Running back Tony Fisher of the Green Bay Packers, running back Clinton Portis of the Denver Broncos, kicker Jeff Reed of the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Chad Williams of the Baltimore Ravens and safety Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys are the finalists for Pepsi NFL Rookie Of The Week honors for games played on November 28 and December 1-2, the NFL announced Tuesday.
Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon to determine the Pepsi NFL Rookie Of The Week. The Pepsi NFL Rookie Of The Week will be announced Thursday on NFL.com. It is the first weekly NFL honor to be selected solely by NFL fans.
After the regular season, five players will be nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors. Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com throughout the month of January. The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.
A closer look at the finalists:
- Green Bay's Tony Fisher averaged 5.4 yards per carry while rushing for a career-best 91 yards on a career-high 17 carries as the Packers scored 24 unanswered points in the second half for a 30-20 win over Chicago. Fisher had 35 yards rushing on Green Bay's 90-yard drive for the go-ahead field goal midway through the third quarter and scored on a two-yard run with 1:14 remaining in the game, giving Green Bay a 30-14 lead. Fisher also caught two passes for 15 yards and had one special-teams tackle.
- Denver's Clinton Portis rushed for a career-high 159 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Broncos' 30-27 overtime loss to San Diego. Portis' first score, a 43-yard run, gave Denver a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, while his second touchdown, an eight-yarder in the second quarter, came after San Diego had scored 21 unanswered points and brought the score to 21-17. Portis recorded his fifth 100-yard performance of the season and leads all rookies with 995 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.
- Pittsburgh's Jeff Reed made six of six field goal attempts, including a 50-yarder, in the Steelers' 25-23 win over Jacksonville. Reed's sixth field goal, the 50-yarder, gave Pittsburgh a 25-17 lead with 4:30 left and proved to be the game-winning points. Reed is an undrafted free agent who was signed two weeks ago.
- Baltimore's Chad Williams returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown, recorded seven tackles and blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown in the Ravens' 27-23 win over Cincinnati. Williams' interception-return touchdown came with 19 seconds remaining in the first half, brought the Ravens to within three points at halftime (16-13), and tied Baltimore's franchise record for the longest interception return for a touchdown. Williams' blocked punt in the fourth quarter, which was recovered for a 22-yard touchdown by Ravens wide receiver Ron Johnson, cut the Bengals' lead to 23-21.
- Dallas' Roy Williams recorded six tackles and returned an interception five yards for a touchdown in the Cowboys' 27-20 Thanksgiving Day win over Washington. Williams' interception, the third of his career and first touchdown of his career, came in the third quarter and cut the Washington lead to 20-17. Williams has an interception in three consecutive games.
This is Pepsi's first year as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL.
