Devin McCourty Named AFC Defensive Player Of The Month For Interception Fest In September
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- At the end of last season, veteran safety and longtime Patriots captain Devin McCourty was considering retirement. One month into his 2019 season, it's fair to say that he made the right choice to return.
McCourty earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for his work on the field in September, when the Patriots went 4-0.
McCourty leads the Patriots in defensive snaps, as he's been on the field for 91.2 percent of the plays for the NFL's No. 1 defense. He's recorded an interception in each of the first four games of the year, which tied a Patriots franchise record. McCourty's also the first player in the entire NFL to record a pick in each of the first four games of the season since 2003; no Patriots player has ever achieved that particular feat.
McCourty hasn't had a stretch of games with interceptions like this since his rookie year in 2010, when he was playing cornerback. That year, McCourty recorded four interceptions in a three-game span between Weeks 11 and 13. He picked off seven passes that year, which still stands as his career high. But with 12 games remaining this year, McCourty is in position to match or improve upon that personal best.
Prior to the 2019 season, McCourty had made four interceptions total over the previous four seasons. Aside from his seven-pick rookie season, he's recorded more than four picks in a season just one other time, when he had five interceptions in 2012.
In addition to the picks, McCourty also has another pass defended, as well as 13 total tackles (11 solo, two assists) on the year.
It's the first Defensive Player of the Month Award for the 32-year-old McCourty, and it's the first time a Patriots player has earned the honor since Chandler Jones in November of 2013.
The award this month could have just as easily gone to McCourty's teammate, Jamie Collins, who already has 3.5 sacks, 23 total tackles, six tackles for a loss and five quarterback hits, in addition to his three interceptions and one defensive touchdown. Kyle Van Noy has also had an excellent start to the season, and he was rewarded with AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance last weekend in Buffalo.
And with the Redskins, Giants, Jets and Browns -- the current 28th, 16th, 31st, and 15th scoring offenses, respectively -- due up in October, this award just might belong to a Patriot next month as well.
