NFL Week 13: Top 3 Defenders

With Week 13 come and gone, it's time to recognize some of the truly exceptional performances fans were treated to over the 15-game slate. Here are the top three defenders from yet another exciting week of football.

Edge Rusher Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49er survived a devastating injury to their starting quarterback to top the Miami Dolphins 33-17 in Week 13, and they had a dominant defensive performance to thank. Edge rusher Nick Bosa was out of control on Sunday, notching 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble for a 49ers pass defense that overwhelmed Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for three key takeaways. Bosa's 14.5 sacks this season now lead the league.

Edge Rusher Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders

This was the type of performance the Las Vegas Raiders were picturing when they acquired edge rusher Chandler Jones earlier this year. The 11th-year pass rusher notched his first multi-sack performance of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers, taking down quarterback Justin Herbert three times and adding another two tackles for loss and a pass deflection in a 27-20 win. Jones had only notched a half-sack and a single tackle for loss entering Sunday's game.

Linebacker Tony Fields, Cleveland Browns

Despite the long-awaited debut of quarterback Deshaun Watson, it was the defense that was the story of the day in the Cleveland Browns' 27-14 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Unheralded linebacker Tony Fields was the star of the proceedings, returning an interception 16 yards for a touchdown, forcing a fumble that was recovered for another touchdown, and recovering yet another fumble. He also pitched in four tackles. It was only the second start of his young career.

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