Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil will be named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for games played during the 14th week (Dec. 6-10) of the 2007 season, the National Football League informed the Broncos on Tuesday.
In his second season, Dumervil tied a career high with three sacks (15 yds.) and added a forced fumble in the Broncos' 41-7 win against Kansas City on Sunday. He led the defensive line with 38 snaps played and five tackles (4 solo), helping the Broncos hold Kansas City to 16 rushing yards on 17 attempts for a 0.94-yard average that was the third lowest allowed by Denver in a game in club history.
Dumervil's 11 sacks (61 yds.) this season tie for seventh in the NFL (3rd in AFC), and he is one of three players in the league (Kansas City's Jared Allen and San Diego's Shawne Merriman) to have recorded four games with at least two sacks. A 13-game starter from the University of Louisville, Dumervil leads the Broncos with four forced fumbles that rank as the sixth-highest total in the NFL.
He also has posted 44 tackles (35 solo), one interception (27 yds.), seven pass breakups and one fumble recovery this season.
Dumervil is the first Bronco to be named AFC Defensive Player of the Week since 2005 (safety John Lynch in Wk. 17) and becomes the first Denver defensive lineman to be recognized for the award since 1996 (Alfred Williams in Wk. 3). His selection marks the 20th time a Broncos player has received AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since the award was initiated by the NFL in 1984.