Tag: sacks

Marcus Davenport named Saints’ most improved player of 2019

New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport was named the team’s most improved player of 2019 by the analysts at Pro Football Focus.

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The New Orleans Saints needed a big jump in production from Marcus Davenport to justify the bold move to acquire their 2018 first-round pick, and he came through in his second season. Davenport was a force in 2019, and earned recognition from the analysts at Pro Football Focus as last year’s most improved Saints player:

The Saints’ decision to trade up to select Davenport was met with some derision at the time of the 2018 NFL Draft. Some of that may still be warranted, but for his part, Davenport is working to show that he was worth it. After a 2018 season in which he earned a 69.7 overall grade, buoyed by strong play in run defense, Davenport saw significant improvement in his second season. His pass-rush win rate rose from 13.5% to 18.4%, and he increased his raw pressure count from 28 in his rookie season to 50 last year despite missing the end of the season with an injury. Davenport also increased his run-defense grade from 76.2 to 82.4. He and Cameron Jordan form a dangerous edge duo in New Orleans.

Much of that lines up with what we’ve seen through Davenport’s first two years as a pro. His rare combination of size, strength, and speed has allowed the big defensive end to play like a naturally strong run defender, but tutelage under Jordan has done a lot to refine his game. But the Saints drafted Davenport with the expectation that he’ll grow into a serious threat as a pass rusher, and the results he showed in his second year speak for themselves. Here’s hoping he can get and stay healthy in year three.

It’ts interesting to compare Davenport’s career arc so far to similar players around the league. One of those would be Jadeveon Clowney, who the Houston Texans selected first overall back in 2014 (the Saints invested two first-round picks in Davenport in the 2018 NFL Draft). They’re both gifted athletes, with Clowney measuring at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds and Davenport towering at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, and they’ve each dealt with serious injuries early in their careers.

Clowney was limited to just 17 games in 2014 and 2015, notching 47 combined tackles (11 for loss of yards) to go with 4.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hits. Compare that to Davenport, who’s played 26 games from 2018 to 2019 while amassing 53 combined tackles (11 for loss), as well as 10.5 sacks and 28 hits. Davenport has also forced four fumbles in that time, while Clowney didn’t produce his first turnover until his third season.

While the Lisfranc injury that Davenport suffered last season is very serious and should be the focus of his offseason, it’s worth noting that his overall trajectory is very much trending up. This is something that he can overcome, and he should only continue to develop into a more well-rounded player with more experience. Here’s hoping for a thorough and speedy recovery.

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Shaquem Griffin could be key to Seahawks pass rush in 2020 season

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin could get chances to contribute significantly to the team’s pass rush in the 2020 season.

By now, we all know the story surrounding Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin and his incredible journey to the NFL. With the 2019 season concluding, his story will only continue to grow from here.

Griffin was given the opportunity to shine in Week 10 against the 49ers and showed his potential, bringing speed off the edge despite not logging any sacks or tackles.

He further progressed in Week 13 by notching two quarterback hits and a few pressures against the Eagles. His speed showcased something that Ezekiel Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney did not display while rushing the passer. Griffin averaged one pressure per 7.5 rushes and had a pressure percentage of 13.3.

He got his first sack in the postseason against the Packers alongside his twin brother Shaquill and seemed to be growing more with each passing game, likely earning the chance to be a significant contributor next season rushing the passer.

Griffin may be counted on more in 2020 with the impending free agency of both Clowney and Ansah, the latter of whom will almost certainly be gone.

The Seahawks could certainly use more production from the pass rush, and whatever moves are made in free agency and the draft, Griffin could get even more chances to contribute in 2020.

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Cameron Jordan: ‘There’s room for improvement’ after 42-10 win

New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan likes how his team has been playing, but he sees plenty of room to improve after Week 17’s blowout win.

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The Carolina Panthers didn’t seriously challenge the New Orleans Saints in the final week of the NFL regular season, getting brushed aside in an uneven 42-10 loss at home. While Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan is happy with that victory, he’s hardly ready to rest on his laurels.

“This is a statement game,” Jordan said during his postgame media availability. “I feel like we’re just about to peak. I feel like we still have room to improve in some of our game. The fact that they were able to put three points on the board that first half, and another seven points in the second half. There’s room for improvement.”

Jordan finished the season with 15.5 sacks, leading the team to its highest sack total (51) of the Sean Payton era. Even with injuries along the defensive front (former first-round picks Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins both ended the year on injured reserve), New Orleans has invested in great depth up front, surrounding Jordan with a big free agent addition in Malcom Brown and home-grown talents like David Onyemata, Trey Hendrickson, Shy Tuttle, Taylor Stallworth, and Carl Granderson.

But like he said, Jordan’s defense still has time to improve. Their second-stringers allowed the rudderless Panthers to move the ball well in the second half, and a last-second Janoris Jenkins interception saved them from allowing another touchdown score. Sloppy end-of-half execution has dogged the Saints throughout the year (going as far back as Week 1 versus Deshaun Watson’s Houston Texans and Week 3 against Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks), and Jordan won’t be quick to forget it. Great as the Saints may be playing right now, they can’t afford to get complacent.

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Pro Football Focus credits Saints pass rush with 41 QB pressures vs. Falcons

The New Orleans Saints defense started and ended their game with the Atlanta Falcons by sacking Matt Ryan, but the story is larger than that

The Atlanta Falcons did everything they could to take the New Orleans Saints defense out of the game on Thursday night. They forced the Saints defenders to remain on the field for a season-high 93 plays, expecting the heightened workload to tire them out down the stretch.

It didn’t happen. If anything, the prolonged playing-time hurt Atlanta’s own blockers. The Falcons allowed 5 sacks in their last 15 snaps (one of which was wiped out by a Saints defensive penalty) and 9 on the day as a whole, leading coach Dan Quinn to take aim at specific players for mistakes in his postgame media availability — a rarity in their troubled season. Quinn has largely avoided singling out struggling players, but he was left with no choice after the beatdown they suffered on Thanksgiving in front of a national audience.

Quinn told Falcons team reporter Kelsey Conway that two of the sacks were at fault of starting left tackle Jake Matthews, the team’s first-round pick back in 2014. Two more sacks were put on rookie first-rounder Kaleb McGary at right tackle, while big free agent signing Jamon Brown and star running back Devonta Freeman each allowed a sack of their own. Quinn chalked up three other sacks to lockdown coverage by New Orleans.

However, there was more to the Saints’ success than just their takedowns. They pressured Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan relentlessly, as seen in their game grades from the analysts at Pro Football Focus. The Saints pass rush was credited with 41 total quarterback pressures on the day, including all of those sacks, often moving Ryan off of his spot and hurrying him through his reads. Three different Saints defensive linemen received grades above 90 (defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, and rookie nose tackle Shy Tuttle) as did rookie slot defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

When the Saints are getting after quarterbacks this well, there aren’t many passers who can hold up to such repeated pressure. The Saints played one of them already this season in Seattle Seahawks MVP candidate Russell Wilson; if things keep going the way they have so far, New Orleans might not see the other one until Super Bowl LIV, if Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens can go the distance.

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Cameron Jordan steps into second-place in all-time Saints sack leaders

New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan sacked Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan four times in his team’s win, rising in the team history books.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan went into Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons ranked third-best in sacks in team history, with 81 takedowns to his credit. That trailed Saints legends Wayne Martin (82.5) and Rickey Jackson (115) for the most all-time in black and gold.

Jordan went on to sack Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan four times in a lopsided victory, with his teammates accounting for five sacks of their own. That put his season total at 13.5 on the year so far, and 85 sacks in his career, surpassing Martin and putting Jackson’s high-water mark closer within reach (someday).

Back in April, Jordan expressed eagerness to test Atlanta’s remodeled offensive line, stocked with first-round draft picks like Kaleb McGary and Chris Lindstrom. He backed up those big words on Thursday night by barreling through McGary in the game’s closing minutes, including a fourth-down sack to seal the win.

It also helped wipe out from Jordan’s untimely personal foul a week earlier against the Carolina Panthers, proving that he’s prepared to lead by example (and own up to his mistakes) as one of New Orleans’ defensive leaders. With playmakers like Jordan leading the charge, the Saints might be too tough to beat.

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Ziggy Ansah finally finds his footing in the Seahawks defense

With Jadeveon Clowney inactive, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Ziggy Ansah made the most of his opportunities in Philadelphia Week 12.

Defensive end Ziggy Ansah has been waiting for his breakout game with the Seattle Seahawks and he got it Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With fellow defensive end Jadveon Clowney inactive with a hip injury, Ansah made the most of his opportunities on Sunday.

“You would have wondered, how are we going to have a pass rush without J.D. after what he did last week?” Carroll said during his post-game press conference. “And we did. We did. So we have taken a new step forward and we’re getting better. And this is really, really important for this stretch run, that the defense can start playing like this. The last two weeks have been really good days for our defense and that’s really important. It ain’t how you start. We got a chance to finish with a really good performance from these guys and it’s going to be necessary.”

Against the Eagles in Philadelphia, Ansah posted an impressive stat line of four tackles, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble.

“He’s the strongest he’s been, he’s the heaviest he’s been right now, he’s been working really hard alongside and beyond what the other guys are doing to make sure that he’s getting better as the season comes down to the stretch here,” Carroll continued. “And I’m really proud of him for understanding that you can keep getting better during the season and he has and maybe that’s why we see him as active today.”

Although Carroll is optimistic Clowney should be available next week, if Ansah is able to continue this level of production, the Seahawks have a real chance of seeing the playoffs again this season.

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Broncos DE Shelby Harris on pace for career year

Broncos defensive end Shelby Harris is on pace to total career highs in tackles and sacks under new coach Vic Fangio.

Denver Broncos defensive end Shelby Harris is having a career year at just the right time. Harris (6-2, 290 pounds) is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020 and his 2019 stats will partially determine how much he earns on his next contract.

Harris has totaled 36 tackles through 10 games, which is three tackles shy of a career high. After notching three sacks on Sunday, Harris now has four sacks on the year, just 1.5 sacks shy of his career high of 5.5 sacks.

Harris has benefited from an in-season position switch. He started the year as a nose tackle but was moved to defensive end in Week 5. Harris is better suited to play as an end and he’s taking advantage of the switch.

“He’s just playing good,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Harris on Nov. 18. “I think he’s feeling more comfortable playing within the defense. He had some good opportunities [Sunday] with the way the plays played out.

“He had the nice caused fumble on the one sack where he came from the blindside. He’s just been playing better. If you keep playing good, the opportunities come.”

Harris will earn $3.095 million this year before free agency in 2020.

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Former Saints LB Vince Biegel turning into a bright spot for Dolphins

Few would argue that the New Orleans Saints made a bad move in swapping linebackers with the Miami Dolphins back before the NFL roster cuts deadline, shipping out a special teams ace and defensive reserve for a starting-quality veteran. Kiko Alonso …

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Few would argue that the New Orleans Saints made a bad move in swapping linebackers with the Miami Dolphins back before the NFL roster cuts deadline, shipping out a special teams ace and defensive reserve for a starting-quality veteran. Kiko Alonso has played well for New Orleans in his first few months on the job, gradually picking up more of the defensive playbook and earning increasingly-high snap counts.

But this is a case where both parties came away feeling good about what they’d gained. For Miami, it meant a talented pass rusher who’s just happy to have the opportunity. Vince Biegel has turned into a bright spot in a season that’s been tough to watch for Dolphins fans. He ranks second on the team in sacks (2) but leads the defense in hits (11) by a landslide. If he put up those same numbers for the Saints, he’d rank third-best in each category.

According to pressure rates charted by Pro Football Focus, Biegel places inside the top 10 for pass rushers league-wide, ranking just above Marcus Davenport. That shows that he’s performing well with consistency on a snap-to-snap basis, not just notching a few lucky plays.

And for Biegel and his family, the opportunity to start on a defense and make a career in Miami is something to be grateful for. Wins and losses are great (and his fortunes there would be widely reversed if the Saints hadn’t traded him), but the chance to write his own NFL story is something he appreciates.

“To be in (Dolphins coach Brian Flores) defense has been a blessing for me,” Biegel said earlier this season. “Coach Flo reminds me a lot of Dave Aranda, who was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, a guy who really loved to mix it up, a great defensive mind who really put guys in great positions to make plays.”

And he’s made some memorable plays for Dolphins faithful already, including his first career sack — which came against none other than New England Patriots legend Tom Brady. The list of players who can boast that kind of start to their career is brief, and it’s something Biegel takes pride in.

“For me, this has been the most comfortable defense I’ve been a part of so far in the league,” Biegel continued. “It’s been fun to be a part of this defense, make some plays, obviously for the team and continue to grow. As the season progresses, and hopefully (I) stay here for years to come I hopefully can grow and develop and to be a great, great player in this defense.”

So what does this mean for Saints fans? It’s certainly not something to complain about. Biegel was playing well in his role for New Orleans, but the opportunity to add someone as experienced as Alonso was too good to pass up, especially with Biegel buried on the depth chart. If anything, having someone to root for during Dolphins games is a plus for fans of the black and gold — so long as they aren’t the ones playing against Biegel and his new team.

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Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney shines in breakout game

Against the 49er, Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney logged five hits on the QB, a sack and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney finally had the breakout game everyone had been waiting for. Against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10, Clowney finished the day with five tackles, five hits on the quarterback, a sack and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown – his second defensive score of the year.

Clowney was all over the field Monday night and his recorded statistics don’t accurately reflect all the pressure he put on San Francisco’s offense throughout the contest.

“Golly, what a fantastic football game he played,” coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday afternoon. “He just was unblockable. He just continued to weave his way into the backfield and make plays, the run and the pass. Any plays that he wouldn’t get credit for that he affected were many and all across the board. Pass defense was good last night. Made a lot of plays, had hands on a lot of balls.”

The Seahawks had been short on sacks this season – only recording 15 heading into the Week 10 matchup. With Clowney’s assistance, Seattle was able to log five more against the 49ers as well as 10 total hits on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Clowney and his teammates have the week off to enjoy the bye before resuming practice next Monday ahead of the Eagles matchup Week 12.

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