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The magnificence of Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard this season is becoming more and more difficult to overlook. The Dolphins cornerback notched his ninth interception of the 2020 NFL season on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, logging a surreal one-handed interception on a target to Tyreek Hill that sparked a late comeback attempt by the Dolphins. Miami’s comeback bid fell just short with the Chiefs recovering an onside kick to preserve a 33-27 win in Week 14.
But don’t blame Xavien Howard.
No one can deny Howard is playing the best football of his career this season. His coverage ability and ball skills are currently unmatched in the NFL and Howard’s claim to the 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year appears to be mounting. But if you look beyond Howard’s play in just 2020 and look at the entire body of work, there’s a pretty stunning factoid that came into reality this past weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Xavien Howard played in his 53rd career football game and logged his 21st career interception — a pace that only Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens has matched in the last 30 seasons (according to CBS Sports HQ).
Most INT first 53 career games:
(Last 30 seasons)Xavien Howard (21)
Ed Reed (21)@Iamxavienhoward | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/kiP0QzLKd6— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 13, 2020
Anyone who has watched Miami play this season knows that Howard has been dominant. But that level of turnover production in that few games is a testament to the natural ability Howard displays as a ballhawk. In years past, Howard’s turnovers have come at the cost of explosive plays — but those have generally been eliminated this season as Howard has put together every piece of the puzzle.
And while we may not see Howard continue to breakneck pace he’s on in hunting down opposing quarterback’s passes, the fact that he and Ed Reed are the only two defenders of the last thirty years to pace at any rate speaks volumes to just how impactful Howard has been since the Dolphins bet on him as a 2nd-round pick out of Baylor in 2016.
If Howard can notch another over the Dolphins’ final 3 games and the team is able to squeeze a few more wins out of their schedule, Howard may be able to equal Reed in another accolade: NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Reed won one back in 2004.