After a wild start to the 2021 NFL season, three players were selected as a class above the rest in the National Football Conference.

Los Angeles Rams debutant Matthew Stafford claimed honours on the offensive side of the ball, Chandler Jones’ dominant performance earned him Defensive Player of the Week while Bradley Pinion’s perfect punting scooped up the special teams gong.

Under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football, Matthew Stafford shone brighter than any of his peers, completing 20 of 26 pass attempts for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford was near-flawless with no interceptions and a passer rating of 156.1 in the Rams’ comprehensive 34-14 drubbing of the Chicago Bears. The former Georgia quarterback is the first bulldog signal-caller to win the award multiple times.

Two-time Arizona All-Pro stood tall above all of his NFL brethren in Week 1, putting in the most prepotent performance across all sixteen games. The 31-year-old linebacker registered an incredible five sacks, six tackles — four of those for loss, and two forced fumbles. In one of the most historic displays in recent memory, Jones became just the third player since 1982 to record at least five sacks in Week 1.

The former Patriot takes his Player of the Week tally to five — four of which are with Arizona, tying Adrian Wilson for the all-time Defensive Player of the Week record for a Cardinal. Jones also joints fellow pass rusher Dwight Freeney (six-time winner) as the only former Syracuse players to earn Defensive Player of the Week five times.

Last but most certainly not least, Tampa Bay punter Bradley Pinion picked up the NFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week after four phenomenal punts.

Pinion was critical to the overall result, pinning the Cowboys inside the 10-yard line on three of four punts. The former Clemson product averaged 49.3 yards per punt and is the second time he was won a Player of the Week award.