Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick showed his dominance on Sunday in the Steelers overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals, so it should come as no surprise he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.
Fitzpatrick got the Steelers off to a strong start, intercepting Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow on their first possession of the game and returning it 31 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead with just 2:17 elapsed in the game.
"I came in wanting to make a statement," said Fitzpatrick. "I felt like last year, it wasn't a normal year for me."
The pick-six was Fitzpatrick's fourth career interception return for a touchdown, his third with the Steelers. He also has a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
"That's nothing new," said cornerback Cam Sutton. "That's who he is. He's a high-energy player for us the way he flies around. He was creating havoc on the ball."
It would be Fitzpatrick who kept the Bengals from walking away with a win in regulation, when on the last play he blocked Evan McPherson's extra point attempt, sending the game into overtime tied, 20-20.
"He was flying to the football and making plays," said defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. "I just knew what it meant to him."
That wasn't all he did. Fitzpatrick played all 100 defensive snaps, plus four on special teams. He finished the game with a team-high 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops.
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