AFC Players of the Month-Wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN of the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker WHITNEY MERCILUS of the Houston Texans and kicker CHRIS BOSWELL of the Pittsburgh Steelers are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Month for December (December 3-January 3), the NFL announced today.OFFENSE: WR ANTONIO BROWN, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
- Brown led the NFL in catches (51) and receiving yards (642) for the month to go along with six total touchdowns (five receiving and one punt return).
- His 51 receptions are the most of any player in his team’s final five games of a season in NFL history.
· He posted at least seven catches in every game during the month, helping the Steelers close the regular season with a 4-1 record and Wild Card playoff berth.· Brown posted eight catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns and added a 71-yard punt-return touchdown in the Steelers’ 45-10 win against the Colts in Week 13.· Following a seven-catch, 87-yard performance in Pittsburgh’s 33-20 win at Cincinnati in Week 14, Brown had 16 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers’ 34-27 win against Denver.· He closed out the month with 61 receiving yards on seven catches at Baltimore in Week 16 and a 187-yard, 13-catch performance with one touchdown at Cleveland in the final week.· In his sixth season from Central Michigan, this is Brown’s third career Offensive Player of the Month Award, surpassing MARVIN HARRISON (two), ANDRE JOHNSON (two) and CALVIN JOHNSON (two) for the most ever by an NFL wide receiver and tying Pro Football Hall of Famer JEROME BETTIS for the most in club history.DEFENSE: LB WHITNEY MERCILUS, HOUSTON TEXANS· Mercilus posted 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed during the month as the Texans ended the regular season with three consecutive wins to clinch the AFC South title.· He posted at least one sack in three of his team’s five games during the month, including five tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Texans’ 30-6 win against Jacksonville in Week 17.· Mercilus, who also registered a sack against the Patriots in Week 14 and Colts in Week 15, finished the year with a career-high 12 sacks.
- He led a defense that ranked first in the AFC and second in the NFL in total defense for the month (273.0 yards per game). The Texans were also second in the conference and third in the league in scoring defense (15.8 points per game) for the month, yielding only 12 total points in the final two games of the season.
- In his fourth season from Illinois, this is Mercilus’ first career Player of the Month Award.
- This marks the second consecutive month in which a Texan has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Month (J.J. WATT, November), marking the first time an AFC team has had back-to-back Defensive Player of the Month Award winners since Baltimore in 2010 (TERRELL SUGGS, November and ED REED, December).
SPECIAL TEAMS: K CHRIS BOSWELL, PITTSBURGH STEELERS· Boswell led the NFL in scoring and made field goals for the month, converting 12 of 14 field-goal attempts and all 15 PATs for a total of 51 points.· He converted at least two field-goal attempts in four of five games during the month, including all four of his field-goal attempts (42, 47, 45 and 31 yards) and three PATs for a career-high 15 points in the Steelers’ Week 14 win at Cincinnati.· In his first season from Rice, this is Boswell’s first career Player of the Month Award.· He joins JEFF REED as the only kickers in franchise history to be named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.2015 AFC PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
- Cousins led the NFL with a 127.3 passer rating during the month as he completed 111 of 151 passes (73.5 percent) for 1,379 yards with 13 touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for two touchdowns.
- He led the Redskins to a 4-1 record during the month as Washington clinched the NFC East division title.
- Cousins is the only player in the NFL to post a 100+ passer rating in all five games during the month.
- He set a franchise record with 4,166 passing yards and is the only player in team history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns (29) in a single season.
- Cousins and Pro Football Hall of Famer SONNY JURGENSEN (14 games in 1967) are the only Redskins players to throw a touchdown pass in every game in a season.
- In his fourth season from Michigan State, this is Cousins’ first career Player of the Month Award. He was named Offensive Player of the Week twice this season (Weeks 7 and 10).
- Cousins is the first Redskins player to be named Offensive Player of the Month since running back CLINTON PORTISin 2008 (October).
DEFENSE: DT KAWANN SHORT, CAROLINA PANTHERS· Short had five sacks, five tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 16 tackles in the month as Carolina went 4-1. The Panthers finished 15-1, won the NFC South division title and secured home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.· His five sacks during the month led all defensive tackles and his two forced fumbles tied for the most.· Short, who was named to his first Pro Bowl, finished the season with 11 sacks, tied for the most by a DT.
- In his third year from Purdue, this is Short’s second career Player of the Month Award (October 2015). He was also named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 6.
- Short is the first player in franchise history to win multiple Player of the Month Awards in a season.
- Short is the first player to win multiple NFC Defensive Player of the Month Awards in a season since Green Bay’sCHARLES WOODSON in 2009 (September, November, December).
SPECIAL TEAMS: KR-PR-WR TYLER LOCKETT, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS· Lockett had 427 total kick-return yards (244 kickoff, 183 punt) and 759 all-purpose yards during the month as Seattle went 4-1 and clinched a postseason berth.· He had at least 100 all-purpose yards in all five games during the month and scored three touchdowns.· Lockett is the only player in the NFL to have at least 150 kickoff-return yards (244) and 150 punt-return yards (183) during the month.· Lockett was selected to the Pro Bowl as a return specialist and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS(1965) as the only rookies in NFL history with at least five receiving touchdowns (six), a kickoff-return touchdown and a punt-return touchdown.· In his rookie season from Kansas State, this is Lockett’s second career Player of the Month Award (September 2015). He was also named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 17.· Lockett joins Kansas City’s TAMARICK VANOVER (October, December 1995) as the only rookies to win multiple Player of the Month Awards.2015 NFC PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
