There was a point in last Sunday’s game when Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told defensive end Carlos Dunlap to stop thinking about batting down passes and focus on rushing the quarterback.
It turned out to be a good thing for the Bengals that Dunlap didn’t flip the switch completely. With the Bengals trailing 23-17 in the fourth quarter and the Colts facing a second-and-6, Dunlap found himself rushing off the right side of the offensive line when he came to a stop in order to try to bat down a Jacoby Brissett pass.
Dunlap didn’t bat it down, but he did tip it to a spot where he could grab it and sprint for a 16-yard touchdown. The score provided the final margin of victory in a 24-23 win and came along with a sack and two quarterback hits for Dunlap.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Dunlap has been named the AFC defensive player of the week in recognition of that effort.