Cornerback Deshea Townsend of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Week for games played on Dec. 4-8.
Townsend was selected from among five finalists by voters on NFL.com/gmc. The other finalists were linebacker Gerald Hayes of the Arizona Cardinals, safety Danieal Manning of the Chicago Bears, linebacker Shaun Phillips of the San Diego Chargers and safety Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens.
After the regular season, five players will be nominated for GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Year honors. Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com/gmc throughout the month of January.
Gerald Hayes, LB,
Arizona Cardinals
Hayes forced fumbles on consecutive drives in the third quarter, including one that was returned by Darnell Dockett for a touchdown. He also recorded 11 tackles and half a sack in the Cardinals' 34-10 win over the Rams.
On the Jaguars' opening drive, Manning picked off David Garrard and returned the ball 42 yards to set up a field goal. Manning also recorded three tackles as Chicago defeated Jacksonville 23-10.
In the Ravens' 24-10 victory over the Washington Redskins, Reed forced a fumble and returned the ball 22 yards for a touchdown. He also had two interceptions, including one to help seal the win.
Deshea Townsend, CB,
Pittsburgh Steelers
Townsend made three tackles and returned an interception 26 yards for the winning touchdown with 1:40 left in the game as the Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 20-13.
