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Rams linebacker Micah Kiser was all over the field on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, recording 16 tackles, one key pass deflection and a forced fumble in LA’s 37-19 win on the road. In just his second career game on defense after spending 2018 exclusively on special teams and missing 2019 with injury, Kiser was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday.
1 forced fumble ✅
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 23, 2020
1 pass defended ✅
16 total tackles ✅
Congratulations on your first NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor, @kiser_rollin! https://t.co/WyjzEsYaVg
Kiser is the first Rams player to win the award since Aaron Donald in Week 11 last season. In 2018, Donald won the award in Week 7 and Week 16 and Samson Ebukam won in Week 11. In 2017, Trumaine Johnson won the award in Week 1. The last season without a Rams player winning the award is 2014.
Kiser replaced a Pro Bowl linebacker when Cory Littleton left in free agency to sign with the Raiders. Littleton’s career high is 14 tackles and Kiser topped that in his second career game on defense. He did have some similar games last season though: 14 tackles, one interception, two passes defensed, one fumble and a recovery against the Panthers in Week 1. Also, 13 tackles, one forced fumble and a recovery, one QB hit and one TFL in Week 10 against the Steelers.
We never got to saw Kiser and Littleton play together but in his second game, Kiser already looks like he can play like Littleton.