FOXBORO – Dont’a Hightower played six special teams snaps last weekend, but he made the most of them. On Wednesday, the Patriots linebacker was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

This marks the second time Hightower has earned a Player of the Week award, but the last time, in 2016, it was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after making 13 tackles and a sack for a safety. This time around, Hightower earned the honors after blocking a punt in the Patriots [...]

FOXBORO – Dont’a Hightower played six special teams snaps last weekend, but he made the most of them. On Wednesday, the Patriots linebacker was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

This marks the second time Hightower has earned a Player of the Week award, but the last time, in 2016, it was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after making 13 tackles and a sack for a safety. This time around, Hightower earned the honors after blocking a punt in the Patriots win over the Chicago Bears.

With the score tied, 24-24, Hightower bull rushed the Bears punt protection unit and quickly got to punter Pat O’Donnell. With the ball fluttering on the ground, Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy scooped it up and returned the block punt 29 yards for a touchdown. The play marked the first blocked punt of Hightower’s career – and life. It marked the first block punt returned for a touchdown for the Patriots since the 1996 season.

This also marks the first Player of the Week award for the Patriots since last season, in Week 16, when Dion Lewis was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. It’s the first special teams honor since Stephen Gostkowski earned the award in Week 11 of 2017.