Tag: tackles

Anfernee Orji is becoming one of the Saints’ best players on special teams

Anfernee Orji’s development isn’t just at linebacker. He’s become one of the leading tacklers on special teams as well, and a key figure in the game’s third phase:

The leap from Year 1 to Year 2 for Anfernee Orji has been evaluated before. Head coach Dennis Allen and All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis have praised the young player for his ability to develop and better learn his role defensively, but he’s worked hard to help out in the game’s third phase, too.

Orji’s development runs deeper than just defense. He’s becoming one of the New Orleans Saints’ best players on special teams. Bill Belichick crafted a midseason team and Orji was one of three Saints players to be included in the list.

This week Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was asked about Orji’s inclusion on Thursday and like Belichick he highlighted the second year player’s contribution in kickoff return. He’s second to only J.T. Gray in tackles on kickoff return.

“He came out he gate, first game of the year, I think he had the first three tackles. He’s played very consistently on that team,” Rizzi said. He sees a player who has made “a huge improvement from Year 1 to Year 2.”

Kickoff returns are important for New Orleans. Rizzi helped push the new rule through and is taking advantage of it. Orji being a productive part of that unit makes him vital special teams player. If the Saints are going to turn this season around and end their losing streak, it’ll be because young, hungry players like Orji refuse to back down.

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This stat says Saints DB is the NFL’s most disruptive player through 7 weeks

Alontae Taylor has made a living in the backfield this season. Through seven weeks, he leads the league in creating “havoc plays”

The 33rd Team has a metric called havoc plays. A havoc play is any tackle for a loss, sack, interception, forced fumble or pass breakup. Instead of individualizing each stat, they compiled them into one stat.

Through seven games, Alontae Taylor has become a master of disruption. The New Orleans Saints defensive back leads the NFL in havoc plays, with 16.

Due to Paulson Adebo’s injury, Taylor’s role will change slightly. He’ll play opposite Marshon Lattimore in base defense. In nickel, Taylor will slide inside and Kool-Aid McKinstry will play outside.

The change in role only increases Taylor’s ceiling for havoc plays because he won’t have to come off the field. He still gets to retain his spot in the slot which is what sets him up for so many havoc plays.

Playing insides gives him more opportunities to blitz and be more aggressive in the run game. Taylor is second on the team 3.5 sacks this year. One of those sacks led to a strip sack of Jalen Hurts.

In addition to being a leader in sacks, Taylor also leads the team in tackles for a loss and is second in pass breakups. That last number in particular should increase by playing on the outside in base formations.

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Anfernee Orji leads the NFL in special teams tackles going into Week 3

Three New Orleans Saints players rank inside the top five in special teams tackles this season, and nobody has more than second-year linebacker Anfernee Orji:

The New Orleans Saints special teams unit has been an intriguing one to watch this season. With the new dynamic kickoff rules in effect they are one of the few teams avoiding touchbacks, and rather choose to kick to the returners and make the play to try and avoid letting them start possessions at the 30-yard line.

That’s created opportunities to make a play in kickoff coverage. Three Saints players rank inside the top five in special teams tackles around the league, and nobody has more than second-year linebacker Anfernee Orji.

And that’s despite not facing a single punt return (all three punts have been downed or fair caught). With that said, they have seen the most kick returns of any team against them, which is why the tackle numbers are so high. The three standouts are:

  • 1st – Anfernee Orji: 5 special teams tackles (4 solo, 1 assist)
  • T-2nd – J.T. Gray: 4 special teams tackles (2 solo, 2 assists)
  • T-2nd – Isaiah Foskey: 4 special teams tackles (1 solo, 3 assists)

Gray and Foskey are tied for second place with two other players, Jamien Sherwood and Jaylon Jones, meaning those four make up the top five alongside Orji who is first. The method the Saints have taken to force returns as often as possible has worked as well, with only 4 touchbacks and an average of 25.2 yards per kick return, as opposed to the automatic 30 for touchbacks. Additionally, it has given these three players the chance to stand out and get the energy pumping for the defense before they get on the field.

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Broncos’ leading tacklers from 2023 season

Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton led the team with 177 tackles in 2023, setting a new single-season franchise record.

We’re continuing our look at the Denver Broncos’ statistical leaders from the 2023 season today with a list of the team’s leading tacklers.

Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton led the team with 177 tackles, setting an official single-season franchise record. It should be noted that Singleton has the benefit of playing in the 17-game era, but he holds the record nonetheless.

It’s also worth noting that it’s an official record because unofficially, the team credits Randy Gradishar with 2,049 career tackles. Gradishar played 10 seasons so if that total is accurate, he would have averaged more than 200 tackles per season. The NFL did not begin fully tracking tackles until after Gradishar retired, so stats from his era can be unreliable and even if they are accurate, they are not official.

With all of that said, here’s a quick look at Denver’s leading tacklers from the 2023 season. Check out previous lists of the team’s passing, rushing, and interception leaders.

Former Alabama DB Trevon Diggs voted as the 60th best player in the NFL

Trevon Diggs voted as the 60th-best player in the NFL by players and personnel

What a week it has been for former Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs! On Tuesday, Diggs signed a five-year contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys worth $97 million and on Friday he was voted as the 60th best player in the entire NFL.

Diggs was a second-round pick for the Cowboys in the 2020 NFL draft and has gone on to be one of the best value picks in franchise history. Through three years in the league, Diggs has started 44 of 45 games he has played in and posted 169 total tackles, 17 interceptions, and 49 passes defended. In 2021, Diggs earned a First-team All-Pro selection after he led the NFL with 11 interceptions, a feat which hadn’t been done since Everson Walls in 1981.

Last season, Diggs earned a second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance and set a career-high in tackles with 59. Quarterbacks have begun to pick up on Diggs’s ball-hawking tendencies, and as a result, he tends to get much less action to his side of the field. Diggs is easily one of the five or ten best cornerbacks in the NFL and is on pace for a historic career.

His peers recognize this as well as Diggs was voted as the 60th-best player in the NFL heading into the 2023 season. Any list that is voted on by your opponents and rivals carries a little more weight, so to be viewed as one of the 100 best football players on earth must feel very rewarding.

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Houston Texans select Henry To’o To’o No. 167 in the 2023 NFL draft

Houston Texans select former Alabama Henry To’o To’o in round 5 of the 2023 NFL draft

Former Alabama linebacker, [autotag]Henry To’o To’o[/autotag] is officially off the board as the Houston Texans spent the No. 167 overall pick to acquire him. To’o To’o becomes the ninth member of the Crimson Tide selected in this draft and the first player taken on day three of the 2023 NFL draft.

To’o To’o spent the first two years of his collegiate career with the Tennessee Volunteers where he started as a true freshman and was a massive contributor from very early on. After the 2020 season, To’o To’o entered the transfer portal and was immediately picked up by Alabama.

During his time in Tuscaloosa, To’o To’o was a tackling machine as he posted 205 tackles across those two seasons. He also recorded 6.5 sacks from an LB position which is outstanding. I think he can be a really solid piece to an NFL defense.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow To’o To’o and his NFL career.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Chargers 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ edge defenders/linebackers

The Chargers’ linebacking corps was filled with talent in 2022, but the team faces key decisions at the position in the offseason.

The Los Angeles Chargers were an enigma in 2022, sometimes looking like Super Bowl contenders, and at others, seeming to be remarkably average. The hot-and-cold play of their defense was best shown in their playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where a great first-half showing was met with utter collapse in the third and fourth quarters, sealing the team’s fate.

Their linebackers, notably superstar pass rusher Joey Bosa, were partially to blame for the loss. Bosa’s bizarre helmet throw incident late in the game gave Jacksonville the opening they needed to complete their improbable comeback, and to some degree, defined his season.

But 10 other linebackers also took snaps for the Chargers in 2022, making contributions big and small to help get them into the playoffs in January. Khalil Mack managed to secure a Pro Bowl selection despite an average season by his standards, and middle linebackers Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill made their presence felt consistently from their central spots in Brandon Staley’s defense.

Mack tallied eight sacks on the year, leading the team while Tranquill tied with veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy for third place with five behind standout defensive lineman Morgan Fox, who had six and a half. Tranquill was also the team’s leading tackler, combining for 146 tackles on the year, which was more than 30 more than Derwin James, who managed 115.

Bosa missed most of the season due to injury but secured two and a half sacks in five contests. Fans will have to wait for next season to see if he can get back to the elite production that characterized his first several seasons in Los Angeles.

The third-year linebacker Murray showed flashes of brilliance on his 76 combined tackles and may see his role grow next year as the Chargers’ defense faces some tough decisions due to salary cap constraints.

Among the others who saw snaps at the position were Chris Rumph, Derek Tuszka, Troy Reeder, Amen Ogbongbemiga, and Nick Niemann, none of whom made more than 20 tackles or two sacks. Though their production was modest by comparison, all proved to be valuable depth for the team and could find themselves in crucial roles in 2023 depending on what they show in OTAs and training camp.

All in all, the linebacking corps was a critical part of Los Angeles’ defensive success in 2022, and there is no doubt that the high-end talent they possess at the position made a huge impact for them all season. Now, the team will need to make decisions over the coming months that will determine whether they can afford to keep their stars around, or if they will opt to test their depth and rely on some unsung heroes to man the position in 2023.

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ defensive line

The Chargers were led by unsung hero Morgan Fox on their defensive line in 2022.

The Los Angeles Chargers pass rush has been one of their most useful strategic advantages on defense, and has the power and speed to overwhelm most offensive lines across the NFL.

But that strength is mostly bolstered by their elite edge defender corps, which hosts perennial Pro Bowlers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Their defensive line was comprised of 11 players who took snaps for the Chargers over the course of the 2022 season and accounted for just 11.5 sacks on the year.

Sixth-year lineman Morgan Fox accounted for six and a half of those sacks, leading the unit by a wide margin. Tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day notched two sacks on the season but led the team in combined tackles with 56 on the season, besting Fox by 18 in that category.

Among other key contributors up front for Los Angeles were Breiden Fehoko, Austin Johnson, Christian Covington, and Otito Ogbonnia, who combined for 71 total tackles but just one sack in the team’s 2022 campaign.

Tyeler Davison, Christopher Hinton, David Moa, and Joe Gaziano rounded out the Chargers’ depth on the line, but didn’t see much action as none in this group registered more than one sack or 10 total tackles.

Clearly, there remains a ton of room for improvement for the Los Angeles in this area, though they may find it difficult to upgrade their defensive line given the current state of their salary cap. Watch for the Chargers to look for a lineman in April’s draft, and for them to do their best to improve this group’s production in 2023.

Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen nominated for Pepsi’s Rookie of Week 13

For his stellar outing against the Rams, Seattle Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen has been nominated for Pepsi’s Rookie of Week 13. Vote now!

After a stellar Week-13 game against the Los Angeles Ram, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen has been nominated for the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week.

This marks the second time this year Woolen has been in the running for the award.

On Sunday, Woolen finished the day logging seven tackles, three passes defensed and one interception. With his sixth pick of the season, he’s now tied for No. 1 in the NFL and has set the Seahawks rookie franchise INT record.

Woolen has some stiff competition on the ballot, so be sure and cast your vote for him here.

Below is a look at some of his best plays from Week 13.

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Jonathan Owens still producing at outrageous rate after bout vs. Giants

#Texans safety Jonathan Owens’ 80 tackles on the season are good for 10th place on the league’s tackle leaderboard

For all the hype that the Houston Texans rookie class received heading into this season, one fifth-year veteran seems to have stolen the spotlight with his enormously productive 2022 campaign. Safety Jonathan Owens burst onto the scene for Houston this year as a key fixture in their secondary and has been one of the most promising players on an otherwise uninspiring defense.

A 12-tackle performance against the New York Giants pushed Owens’ season tackles total to 80 with eight games left to play in the regular season. That mark puts him at 10th on the NFL’s leaderboard for tackles, ahead of players like Bobby Wagner, Jordan Hicks, and Devin White.

It is particularly interesting that Owens has managed this outstanding pace from the safety position, where tackles are usually fewer and farther between than at linebacker. Only Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James has more tackles at the position, though James is known for his dual role as a hybrid player in the secondary who plays down in the box among linebackers in subpackage defenses.

Owens has certainly set himself apart this season and has served as a bright spot for the Texans’ defense in an otherwise disappointing season. With his help, rookies Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley should have no problem continuing to learn the ropes of tackling at the pro level, and the defense should be able to contain some of the more talented offenses they’ll face in the coming weeks.

Whether Owens’ production will bear fruit for the team in the win column remains to be seen, but his contributions are certainly a good sign that other players on the defense will be able to find their niche in the same way that he has. With a few more weeks to beef-up his numbers, Owens could find himself with the league tackle title by the season’s end.