Matt Milano named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

The linebacker is starting to get national recognition

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant performance against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Milano finished the game with 12 tackles (eight solo), one sack, three tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery.

With the score 10-3 in favor of the Browns, Milano had a huge fumble recovery off a botched snap that turned the game in Buffalo’s favor. After that recovery by Milano, the Bills outscored the Browns 28-13 the rest of the way, including 25 unanswered points. The linebacker was also a key contributor in holding running back Nick Chubb to only 19 yards on 14 carries.

The excellence of Milano is no surprise to fans as he has been doing this all season long. Milano has the ability to cover the field east to west, tracking down running backs getting to the outside. However, he also has the ability to go north and south in a hurry to plug up holes at the line of scrimmage. Head coach Sean McDermott said that Milano is the one of the most underrated defenders in the NFL, while teammate Jordan Phillips endorses him for Defensive Player of the Year.

The nation will be able to see Milano show his skills on Thanksgiving Day, when the Bills will take on the Detroit Lions in the opening game of the afternoon.