Age is just a number and apparently so were Tom Brady's previous letdowns at Mile High Stadium. Speaking of numbers, one of Brady's teammates turned one into 103 and a Falcons sack artist turned six into 750,000. Here are the NFL Players of the Week:
For the second time this season, Brady is the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. The ageless wonder soared right through the "No Fly Zone," completing 25 of 34 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Brady led the Patriots to a 41-16 win over Denver, helping New England keep pace with the Steelers for the best record in the AFC.
Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye took home AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. His team has affectionately become known as "Sacksonville," but don't sleep on the secondary. Bouye intercepted Philip Rivers in overtime and returned it 51 yards to set up the clinching field goal in the Jaguars' 20-17 win. It was the third INT of the season for one of the stars of the league's top-rated scoring defense.
The AFC Special Teams Player of the Week is Patriots kick returner-running back Dion Lewis. His 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped New England blow past the Broncos in the first half of their Sunday night tilt. Lewis' evening didn't end following his first career touchdown return -- he tacked on an eight-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and led the Patriots with 55 rushing yards.
Say goodbye to Cam Newton's mini-slump. The former league MVP passed for 254 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes. For good measure, Newton also ran for a season-high 95 yards on just five attempts. His performance catapulted the Carolina Panthers to a third consecutive win and earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
This past Sunday was one Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn won't soon forget. It's one Cowboys fans might not either. Clayborn registered a franchise-record six sacks against Dallas, falling just one short of Derrick Thomas' NFL record. His performance spearheaded Atlanta's 27-7 victory over the Cowboys and made him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Oh, and it triggered a $750,000 incentive payout.
Mr. Automatic was once again, well, automatic. Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein connected on all four of his field-goal attempts, making him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. His 50-yarder just before halftime gave Los Angeles a lead it wouldn't surrender in a 33-7 win vs. the Texans. Zuerlein, who leads the NFL in scoring by a 23-point margin, is now 28 of 29 on field goals this season and a perfect 4-4 from 50 yards and beyond.
