You’d be hard-pressed to find a better defender in coverage this season than Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots cornerback has made life miserable for receivers trying to get open, and quarterbacks have had very little luck, if any, throwing in his direction. So is Gilmore the Defensive Player of the Year? He seems to think so.
“I mean, my play speaks for itself,” Gilmore told 98.5 The Sports Hub during an interview Wednesday when asked if he’s the DPOY. “If you really watch the tape each and every game, it’s no question.”
After picking off a pair of passes against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Gilmore is now tied for the league lead in interceptions with six, two of which he’s return for touchdowns. He’s also tied for the most pass break-ups in the NFL with 18. And just to get a sense of how difficult it’s been to throw against Gilmore this season, here’s a couple of crazy stats from PFF.
TDs when targeting Stephon Gilmore in 2019:
Receivers: 0
Gilmore: 2 pic.twitter.com/GAa44b8kTR— PFF (@PFF) December 17, 2019
A defensive back hasn’t taken home the DPOY award since 2010 when Troy Polamalu won it as a safety with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pass-rushers have typically dominated in DPOY voting, but Gilmore has as good a shot as any player this year.
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