By picking off a Peyton Manning pass and returning it for a touchdown, Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick provided the final scoring in a 37-28 victory that put his team into the playoffs.
It also brought an individual honor to go along with the team’s success. Kirkpatrick has been named as the AFC defensive player of the week for Week 16.
Kirkpatrick had another interception in the game as the Bengals picked off Peyton Manning four times in a performance that created enough concern in Denver that John Fox had to tell people that the sky is not falling as a result of the performance.
It’s not falling in Cincinnati either and another win this weekend will make the team the AFC North champions. Kirkpatrick hasn’t played a huge role over the 15 games that put them in position to take home the crown, but he made the most of his snaps last Sunday and may get a few more as the Bengals try to shut down Ben Roethlisberger this time around.