Colts Defensive End Named AFC Defensive Player of the Month
INDIANAPOLIS – The honors keep coming for the Colts’ pass rushers.

Dwight Freeney, the Colts’ three-time Pro Bowl defensive end and the Colts’ all-time sacks leader, on Thursday was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, an honor Freeney twice before has received.

News of Freeney’s honor came a day after defensive end Robert Mathis was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Freeney, who has eight sacks this season, led the Colts with five sacks during November, and he also forced two fumbles during a month in which the Colts went 5-0 to move to the front of the AFC Wild-Card chase.

One of the forced fumbles came this past Sunday. Mathis returned it 37 yards for the game-winning touchdown in a 10-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Freeney, a Pro Bowl selection from 2005-2007, registered a sack in three of five November games, including multiple-sack games at Pittsburgh on November 9 and against Houston on November 16. Those games were the 15th and 16th multi-sack games of his career.

Freeney also was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month in December/January of 2004, and in September of 2005.

Mathis, the Colts’ sacks leader this season with nine, registered two sacks on Browns quarterback Derek Anderson Sunday, also returning the fumble for a touchdown.