FOR USE AS DESIRED
AFC-POW-17       1/2/03

JETS QB CHAD PENNINGTON, BROWNS LB EARL HOLMES

& PATRIOTS K ADAM VINATIERI NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 17

Quarterback CHAD PENNINGTON of the New York Jets, linebacker EARL HOLMES of the Cleveland Browns and kicker ADAM VINATIERI of the New England Patriots are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the 17th week of the 2002 season (December 28-30), the NFL announced today.

In a game that the Jets needed to win in order to qualify for the playoffs and win the AFC East division title, Pennington lead his teammates to a 42-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers.  The third-year quarterback, who is 8-4 as a starter, completed 17 of 24 passes (70.8 percent) for 194 yards and four touchdowns without an interception for a single-game club-record passer rating of 134.7.

The more crucial the play, the better Pennington performed.  On third down plays, the Jets’ quarterback completed eight of nine pass attempts for 107 yards with seven first downs and a pair of touchdowns.

“He’s had a great year and he has a great career ahead of him,” said Packers quarterback BRETT FAVRE regarding Pennington.  “He has a great amount of poise and confidence, and he’s a good guy on top of it.  You can’t help but pull for a guy like that.”

“Chad kept his composure and didn’t try to compete with Brett Favre,” said Jets head coach HERMAN EDWARDS, who became the first Jets coach to guide the team to consecutive playoff seasons.  “All he needed to do was be Chad Pennington, and that is good enough.”

Pennington, from Marshall, has earned three Player of the Week awards this season (Week 11, 16 and 17).  Since the award was established in 1984, he is one of four AFC quarterbacks to win the honor outright three times in one season.  In addition, Pennington is one of four NFL players to win consecutive weekly awards.

Cleveland’s Holmes led the Browns with 11 tackles (eight solo) and posted one pass defensed in a must-win game for the Browns, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24-16 for a chance at an AFC Wild Card berth.  Three hours after the game, Cleveland advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1994 when their victory was followed by a Jets win.

Holmes was the heart of a defense that yielded only 13 points to the Falcons in five red-zone possessions.  A starter for all 16 games, Holmes stopped an Atlanta running back at the Browns’ one-yard line on fourth-and-goal with 23 seconds remaining.  The Falcons were stopped short of the end zone despite a first-and-goal situation from the Browns’ four-yard line.

“I don’t think in a game of this magnitude I’ve ever been around a goal-line stand like that,” said Browns head coach BUTCH DAVIS.  “It was an unbelievable statement about the will and courage of the guys playing at that point.”

In his seventh year from Florida A&M, this is the first Player of the Week Award for Holmes.

Vinatieri, New England’s Pro Bowl kicker, was four-for-four in field goal attempts (41, 36, 43, and 35 yards) in a 27-24 overtime win against the Miami Dolphins.  His third kick (43 yards) forced overtime with 1:09 remaining in regulation, and he delivered his fourth (35 yards) in the sudden-death session to seize the win. 

Vinatieri now has 14 game-winning field goals in his career.  He also executed a crucial kickoff in an onside kick formation, which pinned Miami inside its own five-yard line with 2:42 left in the game and the Patriots trailing by three points.  The Dolphins were forced to punt three plays later, which led to Vinatieri’s third field goal on the day.

“It’s like there’s no pressure on the guy,” said Patriots running back ANTOWAIN SMITH.  “When it’s time to make one, that’s his moment, and there’s never a doubt that he’s going to make it.”

In his seventh year from South Dakota State, this is the sixth Player of the Week Award for Vinatieri.

Other nominees for AFC Offensive Player of Week 17 were:

• New England running back KEVIN FAULK, who totaled 123 yards from scrimmage (70 receiving).  Faulk gained his 70 receiving yards on a team-high nine catches.
• Cleveland rookie running back WILLIAM GREEN, who rushed for 178 yards on 27 carries (6.6 avg.) and two TDs.  Green’s 64-yard touchdown run with 4:05 remaining to play provided the game’s final points.
• Baltimore tight end TODD HEAP, who led the Ravens with seven receptions for a career-high 146 yards (20.9 avg.) and a touchdown in a 34-31 loss to Pittsburgh.
• Denver running back CLINTON PORTIS, who tied this season’s highest rushing output of 228 yards on 24 carries (9.5 avg.) with two TDs in a 37-7 win over Arizona.  Portis’ rushing total was the fourth highest in NFL history by a rookie.  Portis added 18 receiving yards for 246 total yards from scrimmage.
• Pittsburgh running back AMOS ZEREOUE, who had 26 rushes for 104 yards (4.0 avg.) and a pair of touchdowns.  Zereoue added three catches for 13 yards.

Other nominees for AFC Defensive Player of Week 17 were: 

• Pittsburgh linebacker JASON GILDON, who recorded seven tackles with 1.0 sack for minus-10 yards and forced a fumble which led to a Steelers touchdown.
• New York safety SAM GARNES, who posted seven tackles and an interception.  Garnes returned his interception 65 yards, which set up a Jets touchdown.
• Baltimore linebacker ED HARTWELL, who chalked up a career-high 17 tackles (13 solo) and 1.0 sack for minus-three yards.

The other nominee for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 17 was: 

• Pittsburgh rookie kick returner ANTWAAN RANDLE EL, who returned three kicks for 86 yards (28.7 avg.), including one for 45 yards.
   

2002 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK