Gilmore is ‘D’ player of year
Patriots CB stakes claim as best defender
Stephon Gilmore was more than the best cornerback in the NFL this season.
He was the best defender in football.
Gilmore won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award Saturday night during the annual NFL Honors show in Miami. Gilmore beat out Arizona defensive end Chandler Jones, Pittsburgh outside linebacker T.J. Watt and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, among others. The Patriots’ All-Pro finished the regular season tied for the league lead in interceptions with six and leading all defenders with 20 pass breakups, both career highs.
Gilmore is the first cornerback since Charles Woodson in 2009 to be named Defensive Player of the Year. He made his second consecutive All-Pro team and third Pro Bowl this season. Gilmore is the first Patriot to win the Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year award.
The 29-year-old bookended his season with pick-sixes, racing back interceptions for touchdowns at Miami in September and at Cincinnati in mid-December. He routinely shut down opposing No. 1 wideouts, even holding Cowboys Pro Bowler Amari Cooper without a catch in Week 12.
Gilmore had a knack for shining under a national spotlight. He picked off Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and batted away four other passes over the Pats’ 35-14 win over New York on Thursday Night Football in Week 6. Ten days later, Gilmore grabbed his third pick of the season on Monday Night Football against the Jets. As he shut down Cooper, he intercepted Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott during one of the most watched regular-season games of the year.
He surrendered a single touchdown all season. In mid-December, Gilmore said there was “no question” he should win Defensive Player of the Year.
“I mean, my play speaks for itself,” Gilmore told 98.5 The Sports Hub midday show “Zolak & Bertrand.” “If you really watch the tape each and every game, it’s no question.”
A month later, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association.
Earlier this week, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Patriots cornerback Ty Law offered his support for Gilmore’s candidacy.
“I think he deserves it 100%,” Law told the Herald. “This is an opportunity for him. He deserves to do something no other Patriots defensive back has ever done, including myself. I don’t think it should even be a race, to be honest with you. He played consistently from the first game throughout the season. No one has done it better.”
Gilmore played 952 defensive snaps, the most of any Patriot. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed completions on fewer than 50 percent of his targets. Only one completion went for longer than 30 yards. Opposing quarterbacks registered a QB rating of 47.4 when targeting him, the fourth-lowest mark among cornerbacks who saw at least 250 snaps in coverage.