Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Romo, Peppers, Hester named NFC Players of the Week

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers and Chicago Bears returner Devin Hester received NFC honors for Week 10 of the 2006 campaign.

Romo set a career high with 308 passing yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-29 passing (69.0 percent) in just his third NFL start with a passer rating of 126.8 in Dallas' 27-10 win against Arizona. The four-year veteran was a perfect 10-of-10 for 144 yards and a score in the second half while guiding a Cowboys offense that amassed 434 total net yards.

Peppers recorded four tackles, three sacks, three QB hurries, two passes defended and a fumble recovery in Carolina's 24-10 victory over Tampa Bay. Peppers notched his sixth three-sack game since joining the league in 2002 and leads the NFL with 11 sacks this season. Peppers' 51 1/2 career-sacks makes him the first player in franchise history to reach 50 sacks, passing Mike Rucker (49) for the Panthers record.

Hester tied a league record Sunday night for the longest play in NFL history with his 108-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown in Chicago's 38-20 win against the New York Giants. The score tied him with teammate Nathan Vasher, who returned a missed San Francisco field goal the same distance last season. The rookie leads the league with two punt-return touchdowns and has scored on three returns of at least 80 yards this year.