NFL News: Cardinals’ Kyler Murray, Eagles’ Zack Baun & Lions’ Jake Bates Named Week 10 NFC Players of the Week

By Lydia Jane Allison

NEW YORK — Nov. 13, 2024 — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 10 (November 7, 10-11).

Kyler Murray throwing ball downfield in 2020. By All-Pro ReelsCC BY-SA 2.0, https commons.wikimepedia,org

OFFENSE: QB KYLER MURRAY, ARIZONA CARDINALS

  • Murray completed 22 of 24 pass attempts for 266 yards and recorded three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in the Cardinals’ 31-6 win over the New York Jets. His career-high 91.7 completion percentage was the second-highest in a game this season (minimum 10 attempts). Murray also recorded his 30th career rushing touchdown, becoming the fifth quarterback ever with at least 30 rushing touchdowns in his first six seasons.
  • This is the sixth-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Murray, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner for the most such awards by a Cardinals quarterback.
    • 2019: Week 6
    • 2020: Weeks 5, 7, 15
    • 2021: Week 2
    • 2024: Week 10
  • With his six Offensive Player of the Week awards, Murray has the second-most Offensive Player of the Week awards by a former Oklahoma player, trailing only Adrian Peterson (nine-time winner).
Zack Baun (courtesy IMAGN, photo by Kyle Ross, USA Today Sports)

DEFENSE: LB ZACK BAUN, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

  • Baun recorded eight tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss in Philadelphia’s 34-6 victory at Dallas. He is the first player since Week 14, 2021 (Mike Hughes) with eight tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in a game.

  • This is the first-career Defensive Player of the Week Award for Baun, as he becomes the third Eagles linebacker to earn the honor since 2000, joining Jeremiah Trotter Sr. (Week 7, 2005) and Haason Reddick (Week 4, 2022).
  • Baun and Leo Chenal (who earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week this week) join Alabama’s Xavier McKinney and Pat Surtain II (who both won Defensive Player of the Week in Week 5) as the only sets of former college teammates who play the same position to earn Player of the Week in the same week this season.
Jake Bates Lions PK, (photo by Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)

SPECIAL TEAMS: K JAKE BATES, DETROIT LIONS

  • Bates converted on a game-tying 58-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal with four seconds remaining to help Detroit overcome a 16-point deficit in its 26-23 Week 10 win at Houston. Bates joins Ka’imi Fairbairn as the only players to win Special Teams Player of the Week multiple times this season.
  • This is the second-career Special Teams Player of the Week award for Bates, as he becomes the third Lions kicker to earn the honor multiple times, joining Jason Hanson (12-time winner) and Matt Prater (seven).
    • 2024: Weeks 7, 10
  • Bates becomes the first former Arkansas player to win Special Teams Player of the Week multiple times.

 

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