DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE NAMED NFC
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
By Michael Eisen
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants’ award season extended to the final game today, when
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his
excellent performance in the team’s 19-10 victory against the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
DRC is the third different Giants player to win the award, joining Jason Pierre-Paul and Landon
Collins, who was honored twice. The Giants have also had two players win a total of three
Special Teams Player of the Week awards (Brad Wing twice, and Janoris Jenkins), and Odell
Beckham, Jr. was cited on offense.
In the Giants’ season-ending victory in Washington, Rodgers-Cromartie started at left
cornerback and intercepted two Kirk Cousins passes and picked up the second sack of his nineyear career. It was the 11th victory of the season for the Giants, who will visit Green Bay Sunday
for an NFC Wild Card Game.
DRC’s first big play was a 9-yard, third-down sack of Cousins that forced Washington to punt
late in the second quarter. Rodgers-Cromartie’s only other sack was on Nov. 13, 2011, when he
played for Philadelphia and dropped Arizona’s John Skelton for a 7-yard loss.
Rodgers-Cromartie had three tackles in the game.
His harassment of the Washington quarterback continued when he intercepted a Cousins pass
with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter, immediately after the Redskins had picked up a first
down at the Giants’ 23-yard line on a 49-yard pass to Pierre Garcon. DRC also picked off Cousins
at the Giants’ 25-yard line with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, effectively clinching the
victory for the Giants.
It was Rodgers-Cromartie’s second multi-interception game of the season (he had two vs. the
Rams in London), and the sixth of his career. The two picks raised DRC’s total to a team-leading
six interceptions, matching the career-high he set as a second-year pro with Arizona in 2009.
Rodgers-Cromartie is the first Giants player with six interceptions in a season since safety Antrel
Rolle in 2013.
This is Rodgers-Cromartie’s second player of the week award. He was honored in Week 5 of the
2009 season, when, as a member of the Cardinals, he intercepted a Matt Schaub pass with 2:20
remaining in the fourth quarter and returned it 49 yards for the game-winning touchdown vs.
Houston.
This is the first season since 1990 that the Giants have received four defensive player of the
week awards. That season, which ended with a Giants victory in Super Bowl XXV, Hall of Fame
linebacker Lawrence Taylor was cited twice, and defensive backs Everson Walls and Greg
Jackson once apiece.
Collins was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his terrific performances against the Rams
in London in Week 7 and vs. Philadelphia in Week 9 (the Giants had their bye in Week 8).
Pierre-Paul was honored in Week 12, after his 3-sack game in Cleveland. Beckham was NFC
Offensive Player of the Week after finishing with 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns vs.
Baltimore in Week 6. Jenkins won the special teams honor in Week 2, and Wing in Weeks 14
and 15.
Collins and Wing were the first Giants players to win player of the week awards for their
performances in consecutive games.