Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month by the NFL on Thursday. Four games into the season, Green has generated 27 receptions (first in the AFC) for 428 yards receiving (second in the NFL) and three touchdowns (tied for third most in AFC). He's currently on pace for over 1,712 yards, which would rank as the fifth most yards receiving in NFL history during a single-season.
Green is the first Bengals player to receive AFC Offensive Player of the Month since Carson Palmer won it during the open month in 2005 and the first ever Cincinnati wide receiver.
Other players of the month include:
AFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH
DE J.J. WATT, Houston Texans
- Watt registered 20 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and five passes defensed as he helped the Texans to a 4-0 record in September.
- Watt’s 7.5 sacks lead the NFL this season. He is the first player to record at least 1.5 sacks in each of his team’s first four games since KEVIN GREENE in 1998.
- In Week 2, Watt earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, registering a team-high five tackles, 1.5 sacks, two passes defensed and a fumble recovery in the Texans’ 27-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- In Week 3, Watt posted seven tackles and a career-high 2.5 sacks in the Texans’ 31-25 win at Denver.
- Through Week 4, Watt is tied for the AFC lead with two fumble recoveries.
In his second season from Wisconsin, this is Watt’s first career Player of the Month Award. He is the first Texans player to win the award since CONNOR BARWIN in 2011 (November).
AFC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE MONTH
KR-RB DARIUS REYNAUD, Tennessee Titans
- Reynaud returned 15 kickoffs for 408 yards (27.2 average) for the month, including a 105-yard kickoff-return touchdown.
- In Week 3 against Detroit, Reynaud fielded BEN GRAHAM’s punt and threw a backward pass across the field to TOMMIE CAMPBELL, who raced 65 yards for a PR-TD. In the fourth quarter, Reynaud scored his first career touchdown on a 105-yard kickoff return. It was the longest play in franchise history.
- Reynaud’s 105-yard KR-TD is tied for longest kickoff return this season (PERCY HARVIN, 105).
- Through Week 4, Reynaud ranks second in the NFL with 455 kick return yards (408 kickoff return yards, 47 punt return yards).
- In his fourth season from West Virginia, this is Reynaud’s first career Player of the Month Award. He is the first Titans kick returner to win the award since DERRICK MASON in 2000 (October).
NFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH
QB MATT RYAN, Atlanta Falcons
- Ryan guided Atlanta to a 4-0 start, the third in franchise history, and led the league with a 112.1 passer rating.
- During September, Ryan completed 102 of 147 passes (69.4 percent) for 1,162 yards with 11 touchdowns versus two interceptions. Ryan’s 11 touchdown passes led the NFC and ranked second in the NFL and his 69.4 completion percentage was the second-highest mark in the league.
- He recorded a passer rating of at least 100 in all four games during the month. In his career, the Falcons are 27-0 when he reaches the mark. Ryan passed for at least three touchdowns in three games last month and Atlanta is 14-0 in his career when he has three or more TD passes in a game.
- In his fifth season from Boston College, this is Ryan’s second career Player of the Month Award (November 2010).
- He is the only player in franchise history to be named Offensive Player of the Month multiple times
NFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH
CB TIM JENNINGS, Chicago Bears
- Jennings led the NFL with four interceptions and registered an INT in three of the Bears’ four games. His nine passes defensed tied for the league lead.
- He had two interceptions on Kickoff Weekend against Indianapolis and then followed that up with an INT in each of the next two games. Additionally, Jennings broke up two passes that resulted in interceptions by a teammate, including a 45-yard touchdown by safety MAJOR WRIGHT in Week 3.
- Jennings is part of a defensive unit that led the NFL with 14 takeaways and 11 interceptions.
- In his seventh year from Georgia, this is Jennings’ first career Player of the Month Award.
- He is the first defensive back in franchise history to be named Defensive Player of the Month.
- Jennings is the first Bear to be honored since JULIUS PEPPERS (November 2011).
NFC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE MONTH
KR-WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings
- Harvin led the NFL averaging 38.3 yards per kick return and had a 105-yard KR-TD, the longest play in team history. He returned nine kickoffs for 345 yards and had at least 74 return yards in all four September contests.
- In Week 4, he returned the game’s opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, his fifth career kick-return TD. Harvin and Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS are the only players with at least 20 scrimmage touchdowns and five kick-return touchdowns in a player’s first four NFL seasons.
- Harvin also had 30 catches for 299 yards during the month as the Vikings went 3-1.
- In his fourth season from Florida, this is Harvin’s first career Player of the Month Award.
- Harvin is the first return specialist in team history to be named Special Teams Player of the Month.
- He is the first Viking to be honored since JARED ALLEN (October 2011).