Running backs AHMAN GREEN of the Green Bay Packers, PRIEST HOLMES of the Kansas City Chiefs and EMMITT SMITH of the Arizona Cardinals are the finalists for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on October 24-25, while quarterbacks BYRON LEFTWICH of the Jacksonville Jaguars, PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts and DONOVAN MC NABB of the Philadelphia Eagles are the finalists for FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week honors, the NFL announced Tuesday.
Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com from Tuesday morning through noon on Thursday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week will be announced Thursday on NFL.com and Friday in USA Today.
Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are a win for the local community. Along with the award, FedEx will donate $5,000 every week to the local children's hospital in each winning market. The children's hospitals in the two season-long winner's markets, announced at this year's Super Bowl, will be awarded $25,000 each. That means that FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children's hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners.
A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:
- Green Bay's Ahman Green carried 15 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the Packers' 41-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Green iced the game with a 90-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
- Kansas City's Priest Holmes ran for 139 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries in the Chiefs' 56-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Holmes scored on runs of one, two, two and 15 yards, all in the first half.
- Arizona's Emmitt Smith carried 26 times for 106 yards and one touchdown in the Cardinals' 25-17 win over the NFC West-rival St. Louis Rams. Smith scored on a 23-yard run for Arizona's final points of the game
A closer look at the FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists:
- Jacksonville's Byron Leftwich completed 23 of 30 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 102.1 in the Jaguars' 27-24 victory over the AFC South-rival Indianapolis Colts. Leftwich threw touchdowns of four and 25 yards, helping the Jaguars improve to 5-2 and take over first place in the division.
- Indianapolis' Peyton Manning threw for 368 yards, completing 27 of 39 passes with three touchdowns and a 124.7 passer rating in the Colts' 27-24 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Manning connected on touchdown passes of seven, 17 and 39 yards in the game, the third time this season he has thrown three or more TDs.
- Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb recorded a 114.1 passer rating, completing 28 of 43 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns in the Eagles' 34-31 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns. McNabb threw touchdown passes of two, 10, 39 and 40 yards, and helped set up the game-winning field goal with a 28-yard scramble in OT.
FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Through the weekly FedEx Air and Ground Awards, FedEx recognizes those NFL players who represent the same speed, precision and teamwork that their customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services.
