"...linebacker
Jamie Collins ended any chance Buffalo had of overtaking New England with his
third pick of the season, a fluttering butterfly caused by linebacker Kyle Van
Noy's pressure of Bills' quarterback Matt Barkley that landed right in Collins'
waiting hands.
Van Noy was the
most productive and visible of the Patriots' stoppers on the day, logging two
sacks among his eight tackles and three quarterback hits, While Collins, John
Simon and rookie Chase Winovich collected the other three sacks."
New England
Patriots' linebacker Kyle Van Noy has been named the AFC's Defensive Player of
the Week for his game-saving performance in the Patriots' 16-10 victory over
the upstart Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
In truth, Van Noy
was not the only Patriots' candidate for the award, as cornerback J. C. Jackson
picked off two Buffalo passes and also blocked a punt that special teams gunner
Matthew Slater returned for a touchdown, and linebacker Jamie Collins collected
a sack to go along with five tackles, three quarterback hits and an
interception which secured New England's fourth victory in as many tries.
But Van Noy
outdistanced his teammates by forcing the errant throw that Collins hauled in
on his third, and last, quarterback hit, and his two sacks were apparently
enough to trump Jackson's athletic thefts.
In his sixth season
out of Brigham Young University and in his third season with the Patriots, Van
Noy has produced a literal highlight reel of defensive stops, particularly late
last season when he dominated folks in the playoffs - including Super Bowl 53
in which he almost single-handedly wrecked the Los Angeles Rams' high octane
offensive attack.
The award is the
first of Van Noy's career and comes on the heels of rookie punter Jake Baliey's
AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his impressive launches against the
New York Jets last Sunday.
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