The Miami Dolphins were among the teams to have a player represented in the NFL’s October awards thanks to the honor given to kicker Jason Sanders. But should the Dolphins have seen another player granted an award for his performance and play throughout the second month of the 2020 NFL season as well? The honor for October’s AFC Defensive Player of the Month went to Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett — and you’d be hard pressed to find an excuse to say Garrett wasn’t worthy.
He collected 6 sacks during the month of October with an additional 4 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles. Those are terrific numbers.
AFC Players of the Month! (October)
Offensive: @KingHenry_2
Defensive: @MylesLGarrett
Special Teams: @jasonsanderss pic.twitter.com/5u2zCXonqU— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2020
In perhaps another month, or without the herculean effort from Garrett, Howard would have been a great choice. In three games in the month of October, Howard logged 9 total tackles, 3 interceptions and 5 passes defensed as the Dolphins played two dominant defensive games against San Francisco and New York. Add in 54 minutes of play against Russell Wilson that had the team limited to just 17 points (Wilson was masterful at the end of the game to push a 2-point lead to 9 and then a Ryan Fitzpatrick interception put Seattle into a short field and they scored another touchdown to finish with 31) and Miami’s defense certainly had their redeeming moments of play in October to help the cause for Howard.
But it wasn’t meant to be. And you can’t be mad for the league choosing Garrett’s dominant numbers over what Howard has done this month, although we can’t help but wonder in the decision would have been different if Miami’s Week 3 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars had been played in the month of October instead of on September 24th. Remember: Howard had another interception and another pass defensed in that contest, giving him 4 and 6 respectively over his last 4 contests.
Oh well. There’s always November…