Tag: sacks

Bryan Bresee on track to lead the NFL’s defensive tackles in sacks

Sacks aren’t everything for a defensive tackle, but there’s a lot to be said for leading the league in them. Bryan Bresee is on track to do just that:

Sacks aren’t everything for a defensive tackle, but there’s a lot to be said for leading the league in them. And Bryan Bresee is on track to do just that. The New Orleans Saints’ second-year pro is up to 6.5 sacks through 12 games, a big improvement over his rookie numbers (4.5 in 17 games). That ranks second-most in his position group.

So who’s on top? That would be New York Giants star Dexter Lawrence, with 9.0 sacks in 12 games for himself. But Lawrence’s season has ended on injured reserve after he suffered a dislocated elbow. He isn’t expected back in 2024, which sets a clear goal for Bresee to chase through these last five games. His next challenge comes against Lawrence’s teammates on the Giants, who have allowed 40 sacks as a team. That’s tied for seventh-most. For comparison, the Saints have allowed the seventh-fewest quarterback sacks with 23.

This would be an impressive achievement for Bresee if he can get there, but he’s already made some big strides through two years in the NFL. It’s encouraging that he’s improving, but he isn’t a finished product just yet. He’s still getting pushed around and washed out on running downs. He struggles to disengage against an opponent advancing uphill. If he can continue to learn on the job and make improvements, and clean up that part of his game? The sky might be the limit for the young pro.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Chiefs vs. Raiders: Chris Jones makes history with second-quarter sack

Chris Jones passed a legend on Kansas City’s all-time franchise leaderboard for sacks during the #Chiefs’ Week 13 matchup against the #Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense has struggled recently after dominating the first half of the season, but it seems the tides may be turning.

After the Chiefs kicked a field goal in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead over the Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City’s defense took some time to get into gear.

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell carved up the Chiefs’ secondary on a ten-play, 83-yard drive that got Las Vegas into Kansas City’s red zone.

But, just when it seemed that the Raiders might take an early lead, Chiefs pass-rusher Chris Jones sacked O’Connell, which stymied Las Vegas’ offense on a key third down.

Jones advanced his position on Kansas City’s all-time franchise leaderboard for sacks on the play, passing legendary Chiefs edge rusher Justin Houston.

Take a look at Jones’ outstanding effort on the play in this video, which was posted by the team’s official account on Twitter:

Expect the All-Pro lineman to continue putting on a show as Friday’s game progresses.

Broncos haven’t had a pass rusher as productive as Nik Bonitto in 6 years

Nik Bonitto (10.0) is the first Bronco to record double-digit sacks since Von Miller (14.5) and Bradley Chubb (12.0) did so in 2018.

Nik Bonitto’s historic pace continues.

The Denver Broncos‘ pass rusher recorded one sack in a 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, bringing his season-long total to 10 sacks. Bonitto became the team’s first player to record double-digit sacks in a single season since Von Miller (14.5) and Bradley Chubb (12.0) did so in 2018.

Amazingly, Bonitto said after the game that he’s never had a double-digit sack season since high school. He posted 0-, 3.5-, 8- and 7-sack seasons in four seasons at Oklahoma before being drafted by Denver in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Pressure from Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper helped force a game-changing interception against the Raiders:

As a team, the Broncos have recorded 44 sacks this year, which ties for the second-most through 12 games in franchise history. The team’s all-time record was 47 sacks through the first 12 games of the 1986 season.

Bonitto and Co. will look to keep the momentum going when Denver hosts the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Washington legend Ryan Kerrigan talks helping Commanders’ pass rushers in 2024

Ryan Kerrigan discusses Washington’s success in 2024.

Ryan Kerrigan is quickly making his mark three years into his coaching career.

The Washington legend, who spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons with the burgundy and gold, retired in 2022 and immediately jumped into coaching. Former Washington coach Ron Rivera hired Kerrigan as an assistant defensive line coach.

Earlier this year, Kerrigan was one of only a few coaches that new head coach Dan Quinn retained. Quinn gave Kerrigan a new title: Assistant linebackers coach/pass rush specialist.

This summer, Quinn praised Kerrigan for his work with former Washington first-round pick Jamin Davis. Davis had switched from linebacker to defensive end, and Kerrigan spent extra time during and after practice working with him. While Davis was later released this season, that work left an impression on Washington’s coaching staff. 

On Thursday, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was the latest to praise Kerrigan for his work with veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. Fowler, who leads the Commanders with 8.5 sacks, is on pace to break his career high of 11.5 sacks, which he set in 2019 with the Rams. 

“The past couple years, his sack numbers haven’t been as high,” Whitt said of Fowler. “He’s won, he’s beat the tackle, he just hasn’t controlled and finished on the quarterback. And I give all that credit to Ryan Kerrigan. He’s done just a heck of a job taking Dante, and once you get past the tackle, control to the quarterback and finish. That’s really what he’s worked with him for a long time and it’s showing. And then the production that Dante’s having. So, that’s all Ryan right there.”

On Friday, we finally heard from Kerrigan, who explained his work with Fowler.

Kerrigan spoke about Fowler finishing at the top of the rush and how the veteran is playing at a high level so deep into his career.

Washington’s all-time sack leader also discussed Whitt and what working for the new coach was like.

“It’s been awesome,” Kerrigan said. “His demeanor with the players is outstanding. A guy that I feel like as a player, you wanna go play for him. He’s honest.”

Finally, we get to hear what Kerrigan thinks of all of Washington’s changes and how fun things are.

“It’s been great; I mean, it’s awesome,” Kerrigan said with a smile. “We obviously got a long way and are far from where we want to be, but it’s been cool. It’s cool to see the resurgence in the fans at the stadium. Just the energy around the building has been awesome. It’s been really fun to come to work everyday and I think that permeates not just the staff but the players alike and and really just everybody in the building.”

For longtime Washington fans, it’s good to see Kerrigan as a part of a winner in the burgundy and gold.

Chiefs DE Mike Danna opens up about the lack of sacks this season: ‘Nobody’s discouraged’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna opens up about the lack of sacks this season: ‘Nobody’s discouraged’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defensive line has not collected the same amount of sacks as last year, leading to some concern from critics around the league. Defensive end Mike Danna addressed the ongoing media concerns during Friday’s press conference.

“It’s just that guys are working their tails off regardless of the sack rating,” said Danna. “Even though there’s a so-called drop, guys are still working their tails off every single play, trying to get their teams to get the ball off fast. Teams, we respect our rush because, they have a lot of guys in the box blocking us.”

The Chiefs are near the bottom of the league in team sacks with 19 through ten games this season. Danna and his teammates aren’t concerned as they continue to get pressure on the quarterback.

“They respect our pressures that we send Blitz. So, sometimes I call us for having more hats and in the trenches like block us or whatever,” said Danna. “But by the end of the year, I’m sure we’re gonna be right where we want to be; our goals are still right in front of us. Nobody’s discouraged; we have full belief in our guys and our system. So, we’re going to be all right to a luxury, is it, as you can see, to play.”

The Panthers have a young quarterback in Bryce Young, who is elusive and can scramble, which could affect their chances of collecting sacks this Sunday.

Broncos’ defensive dominance is a good omen for NFL playoffs

The Denver Broncos are on pace to finish in the top three in yards allowed and points allowed, which is a good sign for the playoffs.

Eleven games into the 2024 NFL season, the Denver Broncos rank third in yards allowed (289.4) and third in points allowed per game (16.6).

As NFL.com’s Kevin Patra pointed out on Twitter/X earlier this week, 44 teams have finished in the top three of both yards allowed and points allowed over the last 30 seasons. Of those teams, all 44 made the NFL playoffs and 19 of them made it at least to the conference championship game.

Vance Joseph’s unit certainly has the team on track to make some noise down the stretch.

“They’re playing great,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said of Denver’s defense. “They’re having a great year. They get us the ball back in a timely manner. They stop the offense. They keep it relatively low scoring. We have been good at certain points, and we haven’t at times on offense to parallel that. At the same time, they’re going to continue to play that way. We just have to continue to rely on them and know that they’re going to make plays. Then we kind of have to pick it up and match it when they do. We have to help them out and be there for them. They’ve done a spectacular job all year.”

After sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins three times on Sunday, the Broncos now rank first in the NFL with 39 sacks this season. Perhaps even more impressive was the team holding Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson to just 35 rushing yards on 12 carries.

“He’s explosive,” coach Sean Payton said of Robinson. “Their wide-zone scheme, they do a great job with him. If that gets going, then everything else falls in place for the quarterback. We felt like the primary key to winning this game was when the game ended, who won the rushing battle. We know that they were a good rushing team, but they’re a hard team to beat if you don’t have an answer for him. He’s an extremely talented player. They do a great job by design. That was really important.”

Denver remains on pace to make the NFL playoffs, and if the defense continues playing at this level, the Broncos could make some noise in the postseason.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Chiefs DT Chris Jones responds to criticism after Week 11 loss to Bills: ‘I love adversity’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones responds to criticism after Week 11 loss to Bills: ‘I love adversity’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs first loss of the season in November isn’t a reason for concern, as they remain focused on a three-peat. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke to reporters on Thursday about the team’s mindset after last week’s loss and how they are working on correcting mistakes.

“I love adversity. I think it builds character, and we have a good group of guys with energy in the building. Has been great all week, uplifting. “said Jones. “We know it was one loss. It’s a lot of errors we can correct, and that’s what our main focus has been on this week, making sure we correct those errors and go out and play this week in Carolina.”

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke with the unit earlier in the week, pointing out numerous mistakes from the game. Jones reflected on that film session with optimism.

“I think that was a positive. You can show us where the game is in ten plays and where we could have changed. Maybe the outcome could have been different, and be critical of your own errors.” said Jones. “I don’t think we played our best game last game, and a lot of us could have played better off in the defensive, and we’re going to get better from it. It’s a lot we can learn from.

The Chiefs defense hasn’t had the statistical production on pass rushes that thrived last season. The low number of sacks is a concern, but Jones and the rest of the line feel they can correct it soon.

Commanders DC Joe Whitt credits Ryan Kerrigan

Ryan Kerrigan earns praise from from DC Joe Whitt.

Ryan Kerrigan is one of the greatest players in the 90-plus-year history of the Washington NFL franchise. A first-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Kerrigan played 10 seasons in the burgundy and gold before former coach Ron Rivera foolishly allowed Kerrigan to play his final season elsewhere.

Kerrigan set the franchise record for sacks with 95.5, and after playing the 2021 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, he returned to Washington to retire, where he immediately jumped into coaching.

In 2022, Kerrigan was named the Commanders’ new assistant defensive line coach, a role he held for two seasons until Rivera was fired after the 2023 season. New head Dan Quinn kept Kerrigan, naming him the new assistant linebackers coach/pass rush specialist.

Earlier this season, head coach Dan Quinn praised Kerrigan for his work with former first-round pick Jamin Davis. While Davis was ultimately released after changing positions, coaches were impressed with the work and time Kerrigan spent with Davis to learn a new position.

As it turns out, Davis isn’t the only player Kerrigan has helped this season.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. praised Kerrigan for his work with veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. Fowler leads the Commanders with 8.5 sacks, and the 10-year veteran is on pace to set a new career-high in sacks.

“The past couple years, his sack numbers haven’t been as high,” Whitt said of Fowler. “He’s won, he’s beat the tackle, he just hasn’t controlled and finished on the quarterback. And I give all that credit to Ryan Kerrigan. He’s done just a heck of a job taking Dante, and once you get past the tackle, control to the quarterback and finish. That’s really what he’s worked with him for a long time and it’s showing. And then the production that Dante’s having. So, that’s all Ryan right there.”

That’s high praise for the beloved Kerrigan. Consider that Fowler has been with Quinn for years, dating back to when he was a college player at Florida. He’s been with Whitt since 2020. They know him well and recognize that it was Kerrigan who helped Fowler take another step in his career at 30 years old.

Some coaches make it in the coaching world because of their name and who they know. Kerrigan isn’t the type to rest on his name. After a terrific playing career, the future is even brighter for the 36-year-old Kerrigan in the next phase of his football career.

 

Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto ranks second in the NFL in sacks: ‘He’s a handful’

Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto ranks second in the NFL with nine sacks this season. “He’s a handful,” coach Sean Payton said.

Following his two-sack performance against the Atlanta Falcons last week, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is now tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks this season.

Only Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson (11.5) has more sacks than Bonitto through 11 games. Bonitto has already topped his previous career high of eight sacks in a season (2023).

Following a 38-6 win over the Falcons, Broncos coach Sean Payton attributed Bonitto’s rise to the pass rusher getting more snaps after putting on more weight.

“I would No. 1, guess that his snap count is higher,” Payton said. “So I’d say more opportunity. He’s stronger, and so with those additional opportunities, I think he’s done a great job of taking advantage of it to his credit. He’s a handful. Especially he’s one of those guys that bends well. It’s really helped us not only on third down, but on the earlier downs.”

Denver’s defense held Atlanta’s offense to just two field goals on Sunday.

“It means a lot and we obviously take a lot of pride in that,” Bonitto said of not allowing a touchdown. “Credit to the coaching staff and the guys that I am rushing with.”

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked three times and the Broncos’ defense now ranks first in the NFL with 39 sacks this fall.

“Just knowing the type of scheme [that] they like to run, knowing the type of guys we have in our room and the d-line room, we knew we could get after them,” Bonitto said.

Up next for Bonitto and Co. is a showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders. Gardner Minshew has been sacked 26 times in nine games this fall.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto has ‘made the leap’ as a pass rusher

Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto leads the team with seven sacks this season. “He’s really helped us,” coach Sean Payton said.

After giving outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper a four-year contract extension earlier this month, the Denver Broncos will have another pass rusher due for a big raise before long.

Nik Bonitto, the team’s second-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2022, leads the team with seven sacks this fall and he’s on pace for the first double-digit sack season of his career after totaling eight sacks in 2023.

“He’s certainly made the leap,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Monday. “He’s getting more snaps. He’s getting more pass-rush snaps. I think the key for Nik was playing the run and running at him. He’s at the right weight now.

“He’s a guy that plays with real good bend. He can bend and torque his body. He has a lot in the tank relative to his pass rush, and what he wants to do and how to set somebody up. He’s really helped us.”

Bonitto (7.0) and Cooper (6.5) have been a dynamic edge duo for Denver this season, and interior defensive linemen Zach Allen (5.0) and John Franklin-Myers (5.0) have boosted the unit’s totals. Through ten weeks, the Broncos rank second in the NFL with 35 sacks.

Bonitto has one more year left on his contract before becoming a free agent in 2025. He’s well on his way to getting a big extension like Cooper.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]