EAGAN, Minn. – Twice is nice for the Minnesota Vikes.
Safety Camryn Bynum has secured NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for Week 7, the NFL announced Wednesday, providing an encore to linebacker Jordan Hicks' Week 6 selection.
Bynum recorded two interceptions in the final six minutes of Monday's 22-17 upset victory over San Francisco.
Bynum drove on the first to snag an off-target pass at the Minnesota 30-yard line with 5:30 remaining in the game, allowing the Vikings to run off more than four minutes of clock.
Wearing a Philippines flag helmet decal to represent the home country of his mother as part of a leaguewide international tribute, Bynum then high-pointed a pass intended for Ray-Ray McCloud III at the Minnesota 22-yard line with 25 seconds remaining.
"Every time I have an opportunity to put the flag on, I gotta show out," Bynum said. "So I'm just glad to be able to represent my people. … To be out here and doing things that are bigger than me. It's all for God and for my people back home and the people we help with our foundation and bringing football to the Philippines."
Bynum also recorded a team-high nine tackles, including the key early play on which Harrison Smith forced a fumble by Christian McCaffrey that Dean Lowry recovered at the Minnesota 11-yard line.
Bynum's 69 tackles are the most by a defensive back in the NFL this season and rank fifth among all defenders, building off his nontraditional offseason training exercises while in the Philippines.
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell presented Bynum with a game ball and noted the third-year pro's consistent tackling and how he moved past a missed opportunity in Week 5 against Kansas City.
"To me, all year long his tackling has really jumped out. He's been consistently right around, if not near the Top 5 in tackling in the NFL," O'Connell said. "He's in a different kind of position than he was a year ago where he played a little bit more in the deep part consistently, but when we ask him to do that now, Harry (Harrison Smith) or [Josh] Metellus around the line of scrimmage, Cam still is really, really good around the deep part of the field both times tonight.
"That last interception was, you know, as far as him going up to get it, very tip of his fingers, looked familiar going back it the Kansas City game," O'Connell said. "He makes that play. That's why I'm just so proud of our guys. Not worrying one bit about what has transpired but letting that fuel us. A, we're capable, we're confident, and we are going to go make those plays. Just go out there and play. We didn't talk a lot about what we couldn't do. Just emphasized the things we had to do to win the football game."
NFC Players of the Week Under O'Connell
2023 Week 7 vs. San Francisco: Camryn Bynum, S (Defensive)
2023 Week 6 at Chicago: Jordan Hicks, LB (Defensive)
2022 Week 4 vs. New Orleans in London: Greg Joseph, K (Special Teams)
2022 Week 6 at Miami: Ryan Wright, P (Special Teams)
2022 Week 8 vs. Arizona: Za'Darius Smith, OLB (Defensive)
2022 Week 10 at Buffalo: Justin Jefferson, WR (Offensive)
2022 Week 12 vs. New England: Kene Nwangwu, RB/KR (Special Teams)
