Who Leads the NFL in Sacks This Year?

Keep up with the NFL sack leaders this season with this helpful blog post. Check out who’s leading the pack and see if your favorite team is represented.

NFL Sacks Leaders

Entering Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season, here are the league leaders in sacks. this list will be updated as the season progresses.

J.J. Watt

As of Week 9 of the 2019 NFL season, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt leads the league in sacks with 9.5. Watt is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and he has recorded double-digit sacks in a season six times in his nine-year career.

Chandler Jones

With 13 sacks through Week 13, Arizona Cardinals’ linebacker Chandler Jones is the current leader in sacks this season. That puts him on pace to finish the year with approximately 20 sacks, which would be a career-high for the 29-year-old.

Jones has been one of the best edge rushers in the NFL over the past few seasons, racking up double-digit sack totals in four of his last five years. In fact, his 96 total sacks since 2012 are the most of any player in that time period.

If he can continue his sack production at his current rate, there’s a good chance Chandler Jones will finish the 2019 season as the NFL’s sacks leader.

DeMarcus Lawrence

DeMarcus Lawrence is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. In his first four seasons with the team, Lawrence accumulated 23.5 sacks, including a career-high 14.5 in 2017, when he was named to his first Pro Bowl. In 2018, he was placed on the franchise tag by the Cowboys. Lawrence grew up in Aiken, South Carolina, and played high school football for Aiken High School

How Sacks are Measured in the NFL

Sacks are one of the most important defensive statistics in football. A sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage. This can happen if the quarterback is tackled by a defensive player, or if the offensive lineman holding him back gets pushed into him. Either way, it’s a loss of yards for the offense.

Tackles for a Loss

In the National Football League (NFL), a tackle for a loss occurs when a defensive player causes the ball carrier (offense) to lose yardage. This can happen if the defensive player tackles the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage, or if he forces a fumble that is then recovered by another member of the defense. Tackles for a loss are also known as “sacks.”

Sacks are one of the most important statistics in football, as they can often decide the outcome of a game. The team that sacks the quarterback more often than their opponents is more likely to win, as it puts the offense at a disadvantage.

There are two ways to measure sacks in the NFL: by total sacks, or by tackles for a loss. The latter is the more common way, as it takes into account all plays where a defensive player causes the offense to lose yardage.

The leader in tackles for a loss this season is Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, with 20.5 tackles for a loss so far. Donald is also second in the NFL in sacks, with 12.5 sacks on the season.

Quarterback Hurries

Quarterback hurries are one of the most important defensive statistics in football. They are a measure of how often a quarterback is pressured by the defense, and can be a good indicator of how effective a pass rush is.

The sack leader in the NFL this year is Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Shaq Barrett, who has racked up 19.5 sacks so far. Barrett is followed by New England Patriots defensive end Chase Winovich (12.5 sacks) and Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (11.5 sacks).

What Causes Sacks in the NFL?

sacks are often the result of a defensive player beating an offensive player to the quarterback. This can happen when a quarterback holds the ball too long, or when the offensive line doesn’t give the quarterback enough time to throw the ball. Let’s take a look at some of the other reasons why sacks happen in the NFL.

Poor Offensive Line Play

There are a number of factors that can contribute to sacks, but one of the most common is poor offensive line play. If the offensive linemen are not able to adequately block the defensive players, it gives them a clear path to the quarterback. This can be especiallytrue if the quarterback is not able to get rid of the ball quickly enough. Other factors that can contribute to sacks include play-calling that leaves the quarterback vulnerable, poor footwork by the quarterback, and receivers who are not able to get open.

Poor Quarterback Play

One of the primary causes of sacks in the NFL is poor quarterback play. This can be a result of a number of factors, including poor offensive line play, bad decision making, and lack of mobility. When a quarterback is under pressure, he often has tomake quick decisions without being able to survey the entire field. This can lead to poor throws or hesitations that result in sacks. Another factor that can contribute to sacks is a lack of mobility. If a quarterback cannot move around in the pocket or scramble out of trouble, he is more likely to be sacked.

Good Defensive Line Play

A sack in football occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a pass. Sacks can also occur if the quarterback fumbles the ball while being sacked. A sack counts as a loss of yards, and it may also cause a turnover if the ball is fumbled.

Sacks are usually caused by good defensive line play. A well-executed sack can occur when the defensive linemen work together to rush the quarterback and close off all his options for throwing the ball. If the defensive linemen can get to the quarterback before he has a chance to throw, they will often force him to fumble the ball or make an errant throw that can be intercepted.

Sacks can also be caused by blitzes, which are plays in which extra defenders are sent after the quarterback in an attempt to pressure him into making a mistake. Blitzes can be very effective at causing sacks, but they also carry the risk of leaving the defense vulnerable to big plays if they don’t succeed.

Which team leads the NFL in sacks this year? The Pittsburgh Steelers currently lead the NFL with 46 sacks on the season.