From the Cincinnati Bengals media relations department;
Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton today was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week by the NFL.
Dalton completed 21 of 30 passes for 199 yards, four TDs and 0 INTs (127.6 passer rating) in the Bengals' 31-13 win vs. the N.Y. Giants on Sunday. It was the first game of his career with four TD passes.
Dalton's scoring passes went to four different receivers -- 56 yards to WR A.J. Green and 11 yards to WR Andrew Hawkins in the first quarter, and 10 yards to TD Jermaine Gresham and 10 yards to WR Mohamed Sanu in the third quarter. The last three of those TD passes came on third down.
Dalton is on a record yards and TDs pace. Through nine games, he has posted a passing yards average that projects to a Bengals record. With an average of 258.8 yards, he's on pace for a full season to hit 4140. The club record is 4131 by Carson Palmer in 2007. Perhaps even more importantly, Dalton is now on pace to tie Palmer's season record of 32 TD passes in 2005. Against the Giants, Dalton pushed his numbers to 18 in nine games.
Additionally, Dalton's 203 completions — 22.6 per game — project to a total of 361 over 16 games. That would be third in club history, behind Palmer's totals of 373 in 2007 and 362 in '10.
This the third time this season a Bengals player has earned an AFC Player of the Week Award. CB Adam Jones was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance vs. Cleveland in Week 2, when he returned three punts for 90 yards in the Bengals' 34-27 home win, including an 81-yarder for a touchdown on the game's opening punt. And, DE Michael Johnson was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance at Washington in Week 3, when he recorded three sacks for minus-17 yards in the Bengals' 38-31 win at Washington on Sunday.
Also earlier this season, WR A.J. Green was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the month of September.
The last Bengals player to be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week was Palmer for his performance vs. Chicago in Week 7 of 2009.
