Jatavis Brown put on a show in primetime last Thursday that helped make him a household name across the country.
The fifth-round linebacker out of Akron led the Chargers with 14 tackles, and single handedly ended a pivotal Broncos drive in the fourth quarter that helped the Bolts to a 21-13 win over Denver. Brown sacked Trevor Siemian for a 10-yard loss on first down with 4:13 remaining. On the next snap, he forced a fumble with a hard hit on Demaryius Thomas, popping the ball loose that Craig Mager recovered to give San Diego possession.
Brown faces stiff competition for the award in the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, the Philadelphia Eagles' Wendell Smallwood and Cleveland Browns' Cody Kessler.