Tag: sacks

Lions set the NFL record for sacks by a rookie class

The Lions now hold the NFL record for most sacks by a rookie class after Aidan Hutchinson sacked Aaron Rodgers

The Detroit Lions defense entered Sunday night’s game in Green Bay needing just a half-sack from the rookie class to tie the NFL record.

Aidan Hutchinson made sure the Lions wouldn’t wait long to seize the record from the 1999 Tennessee Titans. Hutchinson sacked Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter, giving Detroit’s first-year players a total of 19.5 sacks on the season. But Hutchinson wasn’t done.

The No. 2 overall pick bagged another sack of Rodgers on a third down, raising the total to 20.5 overall. It was No. 9.5 for Hutchinson, retaking the season rookie sack lead from teammate James Houston, who had eight entering the night. Josh Paschal has two and Malcolm Rodriguez chipped in one of his own to build the new record.

Keep in mind that sacks have only been an official stat since 1982. It’s still a testament to the bright young talent in Detroit making a big impact early on.

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Cameron Jordan named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after 3-sack game vs. Eagles

Cameron Jordan has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his big game against the Eagles won him the franchise sacks record:

This is cool: Cameron Jordan has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after his big game against the Philadelphia Eagles won him the New Orleans Saints’ franchise sacks record. Jordan brought down Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew three times last Sunday afternoon, which played a huge part in New Orleans pulling off the upset on the road.

Good for him. Jordan has worked hard and toiled for years on some gnarly defenses with the Saints, so it’s great to see him earn this kind of recognition after reaching such an important career milestone. He’ll look to add onto his career total in this week’s season finale with the Carolina Panthers.

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Cameron Jordan thanks Matt Ryan for all his help in winning Saints’ sack record

Cameron Jordan made time to thank Matt Ryan for all his help in winning the Saints’ sack record. He didn’t forget his longtime rival while celebrating a career milestone:

Cameron Jordan made NFL history with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with his third sack on the afternoon raising his career total to 115.5. That’s half a sack ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson, famed leader of the Saints’ old “Dome Patrol” defense. This big game also put Jordan’s season total to 8.5 sacks, landing him in rare company. Hall of Fame inductees Reggie White and John Randle are the only other players to have bagged at least 7.5 sacks in as many consecutive seasons as Jordan (11).

Jordan turned retrospective in celebrating his accomplishment after the game, thanking dozens of teammates and coaches by name who helped him get to this point — as well as the many opposing quarterbacks he brought down over the years.

“There was some Josh Freemans in there, there was like a myriad of Tampa Bay quarterbacks. Lots of Matt Ryan,” Jordan joked. “He’s been good to me. Happy New Year, Matt Ryan, if you see it.”

Ryan certainly has been good to him: Jordan sacked the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback 23 times in 11 seasons, setting an NFL record for the most sacks of an opposing passer by a single defender in their career. It’s quite a unique NFL record they put together.

When asked how much longer he sees himself playing, Jordan quipped: “I don’t know, Tom Brady is like 75. So half that? I’ll take 37.”

Jordan turns 34 this summer, and it sure doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down that much. He could very likely play three more years at this level. If he can remain healthy and productive, he could put the sacks record so far out of reach that it endures as long for him as it did for Jackson (28-plus years, or 10,591 days). We’ll see how the defensive line changes around him in the offseason, but Jordan should continue to be a fixture for New Orleans. When he’s ready to hang up his cleats, he’ll have quite a case to maybe join Jackson, White, and Randle in the Hall of Fame himself someday.

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Cameron Jordan breaks the Saints’ all-time sack record with big game vs. Eagles

Cam Jordan is all about the next level, and now, he’s reached the mountaintop as the Saints all-time sack leader, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

191 games is all it took for New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan to set the franchise record for career sacks. He did so with a fantastic performance against the Philadelphia Eagles wherein Jordan harassed quarterback Gardner Minshew, bagging three sacks on the afternoon. Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and member of the esteemed Dome Patrol, Rickey Jackson officially held the record at 115 sacks. He did amass his tally over 195 games, four more than Jordan.

The 2011 first-round pick has long stated that he wants to be a legacy player in New Orleans. He often referenced playing his entire career with just one team, as his father did with the Minnesota Vikings, and reaching the franchise sack record as career goals. Now, he has achieved one with the very real possibility of accomplishing both.

Of Jordan’s 115.5 sacks, his largest share came against former NFC South rival Matt Ryan when he was the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. The two were well known for their consistent meetings which led to Jordan sacking Ryan more than any individual player has sacked a specific quarterback in NFL history. With one game left to play against the Carolina Panthers next week, the Saints mainstay will have a chance to continue to extend his record before the season draws to a close.

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Seattle Seahawks rank second-to-last in ESPN’s pass rush win rate

Their toothless pass rush is an almost equally-problematic area.

The Seahawks’ porous run defense has taken up most of the oxygen this season when it comes to conversations about how to improve the team. That’s deservedly so, as they’ve gotten pounded by most of the rushing attacks they’ve faced this year. However, their toothless pass rush is an almost equally problematic area.

Uchenna Nwosu has been the lone consistent standout in this area, totaling a quarter of the team’s sacks and the unit’s highest pass rush grade by a healthy margin. The rest of the rotation has not produced, though and Seattle ranks very poorly in practically all advanced metrics. As a team they are No. 30 in PFF’s pass rush grade. In ESPN’s pass rush win rate they rank second-to-last at 33%. Here’s how all 32 teams stack up with two games left to play.

 

Saints DE Cameron Jordan wants to have a lasting impact in New Orleans

“If it’s not about them, then what can it be about?” Saints DE Cam Jordan visits, encourages local high schoolers to hit the next level, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

We hear about “splash plays” in the NFL all of the time. Sacks, forced fumbles, interceptions, the big plays made that shift the stasis of usual game flow. New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan is no stranger to those big moments, and how they create a lasting effect. With 112.5 career sacks, 14 fumbles forced and 2 interceptions including one returned for a touchdown, Jordan has turned “splash plays” into consistent career production.

With legendary former New Orleans Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson’s franchise sack record (123) well within reach, Jordan will leave a long-standing impact on the city for his on-field play. But it is the additional work he does away from the stadium that will further his legacy. For Jordan, making a splash in the community is just as important as making one in the Superdome.

When I asked him about that impact and how he wants to make it, Jordan has a clear vision for what he desires. “It’s events like this,” he told me. “When you’re able to be a part of something like what Old Spice and Walmart are bringing together with the ‘School of Swagger.’ It like, aligns perfectly with what I love to say I’m about.”

As we briefly caught up during his recent appearance at John F. Kennedy High School, located in the Fillmore area of New Orleans, you could see just how much opportunities like this mean to him. This particular event was in concert with Old Spice Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to help encourage students to find mentors and pursue higher education. The day included a career panel on which members of the New Orleans Saints social media staff and others sat and a pep rally which featured an appearance from Jordan in front of several hundred excited students. A press release around the event highlights the importance of these moments:

“Two million students dropped out of high school in 2019 while 30,000 students signed up for a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America but are still waiting to receive their match. As a part of Old Spice’s 10 year commitment to increasing graduation rates in underrepresented communities and providing support for these students, Old Spice and Saints defensive end Cam Jordan are teaming up to empower and encourage high school students to find mentors and pursue higher education as research shows those who have mentors are 95% more likely to stay engaged in school and participate in positive activities.” 

Much like on the football field, Jordan looks to turn splashes into lasting impact. “When you’re trying to be something like a brief mentor,” Jordan said. “You have this splash in a kid’s life, but that splash can create a tidal wave. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”

He has more than lived up to the words as well. Jordan has not limited himself to simply making appearances. This same week his God Iz Love Foundation donated sneakers to 30 kids from the New Orleans Youth Empowerment Project. The Saints defensive superstar has also partnered with organizations looking to make even larger community impact like Crescent City Corps’ drive to inspire police reform and provide racial equity training to officers.

Whether for the youth of New Orleans or having an impact on every day life, Jordan’s drive to leave a lasting impression on the community is unmatched. The last few words of our brief conversation continue to ring in my memory days letter. In speaking on why looking beyond oneself and giving back is so important, Jordan posed the question, “I mean, if it’s not about them, then what can it be about?”

For a person that many assume could have anything he wants, Jordan’s biggest want turns out to be what he can do for others. A genuine and admirable approach. On the field or off, expect the future Hall of Fame pass rusher to make the splashes that bring tidal waves far beyond his playing career.

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Safety Jaquan Brisker leads Bears in sacks heading into Week 15 matchup vs. Eagles

Brisker, a safety, leads the #Bears in sacks heading into their Week 15 matchup against the #Eagles

Rookie defensive back Jaquan Brisker has exceeded every expectation in the 2022 season and will look to make an outsized impact for the Chicago Bears in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles. A second-round selection in this year’s draft, Brisker was a superstar at Penn State at the collegiate level and was considered one of the most promising safety prospects in the class.

His involvement as a blitzer has been an unexpected boon for Chicago’s defense, and as things stand now, he leads the team in sacks ahead of the Bears’ highly anticipated matchup against the 12-1 Eagles. Though his three sacks may be considered a modest total for a defensive lineman or linebacker, Brisker has managed to be the team’s most effective player at getting to the quarterback this season.

Though this interesting statistical anomaly may be impressive for Brisker individually, it is most certainly an indictment of the Bears’ ineffective pass rush this season. They have only managed to sack the quarterback 16 times so far on the year, which ranks dead last in the NFL.

This trend will need to be rectified in 2023 as the Bears look to reload after departing with key defensive talent like Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn this season. Fortunately, Chicago has a first-round selection in the upcoming draft and may be able to land a high-end talent to get after the quarterback from a position on the defensive line or in their linebacking corps next year.

For now, though, Brisker’s outstanding play will need to suffice for fans who are ready to see the Bears’ identity shift back to a defense-first mentality in roster construction. It will take time to fix the issues that are plaguing their underperforming defense, but with Brisker’s rock-solid play in the secondary and a solid defensive draft class to choose new prospects from in April, Chicago should be able to get back on track next season.

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Notre Dame All-American declares for NFL draft

All the best to one of the best!

As expected, Notre Dame’s Vyper defender and all-time program sacks leader [autotag]Isaiah Foskey[/autotag] is headed to the NFL draft.  Foskey announced his decision on Thursday although anyone paying the least bit of attention knew this was coming.

Foskey’s sack on the final play before halftime of Notre Dame’s senior day rout of Boston College moved him ahead of Justin Tuck on Notre Dame’s all-time list.  For good measure, he added one more against likely Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams a week later.

In addition to his 26.5 career sacks, Foskey also recorded 122 career tackles and forced seven fumbles.  There is no guarantee he’ll go in the first round but we feel incredibly safe saying he won’t make it past the second round.

All the best in the NFL to one of the best to do it in blue and gold (and sometimes green).

Check out the best photos of Foskey during his Notre Dame career below!

 

Maliek Collins credits Texans defensive backs for second half sack production vs. Dolphins

Collins told reporters that the #Texans’ defensive backs played a key role in Houston’s sack production against the #Dolphins in Week 12

The Houston Texans had one of their worst first halves of the season against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12 in a game where it looked like they might not be able to make the final outcome close to respectable. Down 30 at halftime, the team would rally behind a resurgent pass rush in the third and fourth quarters to cut the deficit to 15 at the final whistle.

Defensive lineman Maliek Collins got in on the action in the backfield with two sacks and was asked after the game about any frustration he might have about having a standout performance in an ugly loss. He told reporters that the Texans’ secondary helped free up the team’s pass rushers with their sticky coverage.

“We didn’t really get to him [Tua Tagovailoa] the first quarter and a half, two quarters,” Collins explained. “In the second half, [we had] coverage adjustments. Credit the DBs, I mean I feel like – they held their own and allowed us to get to the quarterback and have a fighting chance.”

All in all, this matchup could’ve ended in a much worse outcome for Houston, especially given the deficit they faced at halftime when it legitimately looked like they’d lose by 50 or more points. The Dolphins showed mercy, though, and substituted quarterback Skylar Thompson in for Tua Tagovailoa after the Texans proved that their unrelenting pass rush was going to make life difficult for the starter.

It seems that in every loss Houston has taken this year at least one facet of their game has stood out as a positive. Early in the season, the sensational play of Dameon Pierce and the Texans’ rookie defensive backs were weekly reminders of the team’s potential.

Now, with losses piling up and without anything to play for except pride, Houston’s pass rush is out to show that the Texans won’t be pushovers, even if they don’t manage to win another game this year.

Jerry Hughes looking to continue run of dominance against Dolphins in Week 12

Hughes has seven sacks against the #Dolphins in 18 career games played against them

Defensive lineman Jerry Hughes is in his first season playing for the Houston Texans and is poised to make an outsized impact for the team against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12. As a former member of the Buffalo Bills, Hughes has plenty of experience playing against this AFC East opponent and has put up some impressive career numbers against the Dolphins since entering the NFL in 2010.

With a whopping 18 games under his belt playing against the Dolphins, Hughes has managed to bring down the quarterback seven times for 68 total yards lost, tallied 33 total tackles, and forced three fumbles. These numbers point to some serious production waiting in the wings for the Texans in this matchup, and against one of the league’s best teams by record, Houston will need all the help they can get.

While Hughes alone won’t be able to deliver the Texans a win in this game, the team is certainly hopeful that a few other contributors on their defense can step up to help keep Miami’s offense at bay. No other defenders have nearly as much experience playing against the Dolphins, but with a solid enough gameplan, the unit could come to surprise some fans who expect this matchup to end in a lopsided Miami victory.

For now, Houston will have to wait to see what their team can muster against one of the top teams in their conference with just a handful of games left to play. Still in search of their second win of the season, the Texans and their fans are desperately hoping that the team’s 2022 campaign doesn’t end up a total loss by the end of Week 17.

A win against Miami this weekend would be the best way to ensure that there is at least some degree of excitement to keep Houstonians excited about the franchise heading into the team’s rebuild in 2023.