We all watched that Denver Broncos' defense dominate at Mile High on Sunday, and it appears the AFC was watching too as the NFL named cornerback Aqib Talib its AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Earning a definite game ball from Mile High Report, Talib earned the honor most notably for his game-changing interception at the end of the third quarter in Denver's eventual 19-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
With the Broncos trailing the Ravens 13-9 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, Talib turned the four-point deficit into a lead Denver would not relinquish. The interception of Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco marked Talib's seventh career "pick-six."
Watching highlights on @SNFonNBC. Superb pick, but man Aqib Talib's gotta tuck that ball in.
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 14, 2015
In addition to his 51-yard interception for a touchdown, Talib had three tackles (two solo) and two passes defensed. The game marked just the ninth time the Broncos have won when not scoring an offensive touchdown.
As the Broncos prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow night, Talib noted that the Broncos defense doesn't even consider itself in mid-season form yet.
"We've got a lot of work to do," Talib said of their prep for a solid Kansas City offense. "We watched the tape and made some corrections. We're going to get it right."
#Talib: "We're the defense. We always feel like we're the bad guy, no matter who we're playing." #DENvsKC
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 15, 2015
Talib pointed out that Chiefs' quarterback Alex Smith knows how to put the ball in the right place, which the Broncos defense will be aiming to disrupt.
"That's a pretty good quarterback and that's a pretty good team over there. You would think the receivers would have more touchdowns," Talib noted. "They find a way to get there."
This marks the 28th time a Broncos player has taken home AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since it was initiated by the NFL in 1984 and the third of Talib's career.
This is the second time as a Bronco that Talib has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week when he earned it in Week 14 against the Bills. He also earned such honors in 2010 as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Talib and his fellow defenders know it will be tough to earn conference honors on Thursday when they travel to a loud Arrowhead stadium, but playing good enough to win will be the goal - despite the short week and loud atmosphere.
"It's just like preparing for a regular game. ...You get right to it. You play on Sunday and you get right to it on Monday," Talib said. "You prepare like a regular week."