Week 3 AFC and NFC Players of the Week

AFC Players of the Week

Quarterback ANDREW LUCK of the Indianapolis Colts, defensive end COREY LIUGET of the San Diego Chargers and kicker JUSTIN TUCKER of the Baltimore Ravens are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 3 (September 18, 21-22), the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: QB ANDREW LUCK, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

• Luck completed 31 of 39 passes (79.5 percent) for 370 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 140.4 passer rating in the Colts’ 44-17 win against Jacksonville.
• His four touchdown passes tied a career-high and were the most among NFL players in Week 3.
• Luck and Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITAS (November 12, 1967) are the only players in franchise history to complete at least 75 percent of his passes for 350 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a game.
• Luck’s 370 passing yards are tied for the third-most of his career.
• Luck now has 768 career completions and surpassed JIM HARBAUGH (746) for the sixth-most career completions in Colts history.

• In his third season from Stanford, this is Luck’s third career Player of the Week Award. He previously won the award in 2012 (Week 9) and 2013 (Week 7).
• Luck is the first Colt to win Player of the Week honors this season.

DEFENSE: DE COREY LIUGET, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

• Liuget had six tackles, one sack and a forced fumble in San Diego’s 22-10 win at Buffalo.
• In the fourth quarter, Buffalo lined up for a third-down play facing a 10-point deficit. Liuget sacked Bills quarterback E.J. MANUEL, forcing a fumble that resulted in a 17-yard loss.
• In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Liuget pressured Manuel deep in Buffalo territory, which led to an intentional grounding in the end zone resulting in a safety.
• Liuget is now tied for the team lead with two sacks (DWIGHT FREENEY).

• In his fourth season from Illinois, this is Liuget’s first career Defensive Player of the Week Award.
• Liuget is the first Charger to be named AFC Defensive Player of the Week since linebacker DONALD BUTLER (Week 4, 2012).

SPECIAL TEAMS: K JUSTIN TUCKER, BALTIMORE RAVENS

• Tucker connected on all three field goals (38, 21, 32) and both extra points in the Ravens’ 23-21 win at Cleveland.
• As time expired in the fourth quarter, Tucker converted a game-winning 32-yard field goal to lift the Ravens over the Browns.
• His three field goals were the second-most in the AFC in Week 3.
• Tucker registered 11 of Baltimore’s 23 points.
• He recorded his seventh-career game-winning field goal.
• In his third season from Texas, this is Tucker’s fourth Special Teams Player of the Week award. He also won the award three times last season (Week 10, Week 12 and Week 15).

2014 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

 NFC Players of the Week

Quarterback MATT RYAN of the Atlanta Falcons, safety KAM CHANCELLOR of the Seattle Seahawks and punt returner-kick returner-wide receiver DEVIN HESTER of the Falcons are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the third week of the 2014 season (September 18, 21-22), the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: QB MATT RYAN, ATLANTA FALCONS

• Ryan completed 21 of 24 passes (87.5 percent) for 286 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 155.9 passer rating in the Falcons’ 56-14 win over Tampa Bay.
• He set franchise single-game records for highest completion percentage (87.5) and passer rating (155.9).
• Ryan, who compiled his statistics in less than three full quarters of play, helped lead the Falcons to a 56-0 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. In the past 90 years, only one team (2009 New England, 59-0) held a larger lead after three quarters.
• Ryan threw two touchdown passes to JULIO JONES (eight and 40 yards) and connected with HARRY DOUGLAS (three) on another. Ryan has passed for at least three touchdowns in a game 21 times and the Falcons are 20-1 (.952) in those contests.
• He has posted a 100+ passer rating in a game 38 times and the Falcons are 36-2 (.947) in those contests.
• In his seventh season from Boston College, this is Ryan’s sixth career Player of the Week Award and second this year (Week 1).
• Ryan’s six Offensive Player of the Week Awards are the most in franchise history.

DEFENSE: S KAM CHANCELLOR, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

• Chancellor had an interception, one forced fumble, two passes defensed and nine tackles in the Seahawks’ 26-20 overtime win over Denver.
• Both of the turnovers that Chancellor caused led to Seahawks points. He forced a fumble on Denver’s first play from scrimmage that was recovered by K.J. WRIGHT at the Broncos’ 23-yard line. That led to a Seattle field goal. Late in the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks up 17-12 and Denver driving into Seattle territory, Chancellor intercepted a PEYTON MANNINGpass and returned it 52 yards to set up another Seahawks field goal.
• Chancellor is the only Seahawks safety with a forced fumble and a 50+ yard interception return in the same game since 1993, the first year forced fumbles were tracked.
• In Denver’s past 28 games (including the playoffs), the Broncos have been held to 20 points or fewer just three times – twice by the Seahawks.
• In his fifth year from Virginia Tech, this is Chancellor’s first career Player of the Week Award.
• Chancellor is the first Seahawks safety to be honored since 2004 (MICHAEL BOULWARE, Week 11).
• This marks the third consecutive season a Seattle defensive back has been honored. Cornerback RICHARD SHERMAN was named Defensive Player of the Week in 2012 (Week 10) and 2013 (Weeks 2 and 15).

SPECIAL TEAMS: PR-KR-WR DEVIN HESTER, ATLANTA FALCONS

• Hester set an NFL record and passed Pro Football Hall of Famer DEION SANDERS (19) with his 20th career return touchdown when he returned a punt 62 yards for a score in the Falcons’ win.
• Hester added a 20-yard touchdown run, a 25-yard catch and finished with 68 punt-return yards and 29 kickoff-return yards. In the past 50 years, Hester is one of three players (Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS and FREDDIE SOLOMON) with a punt-return TD, a 20+ yard rushing TD and a 25+ yard catch in the same game.
• Hester has 14 career punt-return touchdowns, the most in NFL history.
• He is only the second player in NFL history to have a rushing, receiving, kick-return, punt-return and missed field goal return touchdown in his career (TIMMY BROWN, 1959-68).

• In his ninth season from Miami, this is Hester’s 14th career Player of the Week Award.
• Hester’s 14 career Special Teams Player of the Week Awards are the most ever by a return specialist and the second-most ever among all players (ADAM VINATIERI, 15).