Quarterback KURT WARNER of the Arizona Cardinals, rookie linebacker CLAY MATTHEWS of the Green Bay Packers and punt returner DOMENIK HIXON of the New York Giants are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the 13th week of the 2009 season (December 3, 6-7), the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: QB KURT WARNER, ARIZONA CARDINALS
• Warner completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8 percent) for 285 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 127.7 passer rating in the Cardinals' 30-17 win on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
• He has now posted a passer rating of at least 120.0 in four consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITAS (1965) as the only players in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
• Warner tossed touchdowns of two and 39 yards to ANQUAN BOLDIN (7 catches, 98 yards) and added a 34-yard touchdown pass to LARRY FITZGERALD (8 catches, 143 yards) as the Cardinals handed the Vikings just their second loss of the season.
• The Cardinals are now 8-4, the team's best record through 12 games since 1976. Arizona can clinch the NFC West this week with a win at San Francisco.
• In his 12th season from Northern Iowa, this is Warner's ninth career Player of the Week Award and fifth with the Cardinals, the most in team history.
• Warner, who was also honored in Week 9, is the first Cardinals player to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice in the same season since BOOMER ESIASON in 1996.
DEFENSE: LB CLAY MATTHEWS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
• Matthews had six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the Packers' 27-14 win over Baltimore.
• His six tackles were a career-high and his two sacks tied his career-best set in Week 6.
• In the first quarter, after the Packers took a 3-0 lead, Matthews thwarted a Baltimore drive by forcing a fumble at the Green Bay 17-yard line, which was recovered by safety NICK COLLINS.
• Matthews has seven sacks this season, tied with Washington's BRIAN ORAKPO for the most by a rookie.
• In his rookie season from USC, this is Matthews' first career Player of the Week Award.
• Matthew's father, CLAY MATTHEWS, was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in his career with the Cleveland Browns (Week 12, 1984 and Week 9, 1991). They are the first father and son to win Player of the Week Awards.
• This is the second consecutive week that a Packer has been honored on defense. Cornerback CHARLES WOODSON was the NFC Defensive Player of Week 12.
SPECIAL TEAMS: PR DOMENIK HIXON, NEW YORK GIANTS
• Hixon had a 79-yard punt-return touchdown in the Giants' 31-24 win over Dallas.
• It marked the team's first punt-return touchdown since September 11, 2005 (CHAD MORTON, 52 yards) and the longest by a Giant since October 18, 1999 (TIKI BARBER, 85 yards).
• For the game, Hixon returned three punts for 95 yards, an average of 31.7 yards per return.
• Hixon's punt-return touchdown gave the Giants a 31-17 lead with 5:33 remaining in the game and proved to be the game-winning points.
• The Giants had two touchdowns of at least 70 yards (Hixon's 79-yard punt-return TD and BRANDON JACOBS' 74-yard TD reception) against Dallas, the first time in 96 regular-season meetings between the two teams the Giants have accomplished the feat.
• In his fourth season from Akron, this is Hixon's first career Player of the Week Award. He is the first Giant return specialist to be honored since AMANI TOOMER in 1997 (Week 8).
2009 NFC DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: DE Justin Tuck, New York Giants
Week 2: LB Chad Greenway, Minnesota
Week 3: LB Lance Briggs, Chicago
Week 4: S Darren Sharper, New Orleans
Week 5: CB D. Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona
Week 6: S Thomas DeCoud, Atlanta
Week 7: S Adrian Wilson, Arizona
Week 8: DE Julius Peppers, Carolina
Week 9: DT Anthony Hargrove, New Orleans
Week 10: CB Charles Woodson, Green Bay
Week 11: LB Michael Boley, New York Giants
Week 12: CB Charles Woodson, Green Bay
Week 13: LB Clay Matthews, Green Bay
Other nominees for NFC Offensive Player of Week 13:
• New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES, who completed 35 of 49 passes (71.4 percent) for 419 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a 102.3 passer rating in the Saints' 33-30 overtime win at Washington.
• Green Bay tight end JERMICHAEL FINLEY, who had seven catches for 79 yards and a career-high two touchdowns.
• Seattle quarterback MATT HASSELBECK, who completed 25 of 34 passes (73.5 percent) for 198 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 107.2 passer rating in the Seahawks' 20-17 win over San Francisco.
• New York Giants running back BRANDON JACOBS, who had a 74-yard receiving touchdown and a one-yard rushing touchdown.
• New Orleans wide receiver ROBERT MEACHEM, who had eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown and also forced a fumble and scored on the fumble recovery.
• Dallas quarterback TONY ROMO, who completed 41 of 55 passes (74.5 percent) for 392 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 112.1 passer rating in the Cowboys' 31-24 loss to the New York Giants.
• San Francisco quarterback ALEX SMITH, who completed 27 of 45 passes (60.0 percent) for 310 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 95.6 passer rating in the 49ers' 20-17 loss at Seattle.
• Dallas tight end JASON WITTEN, who had 14 catches for a career-high 156 yards.
Other nominees for NFC Defensive Player of Week 13:
• Carolina linebacker JON BEASON, who had 11 tackles and two interceptions in the Panthers' 16-6 win against Tampa Bay.
• Philadelphia cornerback SHELDON BROWN, who had an 83-yard interception-return touchdown and five tackles in the Eagles' 34-7 win at Atlanta.
• New York Giants safety AARON ROUSE, who had a team-high 12 tackles and a sack.
• Chicago linebacker JAMAR WILLIAMS, who had 18 tackles and two passes defensed in the Bears' 17-9 win over St. Louis.
Other nominees for NFC Special Teams Player of Week 13:
• Carolina punter JASON BAKER, who punted five times and averaged 48.8 yards per punt with a net average of 45.6. He placed two punts inside the 20-yard line.
• New Orleans kicker GARRETT HARTLEY, who converted four of five field-goal attempts, including the game-winning 18-yarder in overtime.
• St. Louis punter DONNIE JONES, who punted seven times for 317 yards (45.3 average) and placed a career-high six punts inside the 20-yard line in the Rams' 17-9 loss at Chicago.
• Arizona kicker NEIL RACKERS, who converted all three field-goal attempts and scored 11 points. He added one touchback on a kickoff and a special teams tackle.
• Seattle punter JON RYAN, who had a career-high six punts downed inside the 20-yard line and limited the 49ers to five returns for minus-three yards.
