Quarterback PHILIP RIVERS of the San Diego Chargers, defensive end J.J. WATT of the Houston Texans and punter PAT MC AFEE of the Indianapolis Colts are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Month for September, the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: QB PHILIP RIVERS, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
- Rivers completed 96 of 137 passes (70.1 percent) for 1,155 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception for an NFL-best 114.5 passer rating in September.
- He led the Chargers to a 3-1 record in September, posting a completion percentage of at least 70 percent and a passer rating of 124 or better in three of four games this month.
- Rivers’ yards-per-attempt average of 8.4 ranked second in the NFL this month, and he has not thrown an interception in his past 117 attempts.
- He passed for 284 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions against Seattle in Week 2, following a 238-yard performance with one TD on Kickoff Weekend against Arizona. He added 256 passing yards and two touchdowns for a 131.4 passer rating in Week 3 at Buffalo. Rivers finished the month with 377 passing yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 130 rating against Jacksonville.
- In his 11th season from North Carolina State, this is Rivers’ fourth career Offensive Player of the Month Award. His four Player of the Month Awards are the most of any player in team history.
DEFENSE: DE J.J. WATT, HOUSTON TEXANS
- For the month, Watt had 15 tackles, two sacks, an interception-return touchdown, a blocked PAT and his first career touchdown catch.
- On Kickoff Weekend against Washington, Watt blocked a PAT and posted a sack. He scored a touchdown on his first career reception in Week 2 against Oakland, and registered a sack against the New York Giants in Week 3.
- Watt’s 80-yard interception-return touchdown in Week 4 against Buffalo, which tied for the sixth-longest in NFL history by a defensive lineman, was Watt’s first in the regular season. He also had a 29-yard INT-TD in a Wild Card win over Cincinnati (January 7, 2012).
- Watt is the only player in NFL history with at least 35 sacks (38.5), an interception-return touchdown and a receiving touchdown in his first four NFL seasons.
- He is the second player since 1970 with an interception-return touchdown and touchdown catch in the same season (Patriots LB MIKE VRABEL, 2005).
- In his fourth season from Wisconsin, this is Watt’s third career Player of the Month Award, the most of any player in Texans history. He won the award twice in 2012 (September and December).
SPECIAL TEAMS: P PAT MC AFEE, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
- McAfee punted 14 times for a 49.6 average, placing six punts inside the 20-yard line, in September.
- He leads the NFL in net punting average (45.6), the third-best mark in September for one season of any player since net punting average became an official statistic in 1976.
- McAfee also led the NFL with 24 touchbacks on kickoffs in September.
- He ranks third in the NFL in gross punting average (49.6).
- In his sixth season from West Virginia, this is McAfee’s first career Special Teams Player of the Month Award. He is the first Colts player to win the award since punter HUNTER SMITH in December of 2005.
NFC
Running back DE MARCO MURRAY of the Dallas Cowboys, linebacker DE ANDRE LEVY of the Detroit Lions and punter JON RYAN of the Seattle Seahawks are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Month for September, the NFL announced today.
OFFENSE: RB DE MARCO MURRAY, DALLAS COWBOYS
- Murray led the NFL with 534 rushing yards and five touchdown runs as the Cowboys went 3-1 during the month.
- He rushed for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in each of the team’s first four games and is one of only four players in NFL history to do so. The other three players – JIM BROWN (six games), O.J. SIMPSON (five) and EMMITT SMITH (four) – to accomplish the feat are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Murray rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on Kickoff Weekend against San Francisco. In Week 2 at Tennessee, he had 167 rushing yards and a score. He followed that performance with 100 yards and a TD in Week 3 at St. Louis. Murray finished the month with 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns against New Orleans.
- Murray’s 534 rushing yards are the most in the NFL by 156 yards. He also leads the league in first downs (31) and rushing first downs (30).
- In his fourth season from Oklahoma, this is Murray’s first career Player of the Month Award.
- Murray is the first Dallas running back to be named Offensive Player of the Month since Smith in September 1995. Smith (five) and Murray are the only running backs in Cowboys history to be honored with a monthly award.
DEFENSE: LB DE ANDRE LEVY, DETROIT LIONS
- Levy had 38 tackles, an interception, a safety and three passes defensed as he led the league’s No. 1 ranked defense (267.3 yards per game). The Lions finished September in first place in the NFC North with a 3-1 record.
- He is the only player in the NFL this season with an interception and a safety.
- Levy registered at least 10 tackles in three of the team’s four September contests.
- He has seven interceptions since the start of the 2013 season, the most by a linebacker in the league.
- Levy was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1.
- In his sixth year from Wisconsin, this is Levy’s first career Player of the Month Award.
- He joins cornerback RAY CROCKETT (November 1991) and linebacker STEPHEN BOYD (November 1998) as the only Lions to be named Defensive Player of the Month.
SPECIAL TEAMS: P JON RYAN, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
- Ryan punted 12 times in Seattle’s three games and averaged 48.3 yards per punt with a net average of 43.3 yards. He placed seven of his 12 punts inside the 20-yard line and allowed only three returns for 21 yards.
- He had four punts of at least 60 yards – including two 66-yarders – and also had a 58-yard punt. Additionally, Ryan boomed a free kick 79 yards to Denver’s one-yard line following a safety in Week 3.
- Opponents only scored one touchdown during the month after one of Ryan’s 13 kicks (12 punts, one free kick).
- In his ninth season from Regina, this is Ryan’s first career Player of the Month Award.
- Ryan joins JEFF FEAGLES (December 1999) as the only punters in franchise history to be honored.
