NFL AFC Players of the Week – Week 17

BENGALS WR JA’MARR CHASE, STEELERS LB T.J. WATT & RAIDERS K DANIEL CARLSON NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 17

Wide receiver JA’MARR CHASE of the Cincinnati Bengals, linebacker T.J. WATT of the Pittsburgh Steelers and kicker DANIEL CARLSON of the Las Vegas Raiders are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 17 (January 2-3).

OFFENSE: WR JA’MARR CHASE, CINCINNATI BENGALS

• Chase had 11 receptions for an NFL rookie-record 266 yards and three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 34-31 win over Kansas City. In addition to setting a rookie record, Chase’s 266 receiving yards are the most by any player this season. He is the first rookie ever and the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to record multiple games with at least 200 receiving yards in a single season.
• Chase has 1,429 receiving yards this season, the most by a rookie in NFL history.
• This is Chase’s second career Offensive Player of the Week award (Week 7) and he is the first Bengals wide receiver to ever win the award twice in one season. He joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998) as the only rookie wide receivers to earn the honor twice.
• With quarterback Joe Burrow winning in Week 16, Chase and Burrow are the first pair of teammates to win Offensive Player of the Week in consecutive weeks since Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen (Week 15, 2020) and wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Week 16, 2020)

DEFENSE: LB T.J. WATT, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

• Watt recorded five tackles, a career-high four sacks, three tackles for loss and two passes defended in Pittsburgh’s 26-14 win over Cleveland. Watt has three games with at least three sacks this season, the most in the league.
• This is the sixth Defensive Player of the Week award for Watt and third this season:
  • 2018: Weeks 1, 5
  • 2020: Week 2
  • 2021: Weeks 6, 13, 17

• Watt’s three Defensive Player of the Week awards are the most in NFL this season. He becomes the first Steeler to ever win three Player of the Week awards in one season.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K DANIEL CARLSON, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

• Carlson converted all three field goal attempts – from 47, 44 and 33 yards – as well as making both point after attempts. His 33-yard kick was a game-winner with no time remaining, securing a 23-20 win.

• This is the fifth Special Teams Player of the Week award for Carlson and third this season:
  • 2018: Week 11
  • 2020: Week 1
  • 2021: Week 2, 12, 17
• Carlson’s five Player of the Week awards are the second-most by a Raiders kicker, trailing only Sebastian Janikowski (seven). He joins Janikowski (2011) as the only Raider kickers to earn the honor three times in one season.

2021 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK