Robbie Gould named NFC special teams player of the week, DeForest Buckner does not get DPOW

The NFL announced player of the week awards for Week 15 and the 49ers got some love and some snubbing. Kicker Robbie Gould was named NFC special teams player of the week, while defensive tackle DeForest Buckner lost out to Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett for defensive player of the week.

Gould converted all four of his field goal attempts and two extra point attempts in the 49ers 26-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers had one offensive touchdown, Garrett Celek’s 41-yard reception in the second quarter, but the rest of their points came from special teams. Richie James returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score, and then Gould did the rest. Gould was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.

Jarrett had a big day in the Falcons 40-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He had six tackles, with four measured as stops by Pro Football Focus. They credited him with one forced fumble, two sacks, and four quarterback hurries. In comparison, Buckner had five tackles, all of which were measured as stops, two sacks and a QB hit.

Jarrett is not a bad choice for defensive player of the week, but Buckner’s work in particular against Russell Wilson was other-worldly. Wilson is a slippery quarterback to bring down, but Buckner twice ran him down to make necessary stops. It was arguably Buckner’s best performance in three years as a pro. I suppose it’s a timely snub given his snub for the Pro Bowl.