The San Francisco 49ers win over the Seattle Seahawks has resulted in a pair of weekly award nominations. The NFL has sponsored awards for rookie of the week, quarterback of the week, and running back of the week, with fans determining the winner. For Week 15, kick returner Richie James has been nominated for rookie of the week, while Nick Mullens is up for quarterback of the week.
Both are likely long-shots, but there is a reasonable argument to be made for both getting the nod over their competitors. You can click on those links to vote over and over and over again.
James had a kickoff return for a touchdown (more to come in a bit on that) that was a key turning point early in the game. The Seahawks had marched down the field to take a 6-0 lead after forcing a 49ers three-and-out to open the game. Seattle looked ready to handle their business, but James’ kickoff return swung the momentum back in San Francisco’s favor. The 49ers never trailed the rest of the way en route to an overtime win.
Nick Mullens did not have his biggest game of the season, but he made some big throws in his 275-yard, one touchdown performance. I would argue the biggest part of his day was hanging in the pocket in spite of some big hits from Frank Clark and Jarran Reed. He did not get jumpy after the hits or show happy feet, instead showing tremendous poise to help lead the 49ers to victory.