October was good to Marcus Jones.
The New England Patriots cornerback has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Month to cap it off, the NFL announced Thursday.
Jones, who was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week as the calendar turned, played an integral part in what followed. The slot corner recorded 20 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack and tied for the NFL lead with eight passes defensed and two interceptions as the 6-2 Patriots went unbeaten in October.
He became the third defensive back since 2000 to have a hand in a tackle for loss and a pass defensed in four consecutive games. Per the team, he also stands as just the sixth player, regardless of position, to have logged at least eight passes defensed and four tackles for loss in a single season’s four-game span since 1999.
It marks the first career AFC Defensive Player of the Month honor for Jones, who turned 27 last week. And among New England defensive backs from past and present, the 5-foot-8, 188-pounder joins a list featuring J.C. Jackson in 2021, Stephon Gilmore and Devin McCourty in 2019, as well as Eugene Wilson in 2004.
The last selection left in Foxborough from the 2022 NFL draft, Jones was named a team captain out of training camp. The former All-American, Paul Hornung Award winner and No. 85 overall pick out of Troy and Houston finalized a reported three-year, $36 million contract extension with the organization earlier in the week.
“He embodies everything that we’re looking for here in a player and a teammate on the field and in the community,” head coach Mike Vrabel said during his Wednesday press conference. “Something we were excited about doing. Glad that he wanted to get that done and wanted to be with us moving forward.”
Jones, who finished his rookie year as a first-team All-Pro in the kicking game, has totaled 138 tackles, one sack, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, five interceptions and a touchdown during his Patriots tenure. He also stands with one touchdown as a wide receiver and two touchdowns as a punt returner.
Across 39 appearances, including 19 starts, the odometer reads 1,362 snaps on defense, 24 snaps on offense and 256 snaps on special teams.
The Atlanta Falcons visit Gillette Stadium for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.
