ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — For the first time in his career, cornerback Christian Benford earned NFL Player of the Week honors. On Wednesday, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a big game against the Steelers, recording an interception, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a tackle for loss.
The recognition is a long time coming for one of the NFL’s most underrated players and caps off a really impressive month for the 25-year-old cornerback.
“It's cool, you know what I'm saying? I'm blessed,” Benford said on Wednesday. “All glory to God, you know what I'm saying? I'm blessed for it. It was my first time, so I'm blessed I got the opportunity.”
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Benford had 23 coverage snaps against the Steelers and didn’t allow a single catch. He was in man coverage against DK Metcalf 10 times and pitched a shutout. For the Bills, allowing a cornerback to follow an opponent's top receiver isn’t something they’ve often done, but Benford has taken his game to a new level. His coaches and teammates trust that he can slow down top targets, which allows more favorable matchups for the rest of the defense.
“You gotta be mentally prepared, you know what I'm saying,” Benford said. “They're gonna throw the ball to you 1000 times, and you gotta be able to win more than you lose, you know what I'm saying? And sometimes you're gonna lose more than you win, and that's just part of life, you know what I'm saying?”
“He's just continues to grow, continues to develop, and that's a credit to him,” head coach Sean McDermott said.
Benford takes his role on the Bills' defense as seriously as anyone. After every practice, he works on his technique with teammates. For two years, Benford worked alongside veteran Rasul Douglas nearly every day. Now he’s the veteran and sharing tips and tricks with rookie Maxwell Hairston.
“He keeps us going, man,” Maxwell Hairston said of Benford. “He's got me deeper in my faith. Like somebody that's just a good dude to bearound and somebody that I can really learn from and to see him having success, man, just makes me smile.”
Benford will have his hands full this week as the Bills host the Cincinnati Bengals, led by wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Benford will likely match up across from Chase, who is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NFL.
“He got a good connection with the quarterback,” Benford said about Chase. “He’s got good ball skills, he’s a good route runner, so he's a talented guy.”
It’s a big challenge, but also a big opportunity. And Hairston, who will also need to step up in coverage, knows Benford will let his game do the talking.
“He don't say too much, but he really knows his stuff,” Hairston added. “He really hones in and really just sees him take the opposing team's number one receiver, you know,it's just, it's art to me. It’s like DB art, like just seeing a dude go out there and strap somebody's best receiver. It's just a sight to see.”
