FOR USE AS DESIRED
AFC-POW-17      1/5/05

BRONCOS QB JAKE PLUMMER, PATRIOTS LB TEDY BRUSCHI &
STEELERS K JEFF REED NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 17

Quarterback JAKE PLUMMER of the Denver Broncos, linebacker TEDY BRUSCHI of the New England Patriots and kicker JEFF REED of the Pittsburgh Steelers are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the 17th week of the 2004 season (January 2), the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: QB JAKE PLUMMER, DENVER BRONCOS

• In a game that the Broncos had to win in order to advance to the playoffs, Denver’s Plummer rose to occasion by posting a 105.7 passer rating, completing 17 of 30 passes for 246 yards and a pair of touchdowns without an interception in a 33-14 win against the Colts to force a Wild Card playoff rematch this Sunday in Indianapolis.  The 6-2, 212-pound quarterback totaled 4,089 passing yards for the season, surpassing JOHN ELWAY (1993) for the single-season franchise record.  Plummer’s two touchdowns, which included a 38-yard, over-the-shoulder catch by ASHLEY LELIE gave Plummer 27 for the season, which tied Elway (1997) for the team record.  Plummer also became the first player in club history to throw every pass attempt for the team for an entire season.  Both of Plummer’s scoring throws came in the first half to earn the home team a 17-7 lead that it would not relinquish.

In his eighth year from Arizona State, this is Plummer’s third career Player of the Week Award and his second as a Bronco. 

DEFENSE: LB TEDY BRUSCHI, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

• In a 21-7 victory against San Francisco for the team’s second-consecutive 14-2 regular season record, New England’s Bruschi led the Patriots with 15 tackles and played a key role in limiting the 49ers to one touchdown.  The San Francisco native recorded nine tackles within three yards of the line of scrimmage against his hometown team.  Five of his 15 stops were made one yard beyond the scrimmage line or for a loss.  Bruschi and the Patriots finished the season tied for the second-fewest points allowed in the league (16.3 per game).  The AFC East champions earn a bye this week and will host an AFC Divisional playoff game on Sunday, January 16, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

This is the fourth career Player of the Week distinction for the 6-1, 247-pounder from Arizona and his second of the season (Week 4).

 SPECIAL TEAMS: K JEFF REED, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

• In a 29-24 win at Buffalo, Pittsburgh kicker JEFF REED was a perfect five-for-five in field goals along with a pair of extra points for a total of 17 points on the day.  Reed connected from 22, 21, 31, 37, 37, and 33 yards – one field goal short of the club record of six, which he shares with former Steelers kicker GARY ANDERSON.  Reed finished the season 28 of 33 in field goal attempts (84.8 percent) and was third in AFC scoring with 124 points.  The AFC North champion Steelers have earned a bye this Sunday and will face the lowest-remaining AFC playoff seed on Saturday, January 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

In his third season from North Carolina, this is Reed’s second career Player of the Week Award.

2004 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Other nominees for AFC Offensive Player of Week 17 were:

• New England running back COREY DILLON, who rushed for 116 yards on 14 carries (8.3 average).  The game was Dillon’s ninth 100-yard outing of the season to tie the franchise record and gave him a career-best and franchise-record 1,635 yards rushing for the season.
• Kansas City tight end TONY GONZALEZ, who caught a career-high 14 passes for 144 yards at San Diego.  Gonzalez registered his 94th reception of the season in third quarter, surpassing his own Chiefs single-season receiving record of 93 (2000) and then broke the league’s record for tight end receptions later in the game with 102 catches on the year.
• New York running back CURTIS MARTIN, who rushed for 153 yards on 28 carries for a 5.5-yard average against the Rams.  By day’s end, Martin earned the NFL rushing title with 1,679 yards, making him the most senior league rushing champion in history (31 years, 246 days).
• Pittsburgh rookie running back WILLLIE PARKER (FA), who gained 102 yards on 19 attempts with a long rush of 54 yards in a 29-24 win at Buffalo.

Another nominee for AFC Defensive Player of Week 17 was:

• Pittsburgh linebacker LARRY FOOTE, who compiled four tackles and his first career interception.  

Another nominee for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 17 was:

• New England punter JOSH MILLER, who had two of his four punts downed inside the 4-yard line, including one that was downed inside the 1-yard line.