Andy Dalton named AFC Offensive Player of the Week
CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 11: BenJarvus Green-Ellis #42 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs with the ball during the NFL game against the New York Giants at Paul Brown Stadium on November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty…
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Posted: 11/14/2012
CINCINNATI - The NFL named Andy Dalton the AFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday.
Dalton completed 21 of 30 passes for 199 yards, for four touchdowns and zero interceptions (127.6 passer rating) in the Bengals’ 31-13 win vs. the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Sunday. It was the first game of his career with four TD passes.
Dalton’s scoring passes went to four different receivers -- 56 yards to wide receiver A.J. Green and 11 yards to wide receiver Andrew Hawkins in the first quarter, and 10 yards to TD Jermaine Gresham and 10 yards to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu in the third quarter. The last three of those TD passes came on third down.
Through nine games, Dalton has posted a passing yards average that projects to a Bengals record. With an average of 258.8 yards, he’s on pace for a full season to hit 4140. The club record is 4131 by Carson Palmer in 2007. Dalton is now on pace to tie Palmer’s season record of 32 TD passes in 2005. Against the Giants, Dalton pushed his numbers to 18 in nine games.
Additionally, Dalton’s 203 completions — 22.6 per game — project to a total of 361 over 16 games. That would be third in club history, behind Palmer’s totals of 373 in 2007 and 362 in 2010.
This is the third time this season a Bengals player has earned an AFC Player of the Week Award. CB Adam Jones was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance vs. Cleveland in Week 2, when he returned three punts for 90 yards in the Bengals’ 34-27 home win, including an 81-yarder for a touchdown on the game’s opening punt.
Defensive end Michael Johnson was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance at Washington in Week 3, when he recorded three sacks for minus-17 yards in the Bengals’ 38-31 win at Washington on Sunday.
Earlier this season, wide receiver A.J. Green was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the month of September.
The last Bengals player to be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week was Palmer for his performance vs. Chicago in Week 7 of 2009.
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