Kenneth Walker and D’Andre Swift Named Players of the Week After NFL Week 1

The NFL announced the weekly award winners following the Week 1 games, with two standout performances headlining the list: Kenneth Walker and D’Andre Swift earned the top offensive honors.

According to the NFL, in his Kansas City debut, Kenneth Walker III dominated the matchup against the Broncos with 173 rushing yards and a spectacular 60-yard run on 23 total attempts, while adding a receiving touchdown to reach 191 total scrimmage yards — a career high and a record for a Super Bowl MVP in Week 1, breaking Jerry Rice’s 180-yard record set in 1989. Another standout was Chicago Bears’ D’Andre Swift: he scored three touchdowns and gained 124 yards on 18 attempts, including two 1-yard runs and a 28-yard sprint that sealed the Bears’ 59-37 win; this is the second Player of the Week honor of his career and his first since arriving in Chicago.

On the defensive side, T.J. Watt was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his decisive performance in the Steelers’ 20-13 win over the Falcons: he recorded a 35-yard pick-six — the first of his career — along with four tackles, three for loss, two quarterback hits and two sacks.

Other honorees include Zack Baun, named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after 12 tackles, two pass breakups and a tackle for loss in the Eagles’ 24-22 win; kicker Evan McPherson, who scored 15 points for the Bengals in the 33-27 win over Tampa Bay with four field goals from distance (20, 55, 58, 32) and three successful extra points; and Simi Fehoko, who blocked a punt that gave the Cardinals favorable field position and then delivered the touchdown that sealed the 26-14 win over the Chargers — for Fehoko, this is the first Player of the Week award of his career.

According to the NFL, these players received the official honors for the season’s opening week, and the names listed reflect the most distinguished performances of the opening weekend.