Jevon Holland has spent September taking the ball away, and the league noticed. The New York Giants safety was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday after a three-game stretch that included an interception in every week, including a late end-zone pick that preserved a 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
The honor is a first for Holland, who is in his sixth NFL season and his second with New York. He is the first Giant to win the award since Landon Collins in November 2016, and only the second Giants defensive back to do so, joining cornerback Jason Sehorn in December 1997.
Before Collins, the most recent Giants honoree was defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul in December 2011.
The body of work is rare. Holland has three interceptions,
two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Since 1970, he is one of two NFL players with at least that combination in the first three games of a season. Domingo Bryant of the Houston Oilers was the other, in 1987.
Holland is also the only Giant in the last 30 years to force at least four turnovers through Week 3, and the fifth Giant since 1970 to intercept a pass in each of the first three weeks, joining Michael Boley (2012), Terry Jackson (1978), Pete Athas (1973) and Carl Lockhart (1970).
The plays were not empty. Against Dallas, he slid to keep a foot inbounds on a late-first-half interception of Dak Prescott with the game tied at seven, setting up a touchdown before the break in a 28-20 win. In Los Angeles, he picked off Matthew Stafford and forced and recovered a Kyren Williams fumble at the Rams' 11, though New York still lost, 28-6.
On Sunday, with the Titans at the Giants' 7-yard line and under 30 seconds left, he read Cam Ward's scramble, stayed in the end zone, and intercepted a throw intended for Elic Ayomanor.
Those four takeaways lead the NFL. Holland individually has more than 18 teams, and his three interceptions are tied with Las Vegas Raiders rookie Hezekiah Masses for the league lead. He has already matched a career high in picks.
"That's the kind of player Jevon Holland has always been," coach John Harbaugh said after the Titans game. "So, to see him flourishing right now, the way he is, is just -- it's wonderful."
Holland has credited the volume of balls coming his way and the structure of the defense for putting him in position. The 2-1 Giants open October against the 1-2 Cardinals, one of four teams with only one giveaway. New York has forced five.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants' Jevon Holland named NFC Defensive Player of the Month
