Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver and punt returner Travis Benjamin was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the National Football League office announced on Wednesday. The weekly accolade is the fourth of his career and his first since 2015.
Benjamin jump-started the Chargers by opening the scoring with a 65-yard punt return early in the first quarter. The punt return touchdown proved to be all the points Los Angeles would need as they blanked the Broncos, 21-0. Benjamin totaled 88 punt return yards on the day, averaging 29.3 yards per return as he also added a 20-yard return later in the same quarter.
The punt return touchdown was the first for a Chargers player since Michael Spurlock returned a punt 63 yards against the Jets on Dec. 23, 2012. The punt return touchdown was the fourth of his career and his first since Sept. 20, 2015, against the Titans. The 88 yards was the fourth-best effort of his career while his 29.3 yards per return was the third-best mark of his six-year career.
On top of the punt return score, Benjamin added a 42-yard receiving touchdown to account for two of the three touchdowns on the afternoon for Los Angeles. His 42-yard receiving touchdown marked the seventh of his career of 40 or more yards. The Florida native became the first player in a Chargers uniform with a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same game since Eric Metcalf (Nov. 30, 1997).
The Los Angeles Chargers head east to face the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is slated for 10:00 a.m. PT and will air on CBS.
