Vikings CB Isaiah Rodgers named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for big plays against Bears

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is not only making a big impact on the defensive side of the ball, but his splash plays on special teams have earned him a Week 2 honor. 

In the team's victory over the Chicago Bears, Rodgers raced off the edge to block a 23-yard field goal with less than a quarter left in the game, helping to preserve the team's 9-3 victory. 

That crucial block earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. 

Rodgers also had a fumble recovery on the goal line that was forced by defensive tackle Jalen Redmond earlier in the game, keeping the Bears out of the end zone. 

"Everyone knows that this guy is probably one of the fastest guys in the NFL, but his acceleration to get off of the football and be able to bend," Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said. "His ability to slip Roush's hand that got thrown out and be able to bend and be able to take it off the foot — [it] says a lot about the type of athlete that he is, and on plays like that we say it all the time that 'Great plays are made from great effort,' and it was just unbelievable effort by him."

Rodgers isn't new to blocking field goals. He blocked a 30-yard attempt by the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.

"He's already kind of put it out in the air that he's going to take three; he's going to take three off the foot this year," Daniels said. 

Last season, Rodgers won NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 3 for a historic performance in a blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals. In that game, he had two defensive touchdowns, an interception, two forced fumbles and three tackles in the 48-10 win. The Vikings said he is the only player in NFL history with multiple defensive touchdowns and multiple forced fumbles in one game.

The 2-0 Vikings will take on the 0-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida on Sunday afternoon.