Hufanga earns AFC Defensive Player of Week after pick-six
Talanoa Hufanga was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after powering the Denver Broncos past the Los Angeles Rams, with two interceptions, a sack and a…
DENVER — Talanoa Hufanga has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant performance in the Denver Broncos’ 30-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, the NFL announced Wednesday.
The Broncos safety changed the game in one quarter. He recorded two interceptions, including a 66-yard pick-six that gave Denver its first lead of the night, and later added the game-winner along with a sack.
Hufanga’s burst came at the right time for Denver, which needed a spark to flip the game against the Rams. It arrived fast. One return. One turn of momentum. One award.
Game ball, then a weekly honor
After the comeback win, coach Sean Payton gave Hufanga a game ball. Payton praised the safety’s steadiness and impact, saying, “[H]e obviously gets a game ball,” and added, “The interception for the touchdown was the play, just what that does for you and the play at the very end, he's been such a consistent performer for us and leader. I love him, I love coaching him … I was happy.”
Hufanga said receiving the game ball felt “incredible.” He added, “I don't take these moments lightly. I'm learning and I'm growing as a human, just being older. It's been a true testament to my family, just supporting me. These moments are huge, but at the end of the day, I got to go back and my daughter and son are going to wait for me and they're going to expect me to be dad. So these moments mean a lot, but there is a bigger picture, and that is just life. Super thankful.”
He also credited God for the outing and said the game brought a reminder not to dwell on early misses. “Praise God to come out there and just play the game I love and walk out here healthy,” Hufanga said. “I talked this offseason, you try and not get too down on yourself. I actually had to have a pep-talk with myself. Like I dropped two [possible interceptions] at the beginning of the game, and it was in there, for sure, 'Ah, don't be the guy—make the plays when they come.' So just sitting back with some patience and letting the game come to me, for sure.”
Why it mattered for Denver
Hufanga’s award also points to how quickly one defensive stretch can alter a game’s shape. Denver trailed before his pick-six swung the scoreboard, and the second interception sealed the night. For the Broncos, that kind of playmaking matters because it turns a tight prime-time game into a win built on defense, not just offense.
The NFL said Wednesday’s honor followed a performance that packed two interceptions and a sack into the same quarter, a rare kind of output even for a standout defensive back. The recognition places Hufanga at the center of Denver’s biggest defensive moment of the week, and gives the Broncos a fresh headline before their next game.
Hufanga has had a nose for the football since signing as a free agent with the Broncos in 20
Source: nfl.com
