Ben Goessling, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Anthony Barr named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

MINNEAPOLIS -- Anthony Barr already got a game ball from coach Mike Zimmer after his game-winning fumble return touchdown on Sunday. Now, he's getting accolades from the NFL.

Barr won NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Wednesday, claiming the award for the first time after a game where he recorded eight tackles, a sack and his first forced fumble, which he returned for a touchdown in overtime after ripping it away from Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Barr also had another quarterback hit and broke up a pass in the game. He has recovered three fumbles in the past two weeks.

He is the sixth rookie to win the award in the last 10 seasons, adding his name to a list that is composed of DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews, Brian Orakpo, Sean Lee and Luke Kuechly. That's a pretty impressive list for Barr to belong to -- the players on it have been to a combined 15 Pro Bowls -- and it's another sign that the rookie has a chance to move into some rarefied air as a linebacker.

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