The month of September was terrific for Kyle Van Noy and challenging for the quarterbacks he chased.
With six sacks and a key forced fumble during the Ravens' first four games, Van Noy has been named September's AFC Defensive Player of the Month.
It's the first time in Van Noy's career that he has won the honor, and he is the first Raven to win it since Roquan Smith in December of 2022.
The early season has been loaded with key plays from Van Noy, who is second in the NFL in sacks trailing only Aidan Hutchinson (6.5 sacks) of the Detroit Lions. Van Noy has consistently pressured quarterbacks, making momentum-changing plays with two sacks in each of Baltimore's last three games.
During Baltimore's 35-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, Van Noy had two sacks for the third consecutive game and chased star quarterback Josh Allen relentlessly. Van Noy, who fractured his orbital bone in Week 1, is only the second player in franchise history with multiple sacks in three straight games, joining Justin Houston who did it in 2022.
Van Noy made the key defensive play of Baltimore's win over the Bills, a strip sack of Allen on a trick play in the third quarter.
The Ravens only led 21-10 at that point and Buffalo was driving. But that's when the Bills decided to get fancy and Van Noy wasn't fooled. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel took a direct snap and lateralled to Allen, but Van Noy knocked the ball away before Allen could throw, and Kyle Hamilton recovered the fumble.
"I almost felt disrespected that [the Bills] tried that," Van Noy said on the “Pat McAfee Show.” "They were trying my IQ out there a little bit."
Van Noy has been remarkably consistent with 15 sacks in 18 career games with Baltimore since signing with there before Week 4 last season. The 33-year-old Van Noy was a free agent when the 2023 season began, uncertain about his future and feeling disrespected as an established NFL veteran. He started for two Super Bowl winning teams with the New England Patriots (2016, '18) and knew he had plenty left in tank, yet he was sitting at home watching football last September until he signed with Baltimore.
Van Noy had a career-high nine sacks in 2023 and is well on his way to surpassing that this season. But he still hasn’t gotten over being snubbed during free agency last year and plans to continue making quarterbacks pay.
"I take it very personal that I wasn't on a football team [at the beginning of] last year," Van Noy said. "I'm always trying to prove that I can play – each and every year – at a high level. I have goals and dreams that I'm always chasing, and I felt like I've been underrated my whole career, and I'm just going to continue to work."
