Here are week three's nominations for players of the week.
GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Week
- Atlanta’s JOHN ABRAHAM notched two sacks in the Falcons’ 38-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs bringing his season total to six. Abraham finished with three tackles and one forced fumble.
- Philadelphia’s JUQUA PARKER had 2.5 sacks, five tackles (two of them for loss), a forced fumble, a pass batted down and four quarterback hits in the Eagles’ 15 - 6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Miami’s JOEY PORTER recorded three sacks, a forced fumble, and six tackles (three for a loss) in the Dolphins’ 38 – 13 win over the New England Patriots.
- Denver’s D.J. WILLIAMS posted a game-high 16 tackles in the Broncos’ 34 - 32 win against the New Orleans Saints. After Williams tackled Saints RB Pierre Thomas for a loss of one yard on a third-and-1 from the Denver 24 with 2:19 left to play, New Orleans missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, sealing Denver’s win.
- Minnesota’s ANTOINE WINFIELD energized a Minnesota defense in the Vikings’ 20 – 10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Just before halftime, Winfield blitzed Panthers QB Jake Delhomme, notched his first sack of the season, forced a fumble, recovered the ball and ran it back 19 yards for a touchdown that tied the game.
Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week
- Baltimore’s JOE FLACCO completed 13 of 19 passes for 129 yards in Baltimore’s 28-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Flacco led an offense that gained a total 273 yards and maintained control of the ball for nearly 38 minutes.
- Dallas’ FELIX JONES rushed for 76 yards over six carries including one 60-yard touchdown in Dallas’ 27 - 16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
- Miami’s PHILLIP MERLING made three tackles, had his first NFL sack for a loss of four yards and recovered a fumble in the Dolphins’ 38 – 13 win over the New England Patriots.
- Atlanta’s MATT RYAN completed 12 of 18 passes for 192 yards in his third career start with the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan completed a 70-yard pass for a touchdown in the Falcons’ 38-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Houston’s STEVE SLATON gained 104 yards on nine carries, including a 50-yard carry as well as second-quarter touchdown, to lead the rushing offense in the first half of the Texans’ 31 – 12 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Slaton contributed 116 total rushing yards and the sole Texans touchdown in the game.
FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week
- Washington’s JASON CAMPBELL completed 22 of 30 passes for 193 yards, made several clutch third-down throws and threw two touchdowns in Washington’s 24-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
- Tampa Bay’s BRIAN GRIESE completed 38 of 67 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s 27 - 24 victory over the Chicago Bears. Behind Griese’s arm, Tampa Bay completed 22 of its 28 first downs through the air. Griese also led the Bucs in a 79-yard fourth-quarter scoring drive to tie the game and bring it into overtime.
- San Diego’s PHILIP RIVERS completed 19 of 25 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns in the Chargers' 48 - 29 win over the New York Jets. Rivers constantly put the Chargers in good field position allowing them to score at least one touchdown every quarter in their first win of the season.
FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week
- Miami’s RONNIE BROWN scored four rushing touchdowns including a 62-yard fourth quarter run in the Dolphins’ 38 – 13 win over the New England Patriots. Brown totaled 113 yards on 17 carries and also completed a 19-yard touchdown pass.
- Jacksonville’s FRED TAYLOR finished with a season-high 121 yards on 26 carries in the Jaguars’ 23-21 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Jones broke at least four tackles on a 34-yard run in the third quarter to set up a Jaguars touchdown. Taylor contributed to Jacksonville’s total 236 rushing yards over the 41:35 their offense controlled the ball.
- Atlanta’s MICHAEL TURNER rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns over 23 carries in Atlanta's 38-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Turner posted a touchdown in each of the first three quarters helping to consistently drive up the score and put the game out of the Chiefs’ reach.