Tag: pass rush

Chiefs DL George Karlaftis earns game ball for stellar Week 15 performance

#Chiefs DL George Karlaftis won a game ball for his outstanding performance in Kansas City’s Week 15 win over the Cleveland #Browns.

The Kansas City Chiefs held the Cleveland Browns to just seven points in Week 15, thanks in no small part to their ferocious pass rush led by defensive linemen George Karlaftis, Tershawn Wharton, and Charles Omenihu.

Karlaftis was among the Chiefs’ most productive defenders in the game, collecting two of Kansas City’s five sacks that kept the Browns on their back foot.

In Week 15, the experts at Pro Football Network awarded Karlaftis a game ball for his outstanding effort against Cleveland.

For their parts, Wharton and Omenihu both tallied a single sack each and combined with Karlaftis to pressure quarterback Jameis Winston and force the veteran signal-caller to throw three interceptions.

According to PFN, the Chiefs have won 24 straight games when forcing multiple turnovers. Their last loss under such conditions came in Week 2 of Kansas City’s 2021 campaign in a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Expect Karlaftis, Wharton, and Omenihu to play a crucial role in Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive approach in the Chiefs’ Week 16 matchup against the Houston Texans.

NFL analyst breaks down Pittsburgh Steelers elite Week 14 pass rush

Brian Baldinger, best known for his ‘Baldy’s Breakdowns’, highlighted how intense the Steelers pass rush was against the Browns in Week 14.

Fans of the old-school style of great Pittsburgh Steelers defenses have surely enjoyed the 2024 season so far. The team boasts one of the most elite defensive lines in the NFL, featuring several of the league’s top defenders, including T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Cam Heyward, to name a few.

Brian Baldinger, an NFL analyst, highlighted a play that showcased what all four of these players are capable of when on the field together.

Baldinger’s description of the four Steelers defenders perfectly captures their impact, as these elite players consistently hunt down opposing quarterbacks come game time.

While there was much debate about how the Pittsburgh Steelers should utilize OLBs Highsmith, Watt, and Herbig together, Week 14 proved that the defense is at its best when all three are available.

The Black and Gold will need these defenders at their peak when they head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 15, on December 15 at 4:25 PM EST.

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Chiefs LB Nick Bolton describes his game-changing sack in Week 10: ‘I just had to make the layup’

Kansas City #Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton describes his game-changing sack in Week 10: ‘I just had to make the layup’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defense pitched a shutout in the second half of Sunday’s victory over the Denver Broncos. Nick Bolton made another impactful play in the game as he secured an impressive sack on Bo Nix that changed the pace the rookie quarterback was creating after two first-half touchdown passes.

“(Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) ‘Spags’ saw something throughout the week and waited for the right position to call it,” said Bolton. “It was something new we put in this week. The back went over to block (Justin Reid) J. Reid, and I was free; I just had to make the layup. I missed the last couple ones the last couple of games, so it felt good to get that one.”

The Broncos’ sack from Bolton cost them 16 yards, knocking them out of realistic field goal position and changing the game’s momentum. Nix and the Denver offense were moving smoothly in the first half, and the Bolton sack was a much-needed message to turn the tide back to Kansas City’s defensive dominance.

“I think he did a good job playing within the system,” said Bolton of Nix’s performance. “He had a couple of tough throws. I thought we could have done a better job mixing up our looks and make him think a little bit more pre-snap. Overall, I thought he played a pretty decent game today.”

Bolton praised the young Broncos star in his first AFC West battle with the Chiefs. Both teams will meet in Denver in the final week of the regular season.

Steelers’ T.J. Watt named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

T.J. Watt conquered the Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 8. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his elite play.

T.J. Watt is inevitable.  Opposing quarterbacks can hope and pray to contain him, but there is no stopping the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year.  QB Daniel Jones found this out the hard way when he was on the receiving end of two-sacks and a forced fumble from Watt in Week 8.

For his efforts in the Steelers’ victory over the Giants—compiling seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery—Watt has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Pittsburgh fans have enjoyed a plethora of elite pass-rushers in the Steel City, but T.J. personifies a hard-working attitude both on and off the field, arguably more than any Steelers player before him. 

In earning what is now his eighth-AFC Defensive Player of the Week award, Watt’s accomplishments continue to further cement his place among the all-time great defenders to ever play in the NFL.

While Watt is playing at an elite level, his pursuit of another D.P.O.Y award in 2024 is not his ultimate goal, but is instead to bring his team their seventh Super Bowl championship.

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What is keeping the Saints defense from being elite?

The New Orleans Saints’ struggles along the defensive line are holding them back. They’ve got to make more plays up front to join the league elite:

The New Orleans Saints defense has been the backbone of this team for a while now. It became more prominent after Drew Brees retired. The revolving door of quarterbacks mixed with the absence of Michael Thomas.

At that point, the defense transitioned into being the face of the team. Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu are three of the biggest names on the team.

The unit has been elite for years, but that isn’t the case anymore. Why?

Outside of Carl Granderson and Bryan Bresee, there’s no other defensive linemen you can count on. The defensive line is a weak point of the defense and is one of the weakest parts of the team.

The lack of pressure on the quarterback allows them to sit back in the pocket and attack the secondary. Quarterbacks haven’t been forced into many rushed decisions because of pass rush. The Saints’ run defense has waned over the years as well.

If you struggle in the trenches, it’s near impossible to be great on that side of the ball. That goes for offense and defense. The Saints inability to close out games is the biggest headline, but they’ve had their struggles mid game.

The Saints have played bend but don’t break defense. The Eagles and Falcons drove the ball down the field repeatedly, and the Saints forced field goals. The struggles along the defensive line are the biggest contributing factor to this. There’s only so long you can bend but not break.

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Packers’ pass rush aims to rebound against struggling Rams offensive line

The Green Bay Packers’ pass rush has a chance to get back on track this week against a Los Angeles Rams team struggling in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, the Rams currently own the league’s lowest pass-blocking grade and …

The Green Bay Packers’ pass rush has a chance to get back on track this week against a Los Angeles Rams team struggling in pass protection.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Rams currently own the league’s lowest pass-blocking grade and third-lowest pass-blocking efficiency. For those unmoved by PFF grades, Los Angeles has surrendered 54 total pressures as a team, tied for the sixth most in the NFL.

The Packers need a bounce-back performance following Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, in which Sam Darnold threw for 278 yards and three touchdown passes. Far too long and far too often, Darnold looked way too comfortable operating in the pocket.

When asked about the performance of the pass rush on Monday, Matt LaFleur spoke highly of Minnesota’s pass protection but said they have to do a better job when only rushing four.

“It wasn’t up to our standard, no doubt about it,” said LaFleur. “Give them credit. I do think they have a good offensive line, particularly their tackles are pretty good players, but I thought collectively as a unit, they did a really nice job. They did a good job utilizing chips on the edges. I thought the backs helped out in pass pro pretty good, so, all in all, I didn’t think it was good enough, especially when we had four-man rushes.”

The Packers were able to sack Darnold twice, though both times they rushed more than four. Obviously, blitzing is necessary to keep offenses on their toes, but it can’t be the main source of your pass rush. Rushing more than four players means you have one dropping more players into coverage. A good offense will take advantage of that. Against Green Bay, Darnold completed five out of seven passes for 87 yards when blitzed. That is why the best defenses are able to disrupt the quarterback when primarily rushing four.

Of course, the Packers’ pass rush wasn’t solely to blame in the loss to the Vikings, but the play of the defensive front was definitely disappointing compared to what they did against the Tennessee Titans the week prior.

In Week 3, Tennessee’s pass protection has no answers for a Green Bay pass rush that generated eight sacks and a season-high 20 pressures. It effectively won them the game, as quarterback Will Levis turned the ball over three times as a direct result of never being comfortable.

This week, the Packers are expected to find themselves in more favorable pass-rushing conditions against the Rams, but they must have a way to make their pass rush more sustainable moving forward. One remedy for that could be getting more production out of two of their best pass rushers.

Last year, Green Bay made Rashan Gary one of the top 10 highest-paid edge rushers, but his performance has yet to match that investment. Gary has just one sack in his last 11 games dating back to last season, while his six total pressures in 2024 ranks tied for 61st among edge rushers, per PFF.

Defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who received a substantial contract extension during the offseason, is also having a slow start to the season. Clark has yet to register a single sack or QB hit in 107 pass-rushing snaps. Fortunately, Clark should have a favorable matchup this week. Rams center Beaux Limmer has surrendered eight pressures through the first games, while guard Kevin Dotson has allowed seven pressures and two sacks.

Gary, on the other hand, may face more difficulty in Week 5 lining up across from Los Angeles’ ultra-reliable right tackle Rob Havenstein.

But that’s just it. The Packers can’t afford only to have their pass rush show up against weaker competition. They also can’t just rely on Gary and Clark. An arsenal of Gary and Clark, along with Devonte Wyatt, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare, should have a significant impact every week.

Unfortunately, it sounds like Wyatt will miss this week with an ankle that should provide Karl Brooks – another skilled pass rusher – with more opportunities.

At the end of the day, while a matchup against an underwhelming Rams offensive line might offer an opportunity for another big day, the Packers’ success this season hinges on developing a consistent and effective pass rush, regardless of the competition.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert on Chiefs’ rabid pass rush: ‘I thought we were prepared’

#Chargers QB Justin Herbert told reporters about the challenge of facing the #Chiefs’ rabid pass rush after Los Angeles’ Week 4 loss to K.C.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense has been on fire to start the 2024 regular season, and it seems that the defending champions somehow caught the Los Angeles Chargers off guard in Week 4.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert addressed the media after Los Angeles’ loss to Kansas City and praised the Chiefs’ pass rush that was orchestrated by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“It’s tough,” Herbert told reporters. “Like we said during the week, they do a good job of getting after the passer. We expected that. We knew that and I thought we were prepared for it. I’ve got do a better job of getting the ball out, quicker, with answers. I thought the offensive line did a great job stepping up and blocking and doing everything they needed to do. It’s definitely on us to be better at that.”

Herbert was sacked by star defensive lineman Chris Jones twice on Sunday and was held to just 179 passing yards.

No pass rusher has it worse than Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt

T.J. Watt is chipped almost twice as much as any other player in the NFL.

Life isn’t easy for an elite NFL pass rusher. Similar to an elite wide receiver, the better you are, the more attention you draw. This is the life of Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt. Despite leading the NFL in sacks three of the last four seasons, Watt faces waves of offensive players trying to slow him down.

Through three games this season, Watt has three sacks to go along with seven quarterback hits. This is in spite of the fact that Watt is chipped on 44 percent of snaps. This is nearly twice as high as any other player in the NFL through three games.

Watt has been a wrecking machine so far this season despite only three sacks. This number doesn’t even take into consideration how many other reps he faces an outright double-team or even a triple-team which we have seen before.

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Saints’ next three games will be a challenge for the interior offensive line

The Saints will face Grady Jarrett, Chris Jones and Vita Vea over the next three weeks, and they’ll have to do it without Erik McCoy:

The New Orleans Saints will be without Erik McCoy for 6 to 8 weeks. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the impact of his absence was overly evident.

The triumvirate of Lucas Patrick, Oli Udoh and Cesar Ruiz struggled against the Eagles. The next three games will feature repeated challenges for the group. Grady Jarrett will be on the other side this week for the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans travels to face the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones in prime time after that. Vita Vea is dealing with an injury but could be available in time for the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst explained the trickle-down effect of McCoy’s injury. His role includes leading and directing the rest of the unit, not just blocking the man in front of him. The responsibility comes with a week’s worth of preparation that’s difficult to supplant mid-game.

The Saints will be down their best offensive lineman and leader of the unit just in time for the most challenging stretch of defenders for the interior offensive line. The Saints must look to find McCoy’s replacement quickly.

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Seahawks LB Uchenna Nwosu set to return to practice this week

Seahawks LB Uchenna Nwosu set to return to practice this week

Through three games the Seattle Seahawks are boasting one of the NFL’s best pass rushes. Their defensive front has become absolutely suffocating to opposing quarterbacks, and only four teams in the NFL have more sacks than Seattle does right now. It’s both incredible and frightening (for opponents that is) to think this unit could become more lethal… but the possibility is squarely on the table, as some good injury news could be breaking for the Seahawks.

Linebacker, and top pass rusher, Uchenna Nwosu is expected to return to practice this week, per head coach Mike Macdonald. Nwosu has missed all three games to start the season due to an MCL sprain suffered in the preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns.

https://twitter.com/BradyHenderson/status/1838341097304789245

Nwosu’s initial injury timeline was missing anywhere from 2-6 weeks. If we are going off the timeline set on August 26th, we would currently be in the fourth week, and potentially playing on Monday would place us at the start of the fifth week. Healing from injuries doesn’t always operate like clockwork, but should Nwosu come back this early it would line up with the initial prediction. After all, the Seahawks did not place him on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the season, which was always a good sign.

When healthy, Nwosu is easily Seattle’s best pass rusher. During his first year in the Emerald City, Nwosu recorded 9.5 sacks and played in all 17 games. Regrettably, a pectoral injury after six games last year cost Nwosu the remainder of his 2023 season, as he was placed on the IR list. However, he still had two sacks and two forced fumbles up to that point.

It obviously remains to be seen how much practice Nwosu will see this week, and if it will translate to his availability for Monday Night Football against the Lions. But the fact he is even going to be on the field at all is a positive development regarding his improvement.

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