Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had two interceptions in the Giants' Week 17 win in Washington:
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Giants' award season extended to the final game today, when Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his excellent performance in the team's 19-10 victory against the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
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DRC is the third different Giants player to win the award, joining Jason Pierre-Paul and Landon Collins, who was honored twice. The Giants have also had two players win a total of three Special Teams Player of the Week awards (Brad Wing twice, and Janoris Jenkins), and Odell Beckham, Jr. was cited on offense.
In the Giants' season-ending victory in Washington, Rodgers-Cromartie started at left cornerback and intercepted two Kirk Cousins passes and picked up the second sack of his nine-year career. It was the 11th victory of the season for the Giants, who will visit Green Bay Sunday for an NFC Wild Card Game.
DRC's first big play was a 9-yard, third-down sack of Cousins that forced Washington to punt late in the second quarter. Rodgers-Cromartie's only other sack was on Nov. 13, 2011, when he played for Philadelphia and dropped Arizona's John Skelton for a 7-yard loss.
Rodgers-Cromartie had three tackles in the game.
His harassment of the Washington quarterback continued when he intercepted a Cousins pass with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter, immediately after the Redskins had picked up a first down at the Giants' 23-yard line on a 49-yard pass to Pierre Garcon. DRC also picked off Cousins at the Giants' 25-yard line with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, effectively clinching the victory for the Giants.
It was Rodgers-Cromartie's second multi-interception game of the season (he had two vs. the Rams in London), and the sixth of his career. The two picks raised DRC's total to a team-leading six interceptions, matching the career-high he set as a second-year pro with Arizona in 2009. Rodgers-Cromartie is the first Giants player with six interceptions in a season since safety Antrel Rolle in 2013.
This is Rodgers-Cromartie's second player of the week award. He was honored in Week 5 of the 2009 season, when, as a member of the Cardinals, he intercepted a Matt Schaub pass with 2:20 remaining in the fourth quarter and returned it 49 yards for the game-winning touchdown vs. Houston.
This is the first season since 1990 that the Giants have received four defensive player of the week awards. That season, which ended with a Giants victory in Super Bowl XXV, Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was cited twice, and defensive backs Everson Walls and Greg Jackson once apiece.
Collins was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his terrific performances against the Rams in London in Week 7 and vs. Philadelphia in Week 9 (the Giants had their bye in Week 8). Pierre-Paul was honored in Week 12, after his 3-sack game in Cleveland. Beckham was NFC Offensive Player of the Week after finishing with 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns vs. Baltimore in Week 6. Jenkins won the special teams honor in Week 2, and Wing in Weeks 14 and 15.
Collins and Wing were the first Giants players to win player of the week awards for their performances in consecutive games.
