Tag: sacks

Is T.J. Watt running away with the Defensive Player of the Year race?

After two-forced fumbles and a dominant Week 6 performance overall, is T.J Watt running away with the D.P.O.Y race?

The wounds of the ‘Steel City’ faithful haven’t quite healed since T.J. Watt was snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year last season. To make matters worse, the award went to perhaps the most disliked man in all of Pittsburgh—Myles Garrett. Garrett’s impact on the Browns’ defense couldn’t be denied, but he was voted the 2023 D.P.O.Y with stats that, if Watt had produced them, Steelers fans would have considered it a down year. 

Fast forward to the current season, and Watt finds himself in a similar position—lower-than-usual sack numbers but dominant performances week in and week out. He’s currently in the top fifteen for sacks and leads this group of pass rushers in tackles. Watt also ranks in the top five for tackles for loss and is tied for first in quarterback hits, while also second in forced fumbles.

If Garrett won his award for being a game-wrecker in 2023, then Watt should absolutely be considered the favorite to win in 2024, as his presence on the field allows the defense not only to force turnovers but also to take over the game entirely. 

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Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong quietly excelling recently

Dorance Armstrong has been getting it done as a pass rusher recently.

The Washington Commanders’ defense struggled early this season. In Week 1, Washington couldn’t stop Baker Mayfield and had no answer for Malik Nabers in Week 2. In Week 3, the Commanders got just enough stops for quarterback Jayden Daniels to outlast Joe Burrow for the upset road win.

However, over the past two weeks, Washington’s defense has improved. Newcomers such as linebacker Frankie Luvu and defensive end Dorance Armstrong have gotten comfortable and emerged as impact defenders for the Commanders.

In last week’s win over the Browns, Luvu had seven tackles, 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. Armstrong didn’t receive as much attention for his play, but the former Dallas Cowboy had 1.5 sacks last week, giving him three over the past three games.

While Armstrong hasn’t posted huge sack numbers, his impact is helping others, such as Luvu. His career high is 8.5 sacks, which he set in 2022, playing only 47% of the defensive snaps. Now a full-time starter, Armstrong is positioned to set a new career high in sacks this season.

 

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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Bo Nix is avoiding sacks better than any Broncos quarterback since 2016

Bo Nix hasn’t been sacked in consecutive weeks, marking the first time since 2016 a Broncos QB has been kept upright for two straight games.

The Denver Broncos are on a two-game winning streak and, perhaps not coincidentally, rookie quarterback Bo Nix has no turnovers and no sacks during that two-game stretch.

This marks the first time since 2016 that the Broncos have gone two straight games without their quarterback taking a sack. Russell Wilson certainly never managed such a feat in Denver. Neither did Teddy Bridgewater, nor Drew Lock, nor Brandon Allen, nor Joe Flacco, nor Case Keenum … you get the idea.

The offensive line obviously deserves credit for keeping Nix upright, and the quarterback has praised the unit for their protection.

“That was huge,” Nix said Sunday when asked about not being sacked. “It starts with up front. They picked up everything. I wasn’t ever really running around, had a good pocket all day. And I think it helped that we were able to run the ball, and they were kind of getting on their heels a little bit. It just sets up the pass when you can run it and get to manageable third downs, manageable second down and shorts, that’s where you want to be as an offense, and that’s what we did. That’s why we moved the ball better in the second half.”

The offensive line has certainly played well, but coach Sean Payton credits Nix for the team’s two-game streak without allowing a sack.

“I think the sacks statistic by and large is more a quarterback statistic than an offensive line statistic,” Payton said Monday. “There’s some quarterbacks that are more difficult to protect for and some that aren’t. We saw all the time on college tape [that] he was someone that got rid of the ball. It would become frustrating to rush if you will because of his ability to throw it away or to flush and find an answer or an incompletion. It’s something that he’s done well throughout his career.

“Then certainly with the offensive line, that’s a pretty good front we just played. There were a handful of match up concerns and protections issues that we discussed. If you said to me when the game ended that he was not going to have any sacks and Aaron [Rodgers] would have five, I would’ve felt that was a little challenging.”

Overall, Nix has four sacks through the first four games of the year, the lowest total for a Denver quarterback through the first four weeks since 2014. If he protects the ball and avoids pressure, Nix will continue to trend in the right direction for the Broncos.

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Broncos defense ranks near top of the NFL in major categories

The Broncos’ defense ranks second in yards (256.5) and third in points allowed per game (13.8) this season.

Through four weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Denver Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL. That’s not an opinion — the stats back it up.

On a per-game basis, the Broncos have allowed 256.5 total yards (second), 146.0 passing yards (third), 110.5 rushing yards (12th) and 13.8 points (third). Denver also has 16 sacks (second) and five takeaways (11th). Vance Joseph has the unit playing at an extremely high level, and they shut down the New York Jets in Week 4.

“Yeah, I think, look, they’ve got a good rushing attack, and I think when that’s rolling it’s hard, you know he (Aaron Rodgers) does so much,” coach Sean Payton said after a 10-9 win over the Jets on Sunday. “I thought we defended the run real well today.”

New York’s offense was limited to 2.8 yards per carry against the Broncos and Rodgers was sacked five times in Week 4.

“It’s tough to do against him,” Payton said of the sacks. “He’s someone that’s real good with his protection IDs and he’s also someone who he knows if he’s short one and he knows right away. So, you’ll send a guy in motion, he’s extremely smart so you may go another 20 games before you see that happen to him. Look, that was part of the success today.”

Up next for Denver’s defense is a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders, who have averaged 288.8 yards per game and 19.5 points per game. Joseph will undoubtedly send the heat against a Raiders line that has allowed 14 sacks through four games this fall.

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Bills’ Von Miller proving his worth after renegotiated contract

Bills’ Von Miller proving his worth after renegotiated contract

Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller now has a sack in each of the first three weeks of the 2024 season. He has been quick off the ball and has been a nightmare for offensive tackles at times.

That hasn’t always been the case, though. In 2023, Miller posted zero sacks while trying to work back from a torn ACL on Thanksgiving day in 2022. 33-years-old at the time of the injury, coaches and personnel around the team had an idea that it would take a while to return to form.

The fans didn’t see it that way. As Miller kept throwing up duds, the concern started to creep in. The main concern was the money tied up in Miller. Ahead of the 2021 season, he signed a lucrative six-year, $120 million contract. Sure, there was an out after three years to get out of the deal, but if all the Bills received from that deal was eight healthy games before Thanksgiving, that would be detrimental to the team’s cap without providing anything on the field of play.

So, after the 2023 season general manager Brandon Beane and the Bills had a decision to make. Simply cutting Miller was out of the question due to the dead cap they would’ve had to pay. So, the team got creative.

He essentially took a pay cut and bet on himself to perform again. According to Spotrac, he and the Bills agreed to reduce his 2024 base salary from $17.145M to $1.5M. He also signed a $7M roster bonus. But the real kicker was the sack incentives. There are six sack thresholds for bonuses in the renegotiated contract:

  • 2: $1M
  • 4: $2.5M
  • 6: $4M
  • 8: $6M
  • 10.5: $8.645M
  • 15: $9.645M

There is also a $1.5M bonus for an AFC Championship win.

Von Miller has certainly proved his worth to begin the 2024 season. What happens beyond this year is very much in question, but after three weeks he is already up to three sacks and is striking fear in offensive tackles.

On Monday night, Jaguars’ offensive tackle Walker Little had a false start matched up with Miller, trying to get out quickly to block him. Immediately after the false start, Miller shot around the edge to sack Trevor Lawrence and put the game on ice. He also put the Week 2 game on ice with the same speed around the edge, sacking Miami Dolphins’ QB Skylar Thompson.

Although he is playing in a rotation, Miller is as efficient as it gets. “The Closer” is proving he still has enough juice to play at a high level. Opposing quarterbacks will have to keep an eye out for when Miller jogs onto the field. We know the offensive tackles will be well aware of his presence.

John Franklin-Myers had a funny reaction to Broncos’ seven sacks in Week 3

“You get a sack, you get a sack, I wonder if this how Oprah feel?” John Franklin-Myers tweeted after the Broncos totaled seven sacks.

The Denver Broncos‘ defense dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday with seven sacks and two takeaways.

Following a 26-7 victory on the road, Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers had a funny reaction to the team’s impressive sack total.

“You get a sack, you get a sack, I wonder if this how Oprah feel😂 VICTORY MONDAY!” Franklin-Myers tweeted on Sept. 23.

https://twitter.com/J_FranklinMyers/status/1838389156096979165

Denver’s defense ranks second in pass rush win rate this season (60%), according to ESPN (via Mile High Report’s Joe Mahoney). The team’s 11 sacks through three weeks are tied for fifth-most in the NFL.

Franklin-Myers has totaled seven tackles (two behind the line of scrimmage) and one sack through his first three games with the Broncos (66 snaps). JFM recorded his first sack as a Bronco against Baker Mayfield on Sunday.

JFM now has 20.5 sacks in his career. He totaled 17.5 sacks in four seasons with the New York Jets before being traded to Denver this spring. Franklin-Myers is now set to face his former team when the Broncos travel to New Jersey for Sunday’s showdown with the Jets.

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Vance Joseph has Broncos’ defense playing at a high level

The Broncos’ defense ranks 2nd in passing yards allowed, 3rd in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed three games into the season.

What a difference a year makes.

One year after a 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos returned to Florida on Sunday to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This time, the Broncos took care of business with a convincing 26-7 victory. Denver’s defense — led by coordinator Vance Joseph — dominated from start to finish, ending the game with seven sacks and two takeaways.

“I think we made [Baker Mayfield] hold [the ball],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the game when asked about the sacks. “I think we made him hold it some. That is a credit to coverage.”

Denver cornerback Pat Surtain held Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans to just one catch for eight yards. Broncos safety Brandon Jones grabbed an interception and recovered a fumble.

Six defenders recorded a sack, including two sacks from former UFL pass rusher Dondrea Tillman in his NFL debut. Following that impressive performance, Denver’s defense ranks high after three weeks of play.

The Broncos have allowed 259.3 yards per game (third-best), 133.3 passing yards per game (second-best) and 15.3 points per game (sixth-best). Denver’s 11 sacks are tied for fifth-most and while that number is inflated by Sunday’s seven-sack performance, the team’s 44.8% pressure rate is a good sign that the sacks should continue.

If there’s a weakness, it’s the 126.0 rushing yards allowed per game (12th-worst), but that’s not a big factor when the Broncos are able to build a lead.

Denver’s defense is off to a great start this season, and Joseph deserves credit.

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Broncos’ offensive line was excellent on Sunday

The Broncos’ offensive line did not allow any sacks on Sunday as Bo Nix was kept upright in a convincing win over the Bucs.

The Denver Broncos‘ defense harrassed Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on Sunday, finishing the game with seven sacks and two takeaways. While Mayfield had a rough day at the office, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix was kept clean by Denver’s offensive line.

Nix was not sacked once — thanks in part to his own pocket awareness — and the offensive line played well despite losing right tackle Mike McGlinchey to a knee injury last week. Alex Palczewski filled in on Sunday and he performed well, helping Denver’s offense have its best game of the season.

“[W]e had protection, we had a really good plan relative to getting in and out of some audibles,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after a 26-7 win. “Bo handled it really well. We were going to have answers if [pressure] came. … [The Bucs] are counting on takeaways, they are counting on sacks, they are counting on disruption. We just had to do everything to prevent that.”

Mission accomplished.

The team’s interior offensive linemen — center Luke Wattenberg and guards Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz — did not allow a single pressure, according to NFL Next Gen Stats (via the Denver Post‘s Ryan McFadden).

If he continues getting that kind of protection up front, Nix will be set up for success.

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After 3 games, it’s clear Saints are reducing Cameron Jordan’s role

After three games, it’s clear the New Orleans Saints coaching staff are reducing Cameron Jordan’s role. It just comes down to who can make the most plays:

Did you know Cameron Jordan played the second-fewest snaps in a game of his career on Sunday? The New Orleans Saints defensive end was on the field for just 20 snaps while taking a backseat to younger teammates Carl Granderson (55) and Chase Young (53) against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jordan managed just 17 snaps in last year’s game with the Detroit Lions — his first since suffering a serious ankle injury, and that remains his career-low. He played 27 snaps in Week 1 (46% of the total) and 34 reps in Week 2 (49%), but that count dropped to 20 (28%) in Week 3.

Jordan was the best player on his side of the ball in New Orleans for more than a decade. But those days are behind us, and the Saints are making adjustments to cope with their new reality. Just ask head coach Dennis Allen.

“I think you’re gonna see more of Chase and Carl,” Allen said Monday, pointing out that those two have been too effective to keep off the field. The other side of that coin is that Jordan hasn’t been effective enough to take snaps from them.

Father Time is undefeated. He’s beaten Drew Brees and Jordan’s own father Steve Jordan, who found great success in 13 years with the Minnesota Vikings. Anyone who has watched Jordan play in recent years has known this day was coming. He only had two sacks last season. Jordan had 8.5 sacks the year before but five of them came in two games.

The signs of his decline have been there for those willing to acknowledge them. It’s why the Saints have poured so many resources into defensive end searching for his successor — signing Young in free agency, developing and extending Granderson, and spending high draft picks on guys like Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, and Isaiah Foskey. It’s just a shame so few of those players have stepped up into the vacuum created by Jordan’s decline.

Between rotating in other players more heavily and moving him inside to defensive tackle occasionally, the Saints are trying to find ways for Jordan to continue helping the team. He’s under contract through 2025 but we’re clearly approaching the end of the line. And whenever Jordan hangs up his cleats to pick up a microphone for a job in the media, we’ll be ready to support his Hall of Fame candidacy.

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