Week 7: Dante Fowler Jr., Washington Commanders

photo courtesy washington commanders

Washington Commanders defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. has been named the DC Touchdown Club Pro Football Player of the Week after his outstanding defensive performance led the host Commanders to a resounding 40-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday.

Fowler, signed as a free agent this past offseason, has come on strong in recent weeks and leads the team in sacks as they near the midseason mark.

But it was his first career interception and subsequent 67-yard return for a touchdown that suddenly turned the game in the Commanders’ favor. Carolina had taken the opening kickoff and quickly moved down the field. Fowler, though, corraled an errant screen pass, made a nimble move around quarterback Andy Dalton and raced the rest of the way for his first-ever pick six.

The Commanders never again were threatened as they built a 27-0 halftime lead and took a shutout into the fourth quarter.

“Dante’s touchdown was really the thing that set it off,” Commanders Coach Dan Quinn said, “To create momentum for us.”

Fowler, who previously played for Quinn with the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, added two tackles, including stuffing a fourth-down run for a loss and a sack.

“That was my first pick-six in my life. I feel a little bit different than before," Fowler told reporters following the game. "Man, that was so cool. That was my first interception -- just be able to return it for a touchdown -- man, that was like I was in a dream.”