Cleveland Browns' Donovan Peoples-Jones is AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
Donovan Peoples-Jones' game-changing punt return for a touchdown in last Sunday's win over the Houston Texans helped earn the Browns receiver AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the NFL.
Peoples-Jones' 76-yard return gave the Browns a 7-5 lead with 3:10 remaining in the second quarter of their 27-14 win over the Texans, Cleveland's second consecutive win.
"I was happy I didn't trip but I was more impressed with, like I said, my teammates and the blocking that they did," Peoples-Jones said Wednesday of the return. "Nobody gave up after I made a couple guys miss. Everybody stuck to their mans and there was never any flinching from them and it really impressed me that nobody gave up.
The punt return was the Browns' first to go for a touchdown since Sept. 20, 2015, when Travis Benjamin returned on 78 yards for a score in a win over the Tennessee Titans. It's also just the second punt return for a TD in the NFL this season, joining New England's Marcus Jones' 84-yard return with five second remaining to beat the New York Jets on Nov. 20.
The third-year pro out of Michigan averaged 28.7 yards on three returns during the win in Houston. Combined with the previous week's performance in an overtime win over Tampa Bay, Peoples-Jones is averaging 20.1 yards on eight returns in the two victories.
“That was kind of the first time where on a punt return I saw the lane like that so that was exciting for me," Peoples-Jones said of the Buccaneers game. "And just to come back the next week and build off that, like I said, the coaching plan, the goal of that return was to do what we did. And like I said, my blockers—I can’t thank them enough I really can’t because they made that play.”
For the season, Peoples-Jones is averaging 14.8 yards on 13 punt returns. Over his first two seasons, he averaged just 5.7 yards on 30 punt returns.
Peoples-Jones is the second Browns player to receive the weekly special teams award from the league. Cade York earned the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning 58-yard field goal in the season-opening win at Carolina.
"Yeah, something I've definitely been trying to work on," Peoples-Jones said, "trying to get better at that. Every time I'm back, I'm there trying to improve."
The other AFC weekly award winners were Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who the Browns will see this Sunday in Cincinnati, as the Offensive Player of the Week, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones as the Defensive Player of the Week. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Offensive Player of the Week), San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa (Defensive Player of the Week) and Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (Special Teams Player of the Week) were the NFC winners.
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Peoples-Jones is AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
