of 152 yards against the Indianapolis Colts in 2004 (9/19). Brown led a rushing attack that posted 282 yards, the second-highest total in team history against the Jaguars defense. The only higher rushing total was on November 27, 1977 when the Houston Oilers gained 296 yards on the ground against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his fifth year from Colorado, this is Brown’s second career Player of the Week Award (2004, Week 5).
Defense: DE Mario Williams, Houston Texans
MARIO WILLIAMS, the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, scored his first career touchdown on a 38-yard fumble return, helping the Texans to a 20-3 win against Kansas City. Williams notched a career-high 2.0 sacks and finished tied for second on the team with five tackles, adding three QB hurries, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
In his second season from North Carolina State, this is Williams’ first Player of the Week Award.
Special Teams: KR-CB Ellis Hobbs, New England Patriots
Against the N.Y. Jets on Kickoff Weekend, ELLIS HOBBS returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown, helping the Patriots to a 38-14 win against then AFC East rivals. Hobbs 108-yard effort is longest kickoff return in NFL history topping the previous mark set by ROY GREEN of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979 and tied for the longest play in NFL history. NATHAN VASHER and DEVIN HESTER of the Chicago Bears returned field goals 108 yards for touchdowns in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
In his third season from Iowa State, this is Hobbs’ first career Player of the Week Award.
Other nominees for AFC Offensive Player of Week 1 were:
- Denver quarterback JAY CUTLER, who completed 23 of 39 passes (59 percent) for a career-high 304 yards and one touchdown in Denver’s 15-14 win at Buffalo.
- Indianapolis quarterback PEYTON MANNING, who led the defending Super Bowl champions to a 41-10 victory versus New Orleans in Thursday’s kickoff opener, connecting on 18 of 30 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns for a 125.4 passer rating.
- New England wide receiver RANDY MOSS, who hauled in nine receptions for 183 yards, achieving the third-highest single-game receiving yardage total in Patriots history.
- Pittsburgh running back WILLIE PARKER, who rushed for 109 yards on 27 carries (4.0 avg.) as the Steelers gained 206 yards on the ground (4.9 avg.) in their Week 1 victory over Cleveland.
- Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER, who set a career high by throwing four TD passes. Roethlisberger posted a 114.3 passer-rating while completing 12 of 23 passes for 161 yards.
- San Diego running back LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON, who helped the Chargers beat the defending NFC champion Chicago Bears by scoring two touchdowns. Tomlinson rushed for one score and added a TD pass.
- Indianapolis wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE, who posted seven receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Other nominees for AFC Defensive Player of Week were:
- Pittsburgh linebacker JAMES FARRIOR, who registered four tackles (three solo), one sack, two passes defensed and forced a fumble.
- Cincinnati defensive end ROBERT GEATHERS, who recorded eight tackles, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, 1.0 and one interception in a Monday night win against Baltimore
- Pittsburgh linebacker JAMES HARRISON, who led all Steelers with seven solo tackles and recorded one sack in a win against the Browns.
- Cincinnati linebacker LANDON JOHNSON, who led the team with 14 tackles and two fumble recoveries -- one he returned for a 34-yard touchdown against Baltimore.
- Indianapolis defensive end ROBERT MATHIS, who had six tackles, four solo, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four quarterback pressures.
- Pittsburgh cornerback IKE TAYLOR, who posted his first career sack, intercepted a pass and finished second on the team with five solo tackles as the Steelers defeated the Browns.
- New England linebacker MIKE VRABEL, who totaled 2.5 sacks, marking the second highest single-game sack total of his career as the Patriots defeated the Jets.
- Denver linebacker D.J. WILLIAMS, who recorded a team-high 10 tackles (5 solo), including a sack for a 14-yard loss.
Other nominees for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 1 were:
- Buffalo punt returner ROSCOE PARRISH, who scored the Bills’ first touchdown of the game on a 74-yard punt return.
- Pittsburgh rookie punter DANIEL SEPULVEDA, who punted six times and placed four punts inside the 20. Five of his punts were downed by teammates and the other resulted in a fair catch.
- Pittsburgh kicker JEFF REED, who kicked the ball into the end zone four times and to the goal line on another occasion, forcing three touchbacks. Reed converted both of his field goal attempts, from 26 and 31 yards and scored 10 points in the Steelers victory over Cleveland.
- Chargers punter MIKE SCIFRES, who punted six times in the game, averaging 40.7 yards per punt, and the coverage team did not allow the Bears a single return yard.
- Denver kicker JASON ELAM, who accounted for nine of Denver’s 15 points in the win, including the 42-yard game winning field goal against. Buffalo.
NFC
Offense: QB Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Starting on Kickoff Weekend for the first time in his career, Romo electrified the home crowd by passing for a career-high 345 yards with five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) in the Cowboys’ 45-35 win on Sunday night over the division rival New York Giants. Romo completed 62.5 percent of his passes (15 of 24) and posted a passer rating of 128.5. His four touchdown passes were the most thrown by a Dallas quarterback on Kickoff Weekend since 1999, when Pro Football Hall of Famer TROY AIKMAN tossed five TDs. The Cowboys’ 45 points were the club’s most in an opener since 1971 when the team went on to win Super Bowl VI. Romo’s first touchdown came in the second quarter on a 12-yard pass to tight end JASON WITTEN and increased Dallas’ lead to 17-6. In the third quarter, Romo led two touchdown drives. He capped the first one off with a 22-yard scoring strike to wide receiver TERRELL OWENS and ran for a nine-yard TD on the second. Romo and Owens hooked up again in the fourth quarter on a 47-yard touchdown that put Dallas’ lead at 38-22. After two New York scores brought the Giants within three, Romo put the game away with a 51-yard scoring pass to wide receiver SAM HURD.
In his fifth season from Eastern Illinois, this is Romo’s third career Player of the Week Award. Romo won the award two times last season (Weeks 10 and 12).
Defense: DE Dewayne White, Detroit Lions
In his first game as a Lion, White had seven tackles, 1.0 sack, an interception and two forced fumbles as the Lions won in Oakland for the first time in franchise history. The veteran defensive end was a force in the fourth quarter as Detroit scored 16 unanswered points in the final 10:45 to come away with a 36-21 victory. After the Lions took a 26-21 lead in the fourth quarter, White intercepted a pass on the ensuing Raiders drive and returned it 28 yards to set up a field goal to increase Detroit’s lead to eight. On the first play of the next Oakland possession, White sacked the Raiders quarterback and forced a fumble. Another Oakland player recovered the ball and White forced another fumble, which was recovered by teammate KALIMBA EDWARDS. The play helped set up a touchdown that put the game out of reach.
In his fifth year from Louisville, this is White’s first Defensive Player of the Week Award. White was named the Special Teams Player of Week 16 in 2005 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Special Teams: K Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
Crosby, making his NFL debut, was successful on all three field goal attempts, including the game-winner from 42 yards out with two seconds remaining to lead the Packers to a 16-13 win over Philadelphia. The kick was the first game-winner by a rookie on Kickoff Weekend since 1979 (MATT BAHR). A sixth-round pick out of Colorado (No. 193), Crosby began his NFL career with a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter, one-yard shy of the franchise record (54). Crosby is the first player in NFL history to kick a 50-yard field goal and a game-winning field goal with under a minute remaining in his NFL debut.
In his rookie season from Colorado, this is Crosby’s first career Player of the Week Award. Crosby is the first rookie kicker to be named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Kickoff Weekend.
Other nominees for NFC Offensive Player of Week 1 were:
- New York wide receiver PLAXICO BURRESS, who had eight catches for 144 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
- Carolina quarterback JAKE DELHOMME, who completed 18 of 27 passes (66.7 percent) for 201 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.7 passer rating in the Panthers’ 27-13 win at St. Louis.
- Detroit quarterback JON KITNA, who completed 27 of 36 passes (75.0 percent) for 289 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for a 102.7 passer rating.
- New York quarterback ELI MANNING, who completed 28 of 41 passes (68.3 percent) for 312 yards with four touchdowns and one interception for a 113.1 passer rating.
- Detroit wide receiver SHAUN MC DONALD, who caught six passes for 90 yards and one touchdown in his first game with the Lions.
- Minnesota rookie running back ADRIAN PETERSON, who rushed for 103 yards and added a 60-yard touchdown reception in the Vikings’ 24-3 win over Atlanta. Peterson is the first player in league history to rush for 100 yards and record a 60-yard TD catch in his NFL debut.
- Washington wide receiver ANTWAAN RANDLE EL, who had five receptions for a career-high 162 yards in the Redskins’ 16-13 overtime victory over Miami.
Other nominees for NFC Defensive Player of Week 1 were:
- Green Bay linebacker NICK BARNETT, who had a game-high 13 tackles and one interception in the Packers’ 16-13 victory over Philadelphia.
- San Francisco cornerback NATE CLEMENTS, who helped shut down Arizona’s Pro Bowl receivers as the 49ers allowed just 100 passing yards in a 20-17 win on Monday night.
- Detroit defensive end KALIMBA EDWARDS, who had 2.0 sacks, three tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
- San Francisco cornerback WALT HARRIS, who intercepted a pass and helped the 49ers limit the Cardinals to just 100 passing yards.
- Washington linebacker ROCKY MC INTOSH, who recorded 11 tackles, 1.0 sack & forced a fumble.
- Seattle linebacker JULIAN PETERSON, who had seven tackles, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble in the Seahawks’ 20-6 victory over Tampa Bay.
- Minnesota defensive tackle KEVIN WILLIAMS, who returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown and added four tackles in the Vikings’ 24-3 win over Atlanta.
- Minnesota cornerback ANTOINE WINFIELD, who returned an interception 14 yards for a touchdown and added five tackles.
Other nominees for NFC Special Teams Player of Week 1 were:
- Carolina punter JASON BAKER, who had a gross average of 52.7 yards on three punts and a net average of 51.0 yards.
- Detroit kicker JASON HANSON, who scored 12 points, connecting on all three field goal attempts and three PATs.
- Minnesota punter CHRIS KLUWE, who punted five times and tied a team record by placing five punts inside the 20-yard line.
- Detroit defensive tackle SHAUN ROGERS, who blocked a field goal and helped the Lions force Oakland to miss all three field goal attempts.
- Washington kicker SHAUN SUISHAM, who was successful on all three field goal attempts, including the game-winner from 39 yards out in overtime.