As if Tom Brady needs anymore awards. The New England Patriots quarterback is in the running for the MVP this season and added another award to his collection on Wednesday, as he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
It is the 23rd time in Brady's career that he won the award and the third this season. Brady passed for 296 yards and four touchdowns on Monday night in the 42-14 win against the Houston Texans, improving the Patriots to 10-3 on the season.
Brady improved his career record to 13-4 on Monday Night Football and is the leader of the fifth-ranked offense in the NFL. According to ESPN.com, Brady has thrown for at least one touchdown pass in 45 straight games, the third best streak in the history of the league.
This season Brady has thrown for 3,833 yards and 29 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 64 percent of his passes. He has only thrown one interception in the past seven games and has passed for at least one touchdown in every game this year.
The Patriots have won seven straight and are battling with the Texans and the Denver Broncos for home field advantage in the playoffs. Brady also won the player of the week award in Week 4 in the team's victory over the Buffalo Bills and in Week 8 for his performance against the St. Louis Rams in London.
In the NFC, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was named Offensive Player of the Week after his performance in the team's 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears.
Peterson rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 31 attempts and has a chance to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards. While it is a longshot, Peterson should at least be able to break the 2,000-yard barrier if he keeps up his pace of the season.
The sixth-year running back has scored three touchdowns in the past two games and rushed for at least 100-yards in seven straight games. He rushed for 210 yards and one touchdown two weeks ago in a loss against the Green Bay Packers and is averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
The Vikings have the third-ranked rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 156 yards per game and Peterson is one of the favorites for the MVP award. Minnesota is battling for a playoff position and is still alive in the NFC with a 6-7 record. The team has won just one of the past three games after starting the year 4-1.
New York Giants running back David Wilson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his record-setting performance in the team's 52-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Wilson gained a team-record 327 all-purpose yards in the game, including a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter. He also rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Wilson became the first player in NFL history to rush for 100 yards and have 200 return yards in the same game.
According to ESPN.com, Wilson is the first Giants kick returner to win the award since Dave Meggett did it Week 1 in 1994. Wilson returned the first kick off for a touchdown since Domenik Hixon did it in the Week 17 loss to the Patriots in 2007. The Giants won the Super Bowl later that season against the 18-0 Patriots team.
Wilson provided a much-needed spark for the Giants, who were clinging to a one-game lead in the NFC East entering Sunday's contest against the Saints. New York still has tough matchups against the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens on the road and a home finale with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants have won weekly awards in every category this season, including Hakeem Nicks in Week 2 (Offensive Player of the Week), kicker Lawrence Tynes in Week 3 (Special Teams Player of the Week) as well as safety Antrel Rolle in Week 6 and safety Stevie Brown in Week 8, who both won Defensive Player of the Week.
Carolina Panthers rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his exceptional performance in the team's 30-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons at home on Sunday.
Kuechly, who was the leading tackler in college football last season, recorded a season-high 16 tackles against the Falcons and has made 130 this season. He also has one interception, one sack and four passes defenses.
According to ESPN.com, Kuechly has had three different games with at least 15 tackles, which leads the NFL. No one else in the league has more than one game with that many.
Cleveland Brown's rookie Travis Benjamin won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award after a surprisingly explosive game on Sunday.
Benjamin returned a punt 93-yards for a touchdown, setting a new team record, as the Browns defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7. It is the first award for Benjamin and the first for a Browns rookie since Andre' Davis 10 years ago, according to ESPN.com.
Benjamin has made 10 receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown this season. He last made a catch in Week 13 against the Oakland Raiders.
