Julian Edelman is Your Week 17 AFC Player of the Week

A career day for @edelman11 earns him his first career AFC Offensive Player of the Week award: https://t.co/ATyFzNznLK pic.twitter.com/Pr1kjwT6MI

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 4, 2017

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Just like in 2015, the Patriots needed a week 17 victory in Miami to secure homefield advantage in the playoffs. Unlike 2015 this year the Pats took care of business and locked up the 1 seed by beating the Dolphins 35-14. 

WR Julian Edelman had a career day in the victory.

8 receptions for 151 yards (career high) and a touchdown (and a two-point conversion) I know the Pats are all about the team and not individual achievements but this performance by Edelman is very noteworthy. He's the first Patriots WR to recieve a player of the week award since Randy Moss way back in 2007. While he indivdually had a fantastic game it would not have been possible without this smashing block by recently acquired WR Michael Floyd.  Team football right here. 

1⃣1⃣ goes 7⃣7⃣ yards. ‼, @edelman11! https://t.co/10bS0wLwgD

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 1, 2017

That play was the turning point in game. Patriots came out hot and had a 20-0 lead but  Miami was able to close the gap to 6. On a big third down, stop them there and the Dolphins get the ball back down 6 with all the momentum. Instead Brady finds Edelman for a first down and then Michael Floyd kills a man in cold blood to open up the lane for a touchdown. One of the best blocks by a WR I've ever seen.

Edelman's biggest game of his career came at great time for both the team and him individually. He helped the Patriots pick up the win to go 14-2 and secure homefield advantage, and for him individually it gave him a new career high in recieving yards for a season. Edelman finished the 2016 regular season with 98 receptions for 1,106 yards and 3 touchdowns.