Winston, Watt, Austin win AFC Players of the Week

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston and a pair of Pittsburgh Steelers – linebacker T.J. Watt and punt returner Calvin Austin – are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 8, the league announced Wednesday.

OFFENSE: 

• Winston completed 27 of 41 pass attempts (65.9 percent) for 334 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 115.3 passer rating in Cleveland’s 29-24 victory over Baltimore, including the game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute. He was the only player with at least 300 passing yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions in Week 8.

• This is the third-career Player of the Week award for Winston and first with Cleveland, becoming the third Browns quarterback to earn the honor in the past 10 seasons (2015-24), joining Baker Mayfield (twice) and Josh McCown (once):

  • 2016: Week 1 (Buccaneers)

  • 2019: Week 4 (Buccaneers)

  • 2024: Week 8 (Browns)

• Winston becomes the fourth former Florida State player to win Offensive Player of the Week three-or-more times, joining Brad Johnson (seven-time winner), Dalvin Cook (four) and Warrick Dunn (three).

DEFENSE: 

• Watt registered seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Steelers’ 26-18 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. It marks his third-career game with at least two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, the most in the NFL since 2017.

• This is Watt’s eighth-career Player of the Week award, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu (seven-time winner) for the second-most Player of the Week awards by a Steeler, trailing only Ben Roethlisberger (18).

  • 2018: Weeks 1, 5

  • 2020: Week 2

  • 2021: Weeks 6, 13, 17

  • 2023: Week 18

  • 2024: Week 8

• Watt surpasses his brother, J.J. Watt (seven-time winner), for the second-most Player of the Week awards by a former Wisconsin player, trailing only Russell Wilson (11).

SPECIAL TEAMS: 

• Austin recorded a 73-yard punt-return touchdown in the third quarter and added a fourth-quarter touchdown reception in Pittsburgh’s 26-18 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Austin’s punt-return touchdown was the go-ahead score for the Steelers. He is the fifth player to return a punt for a touchdown this season.

• This is Austin’s first-career Player of the Week award. He becomes the first Steelers wide receiver to win Special Teams Player of the Week since Diontae Johnson in Week 14, 2019.

• Austin becomes the second former Memphis wide receiver to earn a Player of the Week award, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (four-time winner).