Tag: Best Pass Rushers

Chargers’ Linval Joseph named best pass rusher from 2i-technique alignment

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar had high praise for Los Angeles Chargers nose tackle Linval Joseph.

The Chargers have one of the best overall pass rushers in the NFL, with that being Joey Bosa.

However, Los Angeles possesses a defensive lineman that’s the cream of the crop at rushing the quarterback from his specific spot where he’s lined up.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar named Linval Joseph the best pass rusher from a 2i-technique alignment, which is inside the shoulder of the offensive guard.

Here is what Farrar had to say about Joseph:

If he’s double-teamed, which will happen often, it may be his role to soak up blockers so that other defenders can make plays. If you can penetrate from that alignment and through the double-team, as Joseph did here against the Buccaneers in Week 4 with center Ryan Jensen and left guard Ali Marpet (a fairly impressive duo), you can make Tom Brady nervous with what has been that rare Kryptonite throughout his career — interior pressure. Joseph didn’t have any sacks from the 2i alignment last season, but nobody had more total pressures than his 14.

The Chargers signed Joseph last offseason to replace Brandon Mebane as the clog of the defense, which ended up paying dividends in 2020.

Playing 725 snaps this past season, which was nine shy of a career-high, Joseph not only contributed as someone who commanded double teams, but he made high effort plays against the pass and run.

Moving like someone lighter than 329 pounds, Joseph finished with 62 tackles, 14 quarterback pressures, three tackles for loss and two QB hits. No matter how the game was going, he was always around the football.

Heading into this year, Joseph will resume the role as the team’s nose tackle, doing the dirty work in the trenches and still constantly hunting for the football.