Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Josh Allen is the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his season finale performance against the Tennessee Titans, the NFL announced Wednesday.
While Allen didn’t record a sack in the 20-16 win, he did force a fumble from Titans quarterback Josh Dobbs. Allen also scooped up a fumble forced by safety Rayshawn Jenkins and returned it for a go-ahead touchdown with just under three minutes left Saturday.
The @Jaguars take the lead! #DUUUVAL
📺: #TENvsJAX on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/7G4GCGiaVR pic.twitter.com/9veHZEkNth— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023
“He’s really picked it up,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said of Allen on Tuesday. “It’s good to see. It’s good to see him play his best football this time of the year. Great players do that, and we’ve just got to keep him coming that way.”
Allen, 25, was a top 10 draft pick in 2019 and finished the regular season with six sacks. Through four seasons in Jacksonville, he has 26.5 sacks and Allen is due to play the 2023 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.
Last season, Allen earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 9 when he finished with a sack, interception, and a fumble recovery against the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice this season, safety Rayshawn Jenkins was Defensive Player of the Week once, and kicker Riley Patterson was Special Teams Player of the Week once.
