Marshon Lattimore has earned some hardware after one of the most dominant performances in recent history by an NFL defensive back on Sunday.
Lattimore was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week by the NFL on Wednesday in recognition of his performance in the New Orleans Saints’ 33-22 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday, in which he recorded a whopping six breakups.
NFC Players of the Week! (Week 5)@TomBrady | @shonrp2 | @TJEdwards8 pic.twitter.com/icVryuDMdP
— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2021
According to Stathead, Lattimore is one of just 22 players since 1999 to record six pass breakups in a single game, and the first to accomplish the feat since Kyle Fuller in 2017. Only two players since 1999 (Duane Starks and Lito Sheppard) have had seven passes defended in a single game.
Lattimore’s big day came while he was matched up against his former Ohio State teammate Terry McLaurin, who had 25 catches for 354 yards and three touchdowns in Washington's first four games of the season but was held to a season-low 46 yards with just four catches on 11 targets against New Orleans.
It also came with Lattimore playing through a broken thumb, which he said kept him from turning some of those six pass breakups into interceptions.
Lattimore mentioned after the game he would have had a couple of interceptions during this game if his thumb wasnt broken. This photo by Michael Nance captured one of the near picks. pic.twitter.com/NucpJxRl3U
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) October 11, 2021
Despite the injury, which Lattimore suffered in New Orleans’ season opener, the former Ohio State cornerback has missed just one game this season and now ranks second in the NFL with nine passes defended this year – showing why the Saints rewarded him with a five-year, $97.6 million contract extension last month.
