Pats Pulpit
Antonio Gibson has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance against the Miami Dolphins.
The New England Patriots running back returned six kickoffs for an NFL-high 171 yards last Sunday. A 90-yard touchdown was among them.
Seconds after Malik Washington returned a punt for a 74-yard touchdown, the response gave the divisional visitors a 30-27 lead in the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. And soon, a 33-27 win where New England had not won since 2019.
A max speed of 20.19 mph was reached by Gibson, according to Next Gen Stats, on his first career kickoff return for a touchdown.
It marked the first around the league this season. It also marked the seventh since the league’s dynamic rules were introduced last season.
Gibson, 27, stands 80 games into a career that began with the Washington Commanders in 2020. The former No. 66 overall pick landed in Foxborough on a three-year deal in 2024. While appearing in every game since then, he has also had a hand in 775 yards and one touchdown across 150 touches on offense. An average of 28.1 yards per kickoff return has arrived back deep.
The previous Patriots running backs to win AFC Special Teams of the Week honors were Dion Lewis in 2017, Laurence Maroney in 2006 and David Meggett in 1996. A Memphis Tigers product, Gibson also checks in as the third-non kicker in school history to garner a weekly NFL honor in the kicking game, joining wide receivers Calvin Austin III in 2024 and Isaac Bruce in 1995.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith got the call as AFC Offensive Player of the Week and AFC Defensive Player of the Week, respectively.
