Quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots, MATT RYAN of the Atlanta Falcons and MICHAEL VICK of the Philadelphia Eagles are the finalists for the "FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week" honors for games played on November 14-15, while running backs FRED JACKSON of the Buffalo Bills, MAURICE JONES-DREW of the Jacksonville Jaguars and CHRIS JOHNSON of the Tennessee Titans are the finalists for the "FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week," the NFL announced today.
Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through noon EST on Friday to determine the "FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week." The winners will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com. New this year, fans will be able to keep tabs on the achievements of their favorite Air & Ground players (and others) with the NFL Milestone Tracker, presented by FedEx.
Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. As part of the Air & Ground program, FedEx continues its support of Safe Kids USA by making weekly $2,000 donations in each of the winning players' names. The funding, allocated to local Safe Kids coalitions in that team's city, is used for pedestrian safety improvements throughout the year, from upgraded crosswalks and safety signs to traffic barriers and educational training.
A closer look at the "FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week" finalists:
- New England's TOM BRADY led the Patriots to a 39-26 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers completing 30 of 43 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday Night Football.
- Atlanta's MATT RYAN completed 32 of 50 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons' 26 - 21 win over the Baltimore Ravens on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football.
- Philadelphia's MICHAEL VICK passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns in a record-setting performance during the Eagles' 59-28 win over the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football.
A closer look at the "FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week" finalists:
- Buffalo's FRED JACKSON rushed 25 times for 133 yards and one rushing touchdown in the Bills' 14 - 12 win over the Detroit Lions.
- Jacksonville's MAURICE JONES-DREW had 24 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the Jaguars' 31 - 24 win over the Houston Texans.
- Tennessee's CHRIS JOHNSON had 17 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown in the Titans' 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
As the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, FedEx understands the need for a winning game plan, and created the Air & Ground program to highlight superior on-field performance among the league's top-performing quarterbacks and running backs. Because FedEx has thousands of delivery trucks out on the roads each day, the company is committed to funding pedestrian safety improvements in local communities, donating more than $13 million to Safe Kids Worldwide since 2000. Follow FedEx on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @FedExDelivers and track the conversation at #FedExNFL.
