Patriots' LeGarrette Blount Named AFC Offensive Player Of The Month
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots are racking up the wins and individual awards to start the 2016 season.
The latest Patriots player to claim some hardware from the NFL is running back LeGarrette Blount, who on Thursday was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.
Blount bowled over defenders in the season's first month, leading the league with 298 rushing yards while averaging 99.3 yards per game. He's also tied for the NFL-lead with four rushing touchdowns, which ties Marion Butts (1994) and Corey Dillon (2005) for the most scores for a Patriots running back in the first three games. Blount also leads the league with 164 yards after contact, via ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss.
The New England back rushed for back-to-back 100-yard games in Week 2 (123 yards vs. Miami) and Week 3 (105 yards vs. Houston) and has scored at least one rushing touchdown in all three games so far in 2016.
This marks the first time in his career that Blount has earned an Offensive Player of the Month Award, and it's the first for the Patriots since Brady and kicker Stephen Gostkowski earned Player of the Month Awards for September in 2015. It's the third time a Patriots player has earned an NFL honor in 2016, with Gostkowski being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in New England's Week 1 win at Arizona, and punter Ryan Allen earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against Houston in Week 3.
