NEW YORK – Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney and New York Giants safety/linebacker Isaiah Simmons are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 5 (October 3, 6-7).
OFFENSE: QB KIRK COUSINS, ATLANTA FALCONS
- Cousins completed 42 of 58 attempts (72.4 percent) for 509 yards and four touchdowns with a 114.8 rating in the Falcons’ 36-30 overtime win on Thursday Night Football against the Buccaneers. Cousins had a Falcons single-game franchise-record with his 509 passing yards, the 24th game in NFL history of 500-or-more passing yards.
- This is the eighth-career Player of the Week award for Cousins and first with Atlanta:
- 2015: Weeks 7, 10 (Washington)
- 2016: Week 11 (Washington)
- 2017: Week 3 (Washington)
- 2020: Weeks 12, 17 (Minnesota)
- 2022: Week 15 (Minnesota)
- 2024: Week 5 (Atlanta)
- Cousins’ eight Player of the Week awards are the second-most by a former Michigan State player, trailing only kicker Morten Andersen (nine-time winner).
DEFENSE: S XAVIER MCKINNEY, GREEN BAY PACKERS
- McKinney recorded three tackles, two passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery in Green Bay’s 24-19 victory on the road against the Rams. McKinney is the fourth player since 1970 with a takeaway in each of his team’s first five games of a season.
- This is McKinney’s second-career Player of the Week Award and first with the Packers, also earning the honor in Week 9 of the 2021 season with the Giants. He is the first Green Bay defensive back to win the award since Rasul Douglas (Week 12, 2021).
- McKinney and former college teammate Pat Surtain II (who earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week this week) become the third and fourth former University of Alabama defensive backs to win multiple Player of the Week Awards, joining Landon Collins (four-time winner), Roman Harber (three) and Eddie Jackson (two).
SPECIAL TEAMS: S/LB ISAIAH SIMMONS, NEW YORK GIANTS
- Simmons blocked a game-tying field goal attempt with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter during the Giants’ 29-20 victory in Seattle. He was the only player in the NFL to block a field goal and record a special teams tackle in Week 5.
- This is the first-career Special Teams Player of the Week Award for Simmons, becoming the fourth Giants non-kicker/punter to earn the honor in the past 10 seasons.
- Simmons becomes the sixth former non-kicker/punter from Clemson to win Special Teams Player of the Week.
