Brian Burns has been the most effective player for the Carolina Panthers this year, hands down. His ability to produce pressure consistently and disrupt both the run and the pass makes him an invaluable part of this young defense and one of the most exciting upcoming defensive ends in the NFL.
As well as Burns has played in 2020, his sack total is lagging behind a little. Heading into Week 11, Burns has posted four sacks and 12 quarterback hits, which seems low given how often he’s been inhabiting his opponents’ backfields. The numbers will come eventually, though. Burns’ pressure rate practically guarantees that. Defensive coordinator Phil Snow is expecting a breakout stat line for No. 53. Today during his Zoom call with the media Snow said Burns is going to have a three-sack game pretty soon.
Panthers DC Phil Snow said he told Brian Burns recently: "You're going to have a three-sack game here pretty soon."
Points out the consistent pressures and near-misses Burns has had in Year 2.— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 19, 2020
Whether or not Burns winds up with double-digit sacks this year is irrelevant. He impacts the game a great deal even if the box score doesn’t always reflect it. Burns currently ranks No. 3 at his position in pass rush win rate.
In any case, if Burns getting a bunch of sacks really matters to Snow, he could help the cause by utilizing fewer three-man rushes, which has resulted in a fair amount of double and triple-teams directed at Burns.
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