Raiders safety Charles Woodson was named October’s AFC Defensive Player of the Month, the team announced Thursday morning.
At age 39, but let’s not focus on that. The honor would’ve been deserved at any age.
Woodson played exceptional football over three October games, totaling 19 tackles, three interceptions and four passes defensed.
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He did all that playing with a bum right shoulder dislocated in the season opener. The takeaways were clutch. The first came against Chicago, which set up a go-ahead field goal conversion. He also had two against Denver quarterback Peyton Manning. The first came deep in end zone, and the second was an amazing play where he travelled half the field to snag a leaping interception.
Woodson has been the glue holding an injury-plagued secondary together, bonding this unit despite being banged up.
This is Woodson’s fifth player-of-the-month honor. That total ranks second in NFL history. It also marks the first time a Raiders has won a monthly award since 2007.