Aaron Smith, Your Defensive Player of the Week

On Wednesday the NFL announced that the Steelers' defensive end Aaron Smith had been chosen as the defensive player of the week. Here is the portion of the NFL's press release addressing Mr. Smith's selection:

"DEFENSE: DE AARON SMITH, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Smith registered eight tackles, one sack and two quarterback pressures in a 13-9 road win over Baltimore as the Steelers clinched the AFC North title in back-to-back seasons. A former fourth-round pick by the Steelers in 1999, Smith played a pivotal role as Pittsburgh’s defense limited Baltimore to 202 total yards on offense and held Ravens rookie quarterback JOE FLACCO to a 22.2 passer rating. The Steelers defense has held opposing offenses to less than 300 yards in 14 consecutive games, which ties the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for an NFL record. Through Week 15, Pittsburgh’s defense ranks first in the NFL allowing 239.1 yards per game.

In his 10th year from Northern Colorado, this is Smith’s first Defensive Player of the Week Award. He joins safety TROY POLAMALU (Week 2) and linebacker JAMES HARRISON (Week 11) as the third Steelers defensive player to win the award in 2008."