Brent Grimes named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Posted at 10:23 AM EST | Miami Dolphins Press Release 

Miami Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season, it was announced today by the National Football League.

Grimes had two interceptions, three tackles, two pass defensed and a tackle for loss, in the Dolphins 37-0 victory over the San Diego Chargers on November 2, 2014. The two interceptions, which came on consecutive possessions, were the second multi-interception game of the eight year pro’s career and first as a member of the Dolphins. In 2014, Grimes has recorded a team high four interceptions, which ranks second in the NFL, along with 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, nine passes defensed and one forced fumble.

The honor marks the first AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Grimes, who joined the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent on March 30, 2013 from the Atlanta Falcons. It is his second career Player of the Week Award as he was also honored in 2010 as the NFC Player of the Week for Week 15 (12/19 at Seattle).

For the first time since 2005, and the 10th in franchise history, the Dolphins have earned Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks, S Louis Delmas received the award Week 8, when DE Jason Taylor (Week 12 at Oakland), WR Chris Chambers (Week 13 vs. Buffalo) and LB Zach Thomas (Week 14 at San Diego) won the award. It also marks the first time since 1992 that Miami has had back-to-back winners in any of the three categories (offense, defense and special teams) since 1992 when LB Bryan Cox (Week 4 at Seattle) and S Louis Oliver (Week 5 at Buffalo) were honored with the award.

This is the first time since the 1997 season that the Dolphins have had multiple defensive backs named as AFC Defensive Players of the Week. In 1997, S Shawn Wooden (Week 1 vs. Indianapolis) and CB Terrell Buckley (Week 15 vs. Detroit) earned the honor. It should be noted that in 1999, CB Sam Madison was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week three times (Week 2 vs. Arizona, Week 6 at New England and Week 9 vs. Tennessee).

Since the award was established in 1984, this is the 37th time a Dolphins defensive player has earned the AFC’s weekly defensive honor. The 2014 campaign is the second consecutive season that the Dolphins have had three players named as AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Grimes, Delmas and Cameron Wake (Week 1 vs. New England)). In 2013, DE Cameron Wake (Week 9 vs. Cincinnati), DE Olivier Vernon (Week 13 at N.Y. Jets) and S Michael Thomas (Week 15 vs. New England) each earned the conference’s weekly honor.

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