Broncos safety T.J. Ward had the first and last sack of the team’s seven against Minnesota. (AAron Onitveroz, The Denver Post)
Another week, another honor for the Broncos’ defense.
Safety T.J. Ward was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his in Denver’s 23-20 victory over the Vikings on Sunday. The honor is the first of Ward’s career.
Ward, who recorded the game first sack 1:37 into the first quarter, finished with a strip sack in the final 35 seconds that was recovered by Von Miller to seal the win.
Ward, who leads all defensive backs since 2013, joined former Broncos safety John Lynch as the only defensive back in team history to have two sacks and a forced fumble in the same game; Lynch did at San Diego on Dec. 31, 2005.
The Broncos’ defense, which leads the NFL with the fewest yards allowed (295.5 per game) and most sacks (18), continues to rack up awards for its play in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 this season. Ward is the second Broncos player to win player of the week honors this season. Cornerback Aqib Talib was named the conference’s top defensive player in Week 1. And outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the league’s leader in sacks (4.5), was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in September, the first such honor of his career.
