After arguably the best performance of his career and one of the best defensive performances in the NFL this season, Jets safety Jamal Adams has been rewarded.
Adams, who had nine tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in Sunday's win over the Giants, has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
On one of the sacks Adams had on Sunday, he ripped the ball right out of Daniel Jones' hands and raced to the end zone for a touchdown.
"Bro, people don't even understand," Adams said after the game. "This is nothing. I can tap into a whole nother level, man. I know what to expect from my play, when i just do it the right way. ... what I'm asked to do on the field by my coaches. This is nothing, this is just the start."
Jets head coach Adam Gase said Tuesday that Adams was "playing at a different speed" than everyone else on Sunday.
"It's hard to explain, I feel like I've seen him play like this a lot, because what you see on Sunday is what we see everyday," Gase said during an appearance on The Michael Kay Show. "I do think he was at a higher level than what I've seen. I mean he looked fast, he was aggressive...he just looked like he was playing at a different speed than everybody else."
Adams' explosive performance came roughly two weeks after the NFL trade deadline, when his name surfaced in rumors connecting him to the Cowboys.
In the days after those rumors came out, Adams confirmed that he would've welcomed a trade to the Cowboys and expressed frustration and anger with the Jets. Things have since been patched up.
Overall this season, Adams has three sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, six passes defended, and 43 solo tackles.