NY Giants DE Osi Umenyiora Named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Less than one year ago, it was rumored that New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora was on his way out of town via trade. Time is a funny thing, as Osi has been the team's best defensive player over the past month. The NFL has decided to reward Umenyiora for his efforts on the field.

The Giants have confirmed that Umenyiora was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. Umenyiora was fantastic last month, accumulating seven sacks, six forced fumbles, nine solo tackles and twelve total tackles. He's currently tied for second in the NFL in total sacks (eight), and is first in the NFL with seven total forced fumbles.

Umenyiora has been the cornerstone of the New York pass rush since Mathias Kiwanuka went down with a neck injury. After three games, Kiwanuka was leading the team in sacks. The defense hasn't missed a beat in the past month, however, and the Giants have gone undefeated in the team's past four games.

The last Giants player to win a POTM Award was Eli Manning (November 2008). No New York defensive player has won the award since Michael Strahan in October 2001. Umenyiora is the fifth player to win DPOTM in Giants history.

A shaky Seattle offensive line awaits Umenyiora and the New York pass rush, so it's very likely that Osi could have another big game this Sunday. For what it's worth, Lawrence Taylor is the only New York Giant to win DPOTM multiple times.

All information via New York Giants Communications Office

More from Associated Content: Eli previews 'hawks defense