Peter King: Francis Defensive Player of the Week

Reading Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback is a pleasant part of my early week routine, as I never fail to find something to disagree with him on, and also never fail to find much to agree with him.

King writes for SI.com, and is well respected for his accurate and insightful reporting - and he always puts himself out there for good or ill, which this publication respects immensely...

...so when he names one of our Patriots as one of his weekly award winners, there is a rock-solid reason why - particularly when that Patriot is an undrafted rookie free agent.

In this morning's edition of MMQ, King writes:

Defensive Players of the Week

Justin Francis, DE, New England. In the Patriots' 28-0 shutout of Miami in Foxboro, New England got seven sacks, three from the undrafted rookie from Rutgers. Francis worked his way into the New England line rotation, and he may take on a bigger role in the playoffs, particularly if Rob Ninkovich, a huge piece to the pass-rush puzzle, has to miss time after leaving Sunday's game with a hip injury. "It's been a long journey,'' Francis said after the first three sacks of his career. It could get longer if the Patriots need production from him in the playoffs.

Francis also received a brief write up in our recap lat night, which can be seen here .

Also in this week's edition, he indicates that he is looking forward to a Manning vs. Brady AFC Championship game in the Rockies.  King's article in its entirety can be read here .

I'm sure he'll get his wish...