The Bengals posted their best defensive game of the year last week in a 41-24 win over Las Vegas and Trey Hendrickson played a starring role. The veteran defensive end registered a career-high four sacks to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Meanwhile, rookie Kamren Kinchens returned an interception 103 yards for a tiebreaking touchdown in the Rams’ overtime victory at Seattle to earn NFC honors, the league announced Wednesday afternoon.
Hendrickson’s quartet of sacks vaulted him into the NFL lead with 11, two more than the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). Only one other player (Aidan Hutchinson, 4½ in Week 2) has more sacks in an NFL game this year. Hendrickson also had a forced fumble and pass defensed against the Raiders to earn his second career weekly award, his first since Week 3 in 2022.
Kinchens actually posted two fourth-quarter interceptions in his club’s 26-20 victory. The 103-yard return gave the Rams a 14-point swing and a 20-13 lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. It matched the longest interception-return touchdown by an NFL rookie, established by Pete Barnum of the Columbus Tigers on Sept. 26, 1926. The play also marked the NFL’s longest go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown ever scored by a rookie, surpassing Kansas City’s Jaylen Watson, who returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 15, 2022. Two drives after his 103-yard return, Kinchens picked off Geno Smith again, this time at his own 7-yard line, to thwart another Seattle drive in a tight game.
Kinchens this week plays the team from his hometown, the Miami Dolphins (2-6), when the Rams (4-4) host Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). Hendrickson and the Bengals (4-5) are in action at Baltimore (6-3) on Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
For more information on the Bengals and Rams, visit the Cincinnati and Los Angeles Rams team pages on ProFootballPost.com.
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