Bengals player wins weekly NFL award after impressive performance vs. Browns

It didn't take long for Charlie Jones to make his mark during the Week 7 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. In fact, it only took one play.

Charlie Jones named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Jones received the opening kickoff of the contest, and he took that puppy 100 yards all the way to the house for a touchdown. It was the play of the season so far for the Bengals and the biggest highlight of Jones' entire career. With the score, Jones became just the second player in Bengals history to score a touchdown on both a punt return and a kick return in Bengals history, joining cornerback Lemar Parrish.

Jones also added a 23-yard punt return in the second quarter, and he was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week as a result. It is Jones' first Player of the Week award. However, it was far from a first for the Bengals organization. In fact, since the start of the 2021 season, Bengals players have won a total of 17 weekly NFL honors, which is the third-most league-wide during that span.

Jones has been a non-factor on offense for the Bengals so far this season, as he has just one reception for five yards, so it was nice to see him find a way to contribute in such a major way.
After the game against the Browns, Jones reflected on the touchdown play and did his best to describe his thought process during the action.

"You can't replicate the speed in practice. You're not running 100 yards," Jones said. "You can get a decent idea how it can go by watching film. But the thing we talk about all the time is that kick return is running through smoke. You're just trying to get through there."

Jones' opening-play touchdown set the tone for the team and gave the Bengals a lead against the Browns that they never relinquished. The victory over Cleveland was the second in a row for the Bengals, and the third in their four. They'll look to extend that winning streak to three games against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8.