Bills LB Terrel Bernard earns conference-wide award for stellar play vs. Chiefs

Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 11.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

There’s one member of the Buffalo Bills who is earning considerable NFL MVP consideration after the team’s Week 11 win over the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, but it’s a player on the other side of the football who has received a more immediate national honor.

Middle linebacker Terrel Bernard has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his stellar outing against Kansas City, becoming the sixth Buffalo player this year to earn a conference-specific Player of the Week honor. The third-year defender was all over the place in the Bills’ Week 11 triumph, tallying a team-high eight tackles, one sack, and an interception to help Buffalo put the first blemish on Kansas City’s 2024 record.

Terrel Bernard has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/MBNjS42zDn

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) November 20, 2024

Splash plays, in a vacuum, are exciting and look nice on the stat sheet, but Bernard’s notable plays truly impacted the game’s outcome. His first-quarter sack on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes came on a third-and-five and allowed the Bills to maintain momentum after taking a quick 6-0 lead, and his fourth-quarter interception on the two-time NFL MVP sealed Buffalo’s victory. His proficiency in coverage also cannot be overstated, as he helped his unit limit seven-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce to just two receptions for eight yards, the worst performance he’s ever constructed against the Bills.

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was as though Bernard had a sixth sense in the win, with ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky echoing this sentiment during a recent appearance on One Bills Live by stating that “it look[ed] like Bernard [knew] basically everything that [was] coming.” Per Bills PR, the 25-year-old was the lone player in the NFL to record both an interception and sack in Week 11.

This is the second time Bernard has earned AFC Defensive Player of the Year honors in his young career, and he’ll look to build on his momentum when Buffalo returns from its bye week for a Week 13 clash with the San Francisco 49ers.

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