The New England Patriots' defense raised its game to another level Sunday, and it all started with the man in the red sleeves.
Defensive end Matt Judon was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday after his dominant performance in New England's 29-0 shutout of the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium. Judon racked up three tackles, four quarterback hits, two sacks and a forced fumble that safety Kyle Dugger returned for a 59-yard touchdown.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Judon is off to a scorching start this season with six sacks in his first five games, tied for the NFL lead. He's the only player in the league with at least one sack in each of his first five games and the first player in Patriots history to have a five-game sack streak to start the season, surpassing Hall of Famer Andre Tippett's streak of four in 1986.
Judon's recognition is surprisingly rare for a member of New England's defense; he's only the third Patriots defender since 2016 to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, joining linebacker Kyle Van Noy in 2019 and safety Adrian Phillips in 2021.
Judon got off to a similar hot start in 2021 during his debut season with New England, amassing 12.5 sacks through his first 13 games. He didn't record a sack in his final five games, though (including playoffs), so the Patriots will hope he can continue his early momentum throughout the 2022 campaign.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
