Hightower Takes Home Weekly Defensive Honor For Dominant Week 6 Performance

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower was a huge part of the team's Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Thanks to his dominance on the field Sunday, the fifth year player has some new hardware.

Hightower was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week by the league, Wednesday.

Against Cincy Hightower was nothing short of dominant, totaling a team-high 13 tackles and adding 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits.

The Alabama product also had a number of big time plays, including his first sack which came in third quarter and resulted in a safety. The play, which cut Cincy's lead to two, truly began to swing the momentum back in the favor of the Patriots. Hightower also created an impressive fourth down stop earlier in the game that kept the Bengals out of the end zone on fourth and goal from the New England half yard line.

The Player of the Week honor was the fifth such honor a member of the Patriots has had this season, as kicker Stephen Gostkowski and punter Ryan Allen have both been awarded for their excellence on special teams and quarterback Tom Brady and running back LeGarrette Blount have been recognized for outstanding offensive performances so far.