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PATRIOTS WR DEION BRANCH,
EAGLES DE DERRICK BURGESS &
PATRIOTS K ADAM VINATIERI NAMED NFL PLAYERS OF CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Wide
receiver DEION
BRANCH
of the New England Patriots, defensive end
DERRICK BURGESS
of the Philadelphia Eagles and kicker
ADAM VINATIERI
of the New England Patriots are the NFL Offensive, Defensive and Special
Teams Players of the Week for Championship Sunday (January 23), the NFL
announced today.
OFFENSE: WR DEION BRANCH, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
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New England’s Branch
scored a pair of touchdowns – one on a 60-yard first quarter reception,
and another on a 23-yard reverse for the team’s final points – to help the
Patriots defeat the Steelers in Pittsburgh for a 41-27 AFC Championship
victory and trip to Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville. The Patriots now
aim to become only the second team in the NFL’s Super Bowl era to win the
game three times in four seasons (Dallas Cowboys, 1992-93, 1995). The
5-9, 193-pound receiver peeled off a 14-yard reverse on the team’s first
possession to help set-up a 48-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. Less than
five minutes off of the game clock later, Branch outraced his defender and
held on to a downfield strike in 11°F weather for a one-play, 60-yard
scoring drive to give the Patriots a 10-0 edge. The Albany, GA native led
all receivers on NFL Championship Sunday with 116 receiving yards, which
accounts for the fourth-most receiving yards by a Patriots player in
postseason action. Branch holds the single-game playoff club record in
that category with 143 yards in Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina.
In his third season from
Louisville, this is Branch’s first Player of the Week Award.
DEFENSE: DE DERRICK BURGESS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
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Burgess helped the
Eagles to their first NFC Championship since 1980, earning a 27-10 win
against the visiting Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. Burgess
helped limit the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense (167.0) to 99 yards on
the day, finishing with six tackles, most among Eagles defensive linemen.
Burgess, who missed the Eagles playoff runs in 2002 and 2003 due to
injury, was also especially efficient in rushing the passer. The
Greenbelt, Maryland native notched a career-high tying 2.0 sacks, helping
limit All-Star quarterback MICHAEL VICK
to 136 passing yards. His two sacks resulted in a loss of 14 yards and he
also added one pass defensed on the day. Burgess played in 13 games with
12 starts this season, finishing with 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
In his fourth season from
Mississippi, this is Burgess’ first Player of the Week Award.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K ADAM VINATIERI, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
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In blustery, 11°F
weather conditions, the Patriots’ Vinatieri connected on a pair of field
goals and all five of his extra points to help New England advance to
Super Bowl XXXIX. Vinatieri, the most accurate kicker in franchise
history (243 of 296 for 82.1 percent), split the uprights from 48 yards
away for a 3-0 lead on the team’s first possession. In his ninth year
from South Dakota State, Vinatieri’s 48-yard boot tied the longest field
goal in the four-year-old history of Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field. The
Patriots kicker also was successful from 31 yards in the fourth quarter,
to give New England a 34-20 lead with 8:03 remaining in regulation.
Vinatieri has now been successful on 23 career playoff field goal
attempts, surpassing both GEORGE BLANDA
(22) and STEVE CHRISTIE (22)
for the second-most playoff field goals in NFL history (GARY
ANDERSON, 32).
This is Vinatieri’s eighth
career Player of the Week Award and his second of the season (Week 9 vs. St.
Louis).
2004
NFL PLAYOFFS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
Defense Special Teams
Wild
Card
WR Reggie Wayne,
Indianapolis CB Antoine Winfield, Minnesota K Doug Brien, N.Y. Jets
Divisional
QB Donovan McNabb,
Philadelphia LB Tedy Bruschi, New England PR Allen Rossum, Atlanta
Falcons
Championship
WR Deion Branch, New England
DE Derrick Burgess, Philadelphia K Adam Vinatieri, New
England
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