First & Jenn

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 14 (December 5, 8-9). Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 14 (December 5, 8-9).

OFFENSE: QB SAM DARNOLD, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Darnoldcompleted 22 of 28 pass attempts (78.6 percent) for 347 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 157.9 passer rating in the Vikings’ 42-21 victory over the Falcons. He became the ninth quarterback in NFL history and first since Aaron Rodgerson Oct. 20, 2019 with at least 325 passing yards, five touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 75-or-higher and a passer rating of 155-or-higher with no interceptions in a game.
  
• This is the second-career Offensive Player of the Week Award for Darnold, becoming the fourth Vikings quarterback in the past 15 seasons (2010-24) to win the award, joining Kirk Cousins (three-time winner), Sam Bradford and Joshua Dobbs.
  • 2019: Week 6 (Jets)
  • 2024: Week 14 (Vikings)
    
• Darnold becomes the second former USC quarterback to win Offensive Player of the Week with multiple franchises, joining Carson Palmer (Cincinnati & Arizona).

DEFENSE: DL YETUR GROSS-MATOS, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

• Gross-Matos recorded four tackles and three sacks in San Francisco’s 38-13 victory over Chicago. He was the only player in the NFL in Week 14 to record three sacks and was the only player in the NFC with at least two sacks and three-or-more tackles.
  
• This is the first-career Defensive Player of the Week award for Gross-Matos, becoming the second 49ers defensive lineman to win the award since 2005, joining Nick Bosa (five-time winner).
  
• Gross-Matos becomes the fourth former Penn State defensive lineman to win Defensive Player of the Week, joining Cameron Wake (three-time winner), Courtney Brown (two) and Bruce Clark (two).

SPECIAL TEAMS: DT BRYAN BRESEE, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

• Bresse blocked the potential game-tying field goal with 11 seconds remaining to secure New Orleans’ 14-11 victory at the New York Giants. He was the only player to block a fourth-quarter field goal attempt in Week 14.
  
• This is the first-career Special Teams Player of the Week award for Bresee, becoming the first Saints non-kicker/punter to win Special Teams Player of the Week in the past five seasons (2020-24). He also joins Tony Bryant (Week 17, 2004) as the only Saints defensive linemen to earn the honor.

• Bresee joins Trevor Pryce (Week 10, 2006) as the only former Clemson defensive linemen to win Special Teams Player of the Week.

OFFENSE: WR JA’MARR CHASE, CINCINNATI BENGALS

• Chase registered 14 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 27-20 win at Dallas on Monday Night Football. It marked his sixth-career game with at least 175 receiving yards, tied for the second-most by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
• This is the fourth-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Chase, becoming the fourth Bengals player with four-or-more Offensive Player of the Week awards, joining Boomer Esiason (nine-time winner), Joe Burrow (six) and James Brooks (four).
  • 2021: Weeks 7, 17
  • 2023: Week 5
  • 2024: Week 14
• Chase becomes the fifth wide receiver to win Offensive Player of the Week four times since 2000, joining Amari Cooper (four-time winner), Larry Fitzgerald (four), Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (four) and Julio Jones (four).

DEFENSE: DT ZACH SIELER, MIAMI DOLPHINS

• Sieler recorded four tackles and two sacks in the Dolphins’ 32-26 overtime win over the Jets. Both of his sacks came in the fourth quarter, the most by any AFC player in Week 14.
• This is Sieler’s first-career Defensive Player of the Week award. Sieler is the sixth Dolphins defensive lineman to win Defensive Player of the Week, joining Adewale Ogunleye (two-time winner), Randy Starks, Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor (seven), Olivier Vernon (two) and Cameron Wake (three).
• Sieler becomes the second former Ferris State player to win Player of the Week, joining Tavierre Thomas (Week 16, 2021 – Defense).

SPECIAL TEAMS: K MATTHEW WRIGHT, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

• Wright converted all four of this field goal attempts, including the game-winning 31-yard field goal with no time remaining in the Chiefs’ 19-17 win over the Chargers on Sunday Night Football.
• This is the second-career Special Teams Player of the Week award for Wright, becoming the second Chiefs kicker to win Special Teams Player of the Week in the past 10 seasons (2015-24), joining Harrison Butker (five-time winner).
  • 2021: Week 6 (Jaguars)
  • 2024: Week 14 (Chiefs)
• Wright becomes the second former UCF kicker to win multiple Special Teams Player of the Week awards, joining Matt Prater (15-time winner).

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