Tag: sacks

Broncos’ sack leaders from 2024 season (Nik Bonitto led the way)

The Broncos led the NFL with 63 sacks as Nik Bonitto (13.5) led the way. Here are the team’s individual sack leaders from the 2024 season.

The Denver Broncos‘ impressive defense led the NFL with 63 sacks during the 2024 season, setting a new franchise record.

Broncos outside linebackers Nik Bonitto (13.5 sacks) and Jonathon Cooper (10.5 sacks) became the team’s first double-digit sack duo since Von Miller (14.5) and Bradley Chubb (12.0) in 2018.

Not far behind were defensive linemen Zach Allen (8.5) and John Franklin-Myers (7.0). Denver also got solid productive from backup rotational pass rushers Jonah Elliss (5.0) and Dondrea Tillman (5.0).

The Broncos had 16 different players record at least a half-sack in 2024, which helps explain how they ended up leading the league with 63. Here’s a look at all of Denver’s individual sack totals from the 2024 season.

Broncos 2024 sack leaders

  1. Nik Bonitto: 13.5
  2. Jonathon Cooper: 10.5
  3. Zach Allen: 8.5
  4. John Franklin-Myers: 7.0
  5. Jonah Elliss: 5.0
  6. Dondrea Tillman: 5.0
  7. Justin Strnad: 3.0
  8. Malcolm Roach: 2.5
  9. Cody Barton: 1.5
  10. D.J. Jones: 1.0
  11. P.J. Locke: 1.0
  12. Ja’Quan McMillian: 1.0
  13. Devon Key: 1.0
  14. Jordan Jackson: 1.0
  15. Drew Sanders: 1.0
  16. Eyioma Uwazurike: 0.5

Bonitto, Cooper, Allen, JFM and Ellis are all under contract for 2025, so the Broncos should be able to continue appling heavy pressure next season.

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Cameron Jordan’s favorite quarterback to sack may surprise you

Cameron Jordan tells Julian Edelman how Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and Tom Brady all react differently to getting sacked.

There’s no quarterback Cameron Jordan has sacked more than former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Actually no quarterback in NFL history has been sacked by a single player more than Ryan has been sacked by Jordan.

So, it may surprise you to know Ryan isn’t Jordan’s favorite quarterback to sack. That honor, instead, goes to former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

To complete the divisional rotation, Jordan also described how Tom Brady, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, reacts when he’s sacked. Though Ryan has been his most frequent victim. Jordan sees the aftermath as boring.

“Matt is a consummate pro, he doesn’t show you emotion.” Jordan said, detailing Ryan as being “frustrated then he goes about his business.”

Newton is the complete opposite. Jordan said, “He’s complaining, he’s doing the most. Once he puts the little Gatorade towel on his head, stick a fork in him. He’s done.”

The instant gratification of Newton complaining was one thing, but seeing the lingering effect told Jordan everything he needed to know.

Jordan didn’t spend as much time in the division with Brady as the other two, but Jordan noticed a similar tell with Brady: “Tom will get frustrated and start talking a little bit. That’s how you know you won.”

It wasn’t a defeated demeanor, but Jordan knew he got the upper hand. Three different quarterbacks with three different reactions and Jordan peeled back the curtains.

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Chiefs DE George Karlaftis shares credit for his performance vs. Texans: ‘A big team win’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis shares credit for his performance vs. Houston #Texans: ‘A big team win’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense provided dominating pressure in their AFC Divisional victory over the Houston Texans. Defensive end George Karlaftis led the pressure, with three sacks of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t want to accept all the praise during his postgame press conference on  Saturday.

“I don’t really like answering personal questions after such a big team win. But just trusting in my coaches and leaning on my vets,” said Karlaftis. “A guy like Chris Jones, a guy like Frank Clark, Carlos Dunlap, guys like Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu, Tershawn Wharton, I could go on and on. What I am is because of those guys – especially (Defensive Line) Coach (Joe) Cullen and (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Coach Spags and (Assistant Defensive Line) Coach (Terry) Bradden too.”

Karlaftis led the team with eight sacks during the regular season and carried over his momentum on a cold day at Arrowhead Stadium.

“When you get a sack, it’s a big thing, a big deal – both as a play and as a stat, but also for the morale,” said Karlaftis. “When multiple guys are able to do that when you have 8.0 sacks, that usually gives you a pretty good chance to win.”

The Chiefs defense made plays throughout the game, shutting down potential scoring drives. Karlaftis has become a force that warrants extra attention from offensive lines, which could affect the other pass rushers in the unit.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones responds to his regular season honors: ‘We care about Super Bowls here’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones responds to his All-Pro honors: ‘We care about Super Bowls here’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones received numerous honors this season, as he was recently named to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams. He spoke with reporters on Wednesday about the latest accolades in his career.

“Very appreciative for my peers and respectable members to vote me in that class. I’m super appreciative of it. I think it goes to show the group of guys around me to be flexible, do what I do, and play at my best ability,” said Jones. “Sometimes a number doesn’t allocate the value of an individual and how much they can bring to the table. So I’m glad we was able to look past that and be voted as a Pro Bowl(er), I guess.”

Jones earned his third consecutive first-team All-Pro selection and sixth straight Pro Bowl invitation; however, the latter doesn’t feel like an honor to the highly respected defensive tackle.

“I don’t really care about Pro Bowls, man. When you think about how I had 15.5 sacks in my third year, I didn’t even make the Pro Bowl. So that’s when I stopped really caring about making a Pro Bowl. All-Pro is important to me because it’s like the best at your position, and that’s a respect from your peers and the league executives.” said Jones. “But Pro Bowl, I never really cared about it. I felt like it was a popularity contest. But we care about Super Bowls here. They can keep all the bowls. We care about Super Bowls, and that’s what we play for; that’s what we care about. That’s the most important thing.”

Jones finished the 2024 regular season with five sacks and 37 tackles in 15 games. He notably faced double teams throughout the season, which allowed teammates to make plays on opposing quarterbacks.

Cameron Jordan discusses approaching top-20 all time sacks leaders

Cameron Jordan is two sacks away from entering the top-20 in NFL history. With no plans of retirement, it’s within his reach, but will he get there with the Saints?

Cameron Jordan is already has the most sacks in New Orleans Saints history, but he’s approaching another historic achievement. With just two more sacks, Jordan will crack the top-20 all time sack leaders in NFL history.

Jordan was asked during his appearance on CBS Sports ‘That Other Pregame Show’ if reaching that milestone is a motivating factor for him to continue playing after 14 years. He didn’t directly answer if it was motivation, but he did clarify that he only needs two sacks to pass Robert Mathis. At the least, it’s something that’s on his mind.

Jordan has made it clear he isn’t retiring. It’s a point he alludes to at the end of the segment saying, “We don’t know what happens with the head coach or the defensive coordinator.”

With another year on the horizon, Jordan has a good chance of getting two sacks next season. He showed a late burst in the season that suggests the ability to get after the quarterback is still present. It might not be a season long trait, but the ability is still there.

Jordan also showed no real plan towards retirement. Instead, it looks like he’s trying to get a ring: “I don’t have a set number of years. You give me a Super Bowl in black and gold, and I could be talking differently.”

Whenever that happens, that will likely be his curtain call. If it doesn’t happen soon, we’ll have to see how long he tries to hold on.

Broncos led the NFL in sacks this season, the mark of ‘a top tier defense’

The Broncos led the NFL with 63 sacks this season, setting a new franchise record. That pressure made Denver “a top tier defense” in 2024.

The Denver Broncos‘ defense led the league with 63 sacks during the NFL’s 2024 regular season, setting a new franchise record.

“You said [63]? Man — that explains it all right there,” cornerback Pat Surtain said after the team’s regular season finale. “[Sixty-three] sacks, that’s unheard of. Credit to those guys. They just get it — they get after the quarterback. It makes my job easier. It makes our job in the backend much easier knowing that the guys that you have up front generate pressures, create sacks, create turnovers.

“It just gives us confidence as a defense and as whole. I’ll say without that rush, without that pressure — defensively that’s where it all starts with the guys going to work up front and providing pressure making us be more aggressive and making us be a top tier defense so far in the league. Credit to those guys for creating that mark and I still know they have much left in the tank for this playoff run. I’m glad that they’re on my team.”

Denver’s defense will face a tough test in the first round of the NFL playoffs as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line allowed a league-low 14 sacks in 2024. If the Broncos are going to upset the Bills in the Wild Card round, Vance Joseph’s unit will need to continue bringing the heat up front.

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Broncos’ record-setting defense leads the NFL in sacks

The Broncos are on pace to lead the NFL in sacks and they have already broken the team’s single-season sack record with 58 sacks in 2024.

Going into a Week 13 game against the Cleveland Browns at the start of December, the Denver Broncos‘ defense ranked third in total yards allowed (296.0) and second in points allowed (16.8) per game in 2024.

Four games later, the Broncos’ defense now ranks 15th in yards allowed (330.8) and fifth in points allowed (19.4) per game. The drop off was initially attributed to the Riley Moss absence, but he also struggled in his first game back from a knee injury last week.

Moss and Co. will look to bounce back when Denver hosts the Kansas City Chiefs to wrap up the regular season in Week 18. Vance Joseph’s unit ranks sixth in takeaways (25) this season and first in sacks (58). With a six-sack lead on the Baltimore Ravens (52), the Broncos will likely end up leading the league in sacks this season.

Denver has already broken the franchise record for most sacks in a single season, beating the previous record of 57 sacks set in 1984. More recently, the Broncos totaled 52 sacks in 2015 (and in 2012 and 1991).

It’s an impressive accomplishment for Denver’s current group of defenders to collectively total more sacks than the team’s historic defenses of years past that included Von Miller, Simon Fletcher, DeMarcus Ware, Karl Mecklenburg and Elvis Dumervil.

The Broncos’ leader in sacks this season has been pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who was named a Pro Bowl starter with 11.5 sacks. Not far behind is fellow edge defender Jonathon Cooper (9.5), followed by Zach Allen (8.5), John Franklin-Myers (6.0), Jonah Ellis (5.0) and Dondrea Tillman (5.0).

This week, Denver’s defense will face Chiefs backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who has been sacked an average of 2.57 times per start in his career. The Broncos’ franchise record could extend beyond 60 sacks after Sunday.

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Cameron Jordan sacked his 49th career QB against the Raiders

Cameron Jordan sacked the 49th quarterback of his 14-year Saints career against the Raiders on Sunday:

In what could be the last home game of his New Orleans Saints career, Cameron Jordan had an early sack against the Las Vegas Raiders that added to his impressive resume.

After taking down Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell in the first quarter, Jordan has now sacked 49 different quarterbacks in his 14-year career.

It is an impressive stat that also comes off as kind of bittersweet. Jordan recently stated his intention to play in 2025, whether it is with the Saints or not. Now, in the last home game of the season, the realization that it might be over is starting to sink in.

If he does indeed leave New Orleans next year, Jordan’s impressive 121.5 career sacks will go down as the most in franchise history and will stay that way for a long time.

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NFL’s sack leaders (including Nik Bonitto) going into Week 17

Nik Bonitto is two sacks behind the NFL leader with two games left.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto fell behind in the NFL’s season-long sack race when he totaled zero sacks in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football last week.

Going into Week 16, Bonitto (11.5 sacks) was just one sack shy of the NFL’s leader (Trey Hendrickson had 12.5). Bonitto than went sackless on Thursday and Hendrickson recorded another sack on Sunday, improving his total to 13.5.

Bonitto is now tied for fourth both in the NFL and in the AFC, trailing Hendrickson, Danielle Hunter (12.0) and Myles Garrett (12.0), tied with T.J. Watt (11.5). Bonitto has two weeks remaining to attempt to jump to No. 1.

NFL sack leaders going into Week 17

  1. Trey Hendrickson: 13.5
  2. Danielle Hunter: 12.0
  3. Myles Garrett: 12.0
  4. T.J. Watt: 11.5
  5. Nik Bonitto: 11.5
  6. Andrew Van Ginkel: 11.0
  7. Jonathan Greenard: 11.0
  8. Kyle Van Noy: 10.5
  9. Will Anderson: 10.5
  10. Will McDonald: 10.0

Meanwhile, fellow Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper is tied for 17th in the NFL with eight sacks. Cooper is a half-sack away from tying his career high and two sacks away from the first double-digit sack season of his career.

Bonitto and Hendrickson will go head-to-head when the Bengals host the Broncos on Saturday afternoon.

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Sacking Jordan Love must be a major key for the Saints defense

Sacking Jordan Love is critical for the Saints, but the Packers QB has been one of the least-sacked quarterbacks since becoming a starter:

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LeFleur praised Jordan Love for being, “one of the best I’ve ever been around at avoiding sacks and negative plays.” As the New Orleans Saints visit the Packers for Monday Night Football, the Saints must do what most have failed to do, take down Love consistently.

If New Orleans can get a few sacks on Love, it would help to take away the run game on that set of downs. Love and his band of wide receivers are extremely talented, but Josh Jacobs is the biggest threat to the Saints defense.

The Saints have the sixth-worst rushing defense in the NFL, and they allow the second-most yards per carry. If the Saints can bring down Love, the Packers could elect to pass to make up for lost yardage. The Saints must then capitalize on forcing Green Bay to be temporarily one-dimensional.

Bringing down the Packers quarterback is no easy task. LeFleur’s assertion on Love is backed up by numbers. In 12 games this season, Love has only been sacked 11 times. In his first year as a starter, he had the fifth-best sack to dropback percentage. He’s tough to bring down.

The Saints’ strides as a pass rush unit under Brian Young has been praised. Chase Young has 3.5 of his 5.5 sacks and Cameron Jordan recorded all three of his sacks since the change at defensive line coach. Bryan Bresee has seen an uptick in production, too. As they go against one of the most difficult quarterbacks to sack, those improvements will be put to the test.

New Orleans has recorded no fewer than two sacks in their last five games. They’ll need to do at least that on Monday to corral a dangerous offense. It’s easier said than done, but it may be the key for the Saints defense.

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