Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan has been named the Week 15 NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Jordan, 6-4, 287, originally selected by New Orleans with the 24th overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of California, spearheaded a defensive effort in a 9-0 shutout of Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football where he recorded five solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble, which was recovered by teammate Marshon Lattimore.

With his second sack on the evening, Jordan surpassed the century mark for his career with 100.5 sacks, joining former Black and Gold LB Rickey Jackson as the only two players to have 100 plus sacks with the Saints. They are the 3rd pair of players to each top 100 plus sacks with the same team, joining a couple legendary duos such as Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis from Indianapolis Colts, as well as Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan from the New York Giants.

Jordan is now tied for 34th all-time in NFL record books for sacks with William Fuller, Charles Haley and Cameron Wake. After dropping Buccaneers QB Tom Brady three times in the series sweep in 2021, he has sacked him four times, putting him as tied for the fourth-most sack quarterback on his list. The performance was the 23rd multi-sack game of Jordan’s 11-year career.

It is the third NFC Defensive Player of the Week selection in Jordan’s career and the first since 2019 for the six-time Pro Bowler and three-time Associated Press All-Pro selection who in 173 career games with 172 starts has posted 650 career tackles (408 solo), the 100.5 career sacks, two interceptions, 56 passes defensed, 13 forced fumbles and ten fumble recoveries. In 13 games started in 2021, Jordan leads the New Orleans defensive line with 42 tackles (27 solo), is second on the club with six sacks and has added four passes defensed and a club-best two forced fumbles. In addition to his football production in 2021, Jordan is also the club’s nominee for the National Football League Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for the second-time in his 11-year career.

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PACKERS QB AARON RODGERS, SAINTS DE CAMERON JORDAN & LIONS K RILEY PATTERSON NAMED NFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 15

Quarterback AARON RODGERS of the Green Bay Packers, defensive end CAMERON JORDAN of the New Orleans Saints and kicker RILEY PATTERSON of the Detroit Lions are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 15 (December 16, 18-21).

OFFENSE: QB AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Rodgers completed 23 of 31 pass attempts (74.2 percent) for 268 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 132.2 rating in the Packers’ Week 15 win over Baltimore.

Rodgers has 30 touchdown passes this season and became the fifth quarterback all-time with at least eight seasons of 30-or-more touchdown passes, joining Drew Brees (10 seasons), Tom Brady (nine), and Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre (nine) and Peyton Manning (nine).

This is the 19th Offensive Player of the Week award for Rodgers, the fourth-most all-time. Only Brady (32), Manning (28) and Brees (25) have more.

2010: Weeks 13, 16
2011: Weeks 1, 4, 9
2012: Weeks 4, 6
2013: Week 2
2014: Weeks 4, 7, 10, 17
2015: Week 3
2016: Weeks 14, 16
2017: Week 5
2019: Week 7
2020: Week 13
2021: Week 15

Rodgers joins Detroit quarterback Jared Goff (Week 13) as the second former California Golden Bear to win Offensive Player of the Week this season.

DEFENSE: DE CAMERON JORDAN, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Jordan recorded five tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble in the Saints’ Week 15 shutout win at Tampa Bay. In the victory, Jordan became the fifth active player to reach 100 career sacks.
This is Jordan’s third-career Defensive Player of the Week award. He joins Marshon Lattimore (Week 5) as Saints to win the award this season.

2017: Week 6
2019: Week 13
2021: Week 15

Jordan joins Hardy Nickerson as the only former California Golden Bears to win Defensive Player of the Week three times.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K RILEY PATTERSON, DETROIT LIONS

In Week 15, Patterson converted all three of his field goals – from 37, 47 and 45 yards – and all three of his point after attempts for a total of 12 points in the Detroit’s Week 15 win over Arizona. The rookie led the NFC in kicking points in Week 15.

This is the first Special Teams Player of the Week award for Patterson. He joins Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson (Weeks 1 and 11) as the only rookies to earn the honor this season.

He is the first Lions rookie to win Special Teams Player of the Week since Jamal Agnew (Week 2, 2017).

Patterson joins Jake Elliot (twice) and Stephen Gostkowski (seven) as the only former University of Memphis kickers to Special Teams Player of the Week.

​CHIEFS TE TRAVIS KELCE, COLTS LB DARIUS LEONARD & TEXANS DB TREMON SMITH NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 15

Tight end TRAVIS KELCE of the Kansas City Chiefs, linebacker DARIUS LEONARD of the Indianapolis Colts and defensive back TREMON SMITH of the Houston Texans are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 15 (December 16, 18-21).

OFFENSE: TE TRAVIS KELCE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Kelce recorded 10 receptions for a career-high 191 yards (19.1 avg.) and two touchdowns in Week 15, including the game-winning 34-yard touchdown catch to secure a 34-28 win over the Chargers in overtime. Kelce’s 191 receiving yards were the most in the league in during Week 15 and is the most by a tight end this season.

This marked Kelce’s third career game with at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown reception, tied for the second-most all-time by a tight end.

This is Kelce’s first Offensive Player of the Week award and is the first-ever Kansas City tight end to earn the honor. He is the first tight end to win the award in the AFC since Rob Gronkowski (Week 15, 2017).

He is the first former Cincinnati Bearcat to win the award since 1990.

DEFENSE: LB DARIUS LEONARD, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Leonard recorded 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, a forced fumble and an interception in the Colts’ 27-17 win over the Patriots. He is the only player in the league with 10 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in a single game this season.

Also accomplishing the feat in Week 6, he is the only player in the league to register a force fumble and interception in two separate games this season.

This is the fourth Defensive Player of the Week award for Leonard:

2018: Weeks 2, 17
2020: Week 17
2021: Week 15

Leonard joins Dwight Freeney (five-time winner) and Robert Mathis (five-time winner) as the only Colts players to win Defensive Player of the Week at least four times.

SPECIAL TEAMS: DB TREMON SMITH, HOUSTON TEXANS

Smith returned two kickoffs for 121 yards, including a 98-yard kick return touchdown, in Houston’s 30-16 win over Jacksonville. He also recorded a special teams tackles and downed a punt inside the five-yard line in the fourth quarter. He was the only player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in Week 15.
This is the first Special Teams Player of the Week award for Smith, making him the first player from Central Arkansas to win the award.

He is the first Houston player to win the award since Angelo Blackson (Week 15, 2019).