FOR USE AS DESIRED
AFC-POW-17   12/30/03

PATRIOTS QB TOM BRADY, RAVENS LB RAY LEWIS &

TITANS K GARY ANDERSON NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 17

Quarterback TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots, linebacker RAY LEWIS of the Baltimore Ravens, and kicker GARY ANDERSON of the Tennessee Titans are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the seventeenth week of the 2003 season (December 27-28), the NFL announced today.  

Brady and the Patriots clinched home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 31-0 victory against the Buffalo Bills Saturday at Foxboro.  The four-year veteran posted a season-best 122.9 passer rating by connecting on 21 of 32 attempts (65.6 percent) for four touchdowns without an interception.  Brady’s sparkling rating marked the sixth time he surpassed a 100.0 rating in 2003.

“One of the things that Tom has really done a good job of the last couple of years is managing the empty backfield, the ‘no huddle’ procedure, and that really came into play Saturday,” says Patriots head coach BILL BELICHICK.  “He made a lot of good decisions – not only the throws, but in terms of just orchestrating the whole procedure.”

Brady engineered New England’s no-huddle offense to perfection on its opening drive, a nine-play, 62-yard march to paydirt as tight end DANIEL GRAHAM pulled in a one-yard touchdown reception for New England’s first score.  The Patriots’ quarterback was a flawless five-for-five on New England’s second drive which also resulted in a touchdown, this time a nine-yard strike to rookie wide receiver BETHEL JOHNSON. 

Brady now owns the NFL record for most pass attempts at home in a season without an interception (241) against 11 touchdowns, as the Patriots possess the third-longest winning streak in league history (12 games) to begin a postseason.

From Michigan, this is the 6-4, 225-pound quarterback’s second Player of the Week Award of the season and the sixth of his career.  New England receives a bye this week and will host a Divisional Playoff during the weekend of January 11-12.

Baltimore’s Lewis was a primary contributor on a defense that stifled Pittsburgh in a 13-10 overtime victory as the Ravens earned their first division title in their eight-year history. 

One of eight AFC All-Stars on the Ravens (10-6), Lewis notched 15 tackles and an interception as Baltimore denied the Steelers an offensive touchdown and limited their AFC North-rival visitors to 3-of-15 (20.0 percent) on third-down conversion attempts.

Seven of Lewis’ tackles were recorded within three yards of the scrimmage line.  The heart of the NFL’s No. 3-ranked defense (275.1 yards per game) was central to a defensive display that allowed Pittsburgh’s offense no drive longer than 31 yards.  The Steelers entered the game having posted at least 20 points in three of their past four games.

“We just wanted to come in and make a mark going into the playoffs,” says Lewis, who is a co-leader atop club’s all-time interception list (20).  Lewis is the only linebacker to currently stand as a team’s leader or co-leader in career interceptions.  “Today we came out and played as a team all the way around.

“It’s not about boasting, it’s not about bragging – we’re just a physical football team.  We love to play old school football.”

In his eighth year from Miami, this is Lewis’ fifth Player of the Week Award.  The Ravens host the Tennessee Titans Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET in Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

In Tennessee’s 33-13 home victory against Tampa Bay, Anderson was a perfect 4-for-4 in field goal tries to best all NFL kickers in Week 17 for most field goals attempted without a miss.  Sunday marked the 22nd time in his career that Anderson has made four kicks in a game.

Leading 10-3 midway through the second quarter, Tennessee’s Anderson gave his team breathing room with three consecutive field goals for a 19-3 advantage.  The victory earned Tennessee a 12-4 record, the best mark among NFL Wild Card clubs.

The Titans’ kicker, who is 27-of-31 (87.1 percent) on the season, is the oldest player to ever win a Player of the Week Award at 44 years, five months and 12 days. 

In his 22nd year from Syracuse, this is the South African native’s seventh Player of the Week Award and his first as a Titan.

Other nominees for AFC Offensive Player of Week 17 were:

• Miami wide receiver CHRIS CHAMBERS, who caught nine passes for 153 yards (17.0-yard average) and a touchdown in a 23-21 win against the New York Jets.
• Baltimore running back JAMAL LEWIS, who became only the fifth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards.  Lewis ran for 114 yards on 27 carries (4.2-yard average) with a 25-yard touchdown.
• Kansas City running back PRIEST HOLMES, who scored two rushing TDs to establish a record for most touchdowns in a season with 27 (all rushing) in a 31-3 win against Chicago.
• Pittsburgh wide receiver ANTWAAN RANDLE EL, who caught six passes for 41 yards.
• Cleveland rookie running back LEE SUGGS, who ran for 186 yards on 26 attempts (7.2-yard average) with TD runs of 78 and 25 yards in a 22-14 win at Cincinnati.  Suggs rushed for the most yards in a game by a Browns player since EARNEST BYNER (188) in 1984.
• San Diego running back LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON, who ran for a team-record 246 yards and two TDs on 31 rushing attempts (7.9-yard average) in a 21-14 win against Oakland.  Tomlinson also caught eight passes for 17 yards.

Other nominees for AFC Defensive Player of Week 17 were:

• New England linebacker TEDY BRUSCHI, who led the Patriots to their third shutout of the season with a 31-0 win against Buffalo.  Bruschi totaled 10 tackles, 1.0 sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one pass defensed.
• San Diego linebacker DONNIE EDWARDS, who had an interception, a game-high 14 tackles, half a sack and a pass defensed in a 21-14 victory against San Diego’s AFC West rival Oakland Raiders.  The Raiders were stymied for zero net passing yards.
• Pittsburgh linebacker JOEY PORTER, who racked up nine tackles, one forced fumble and one pass defensed.
• Kansas City defensive end R-KAL TRULUCK, who registered 2.0 sacks for 16 yards in losses.

Other nominees for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 17 were:

• Kansas City punt-returner kick-returner DANTE HALL, who returned two kickoffs for 70 yards (35.0-yard average)  and four punt returns for 32 yards (8.0-yard average).
• Pittsburgh special teamer CHRIS HOPE, who scored on an 81-yard touchdown reception off of a fake punt.
  
   

2003 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK