Quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots, JAY CUTLER of the Chicago Bears and DAVID GARRARD of the Jacksonville Jaguars are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on September 9 - 13, while running backs ARIAN FOSTER of the Houston Texans, CHRIS JOHNSON of the Tennessee Titans and RASHARD MENDENHALL of the Pittsburgh Steelers 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 completed 25 of 35 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns in the Patriots' 38 - 24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Chicago's JAY CUTLER went 23 of 35 for 372 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the Bears' 19-14 win over the Detroit Lions.
- Jacksonville's DAVID GARRARD completed 16 of 21 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns in the Jaguars' 24 - 17 win over the Denver Broncos
A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:
- Houston's ARIAN FOSTER ran for a team-record 231 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries in the Texans' 34 - 24 win over the Colts.
- Tennessee's CHRIS JOHNSON rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the Titans' 38 - 13 win over the Oakland Raiders.
- Pittsburgh's RASHARD MENDENHALL rushed for 120 yards, including the game-winning 50-yard touchdown in overtime as the Steelers edged the Falcons 15-9.
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.
