Patriots’ Adrian Phillips named AFC Defensive Player of the Week
Phillips dominated his former team, intercepting two passes and putting the Patriots ahead for good with a clutch pick-six.
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Patriots’ safety Adrian Phillips looked like the best player on the field against the Los Angeles Chargers, his former team, last Sunday, helping lead New England to victory with a stellar defensive performance.
Now, the veteran star is earning league-wide attention for his efforts.
Phillips was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception game against the Chargers, which included a diving pick-six of Justin Herbert that put the Patriots up for good. He also added a quarterback hit in the contest.
It’s the first time the eight-year veteran has earned that honor in his career, and he becomes the first Patriots defender to win that honor since teammate Kyle Van Noy did it back in Week 4 of 2019. The interception return for a score also gave Phillips his first NFL touchdown.
The versatile safety now has three interceptions on the season and has been one of the Patriots’ steadiest defensive players alongside pass-rusher Matthew Judon. Pro Football Focus ranks Phillips as the fifth-best coverage safety and eighth-best overall safety in the NFL.
Other AFC Player of the Week honorees include Jets quarterback Mike White (offense), who dazzled in his first career start after coming on in relief of Zach Wilson against New England in Week 7, and Tennessee Titans kicker Randy Bullock (special teams).
The NFC Players of the Week were San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel (offense), Dallas Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons (defense) and Carolina Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez (special teams), whom the Patriots will see this coming weekend.
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