Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson has been a force seen day one and has only gotten better over the years, which is a scary thought to opposing quarterbacks. Some of those quarterbacks are feeling the heat early on this season.
Hutchinson has been credited with 40 pressures through the first four games of the season by Pro Football Focus. That is the most pressures for a player in that timeframe in the PFF era, going back to 2006. The previous record was 34, set by Cameron Wake with the Dolphins.
Most pressures in the first four games of a season in the PFF-era (2006-present):
40 – AIDAN HUTCHINSON (2024)
34 – Cameron Wake (2012)
32 – JJ Watt (2014) pic.twitter.com/a0xwtk94NT— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) October 2, 2024
Hutchinson was credited with 15 pressures Monday night against the Seahawks and also had 11 in Week 1 against the Rams. Perhaps almost incredibly, he “only” had six pressures against the Buccaneers, the day he recorded 4.5 sacks. He didn’t have a single game with double-digit pressures in 2023. He already has two in 2024. Those games are also the top two pressures in a game this season — Micah Parsons also had 11 in Week 1.
The Lions have their bye this week before Hutchinson will have a chance to get after Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 6. Hutchinson had six pressures and three sacks in Detroit’s controversial Week 17 loss in Dallas. We’ll see if the extra rest makes Hutchinson even more dangerous against the Cowboys than normal. Dallas’ offensive line better be ready.