BUCCANEERS RB LEONARD FOURNETTE, PACKERS CB RASUL DOUGLAS & FALCONS P THOMAS MORSTEAD NAMED NFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 12
Running back LEONARD FOURNETTE of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, cornerback RASUL DOUGLAS of the Green Bay Packers and punter THOMAS MORSTEAD of the Atlanta Falcons are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 12 (November 25, 28-29).
OFFENSE: RB LEONARD FOURNETTE, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
- Fournette totaled seven receptions, 131 scrimmage yards (100 rushing, 31 receiving) and a career-high four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in a 38-31 win at Indianapolis.
- This is the first Offensive Player of the Week award for Fournette and he becomes the first Tampa Bay running back to earn the honor since Bobby Rainey (Week 11, 2013).
- He joins punter Bradley Pinion (Week 1), safety Mike Edwards (Week 2) and quarterback Tom Brady (Week 5) as the Buccaneers to earn a Player of the Week award this season.
- Fournette is the fourth former LSU player to win Offensive Player of the Week this season, joining quarterback Joe Burrow (Week 4) and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase (Week 7) and Justin Jefferson (Week 11). He joins Joseph Addai (Week 8, 2007 and Week 12, 2006) and Dalton Hilliard (Week 7, 1989 and Week 9, 1987) as the only former Tiger running backs to earn the honor.
DEFENSE: CB RASUL DOUGLAS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
- Douglas recorded five tackles, four passes defensed and a 33-yard interception-return for a touchdown, the first touchdown of his career, in a 36-28 win over the Rams.
- This is Douglas’ first Defensive Player of the Week award and is the first Packer to earn the award since linebacker Za’Darius Smith (Week 4, 2020). He is the first Green Bay cornerback to win since Charles Woodson (Week 4, 2010).
- Douglas is the first former West Virginia cornerback to win Defensive Player of the Week and the first former Mountaineer to win the award since Raiders linebacker Bruce Irvin (Week 15, 2016).
SPECIAL TEAMS: P THOMAS MORSTEAD, ATLANTA FALCONS
- In his Falcons debut, Morstead pinned three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line in a 21-14 victory at Jacksonville. He ended the game with an average of 44.8 yards per punt (35.0 net), with a long of 55 yards.
- This is the sixth career Special Teams Player of the Week award for Morstead and first with the Falcons.
- 2009 (with Saints): Weeks 11, 17
- 2019 (with Saints): Weeks 3, 6
- 2020 (with Saints): Week 1
- 2021 (with Falcons): Week 12
- He joins Matt Bosher (Week 16, 2014) as the only Atlanta punters to earn the award.
- Morstead is the only former Southern Methodist player to win a Player of the Week award.
2021 NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense | Defense | Special Teams | |
Wk 1 | QB Matthew Stafford, L.A. Rams | LB Chandler Jones, Arizona | P Bradley Pinion, Tampa Bay |
Wk 2 | QB Kyler Murray, Arizona | S Mike Edwards, Tampa Bay | P Mitch Wishnowsky, San Francisco |
Wk 3 | QB Matthew Stafford, L.A. Rams | CB Byron Murphy, Arizona | K Mason Crosby, Green Bay |
Wk 4 | QB Daniel Jones, N.Y. Giants | CB Trevon Diggs, Dallas | KR DeAndre Carter, Washington |
Wk 5 | QB Tom Brady, Tampa Bay | CB Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans | LB T.J. Edwards, Philadelphia |
Wk 6 | QB Dak Prescott, Dallas | S Taylor Rapp, L.A. Rams | K Matt Prater, Arizona |
Wk 7 | RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans | LB Deion Jones, Atlanta | K Graham Gano, N.Y. Giants |
Wk 8 | WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco | LB Micah Parsons, Dallas | K Zane Gonzalez, Carolina |
Wk 9
Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 |
QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta
WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota RB Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay |
S Xavier McKinney, N.Y. Giants
CB Darius Slay, Philadelphia LB Chandler Jones, Arizona CB Rasul Douglas, Green Bay |
RB Kene Nwangwu, Minnesota
K Zane Gonzalez, Carolina K Jake Elliott, Philadelphia P Thomas Morstead, Atlanta |