Strahan's Sack Record Stands: Smith & Watt Come Up Short

By Shawn Maher (@ShawnBenMaher)
Cold, Hard Football Facts’ Secretary of Sacks

The great sack race of 2012 ended with a whimper, not a bang. The two contestants, the 49ers’ Aldon Smith and the Texans’ J.J. Watt, entered the week with 19.5 and 20.5 sacks, respectively. Only a short list of players entered the final week of the season at least 19 sacks.

Over 19 Sacks in 15 Games
1983	Mark Gastineau	19.0
1984	Mark Gastineau	22.0
1986	Lawrence Taylor	20.5
1987	Reggie White	21.0
1989	Tim Harris	19.5
1989	Chris Doleman	21.0
1990	Derrick Thomas	19.0
1990	Bruce Smith	19.0
2001	Michael Strahan	21.5
2008	DeMarcus Ware	20.0
2012	J.J. Watt	20.5
2012	Aldon Smith	19.5

Both Smith and Watt were easily within striking distance of Michael Strahan’s record of 22.5, but both were blanked in their season-ending games.

To go one step further with two seasons that will be forever linked, both ended their seasons with very similar contributions to their teams’ overall defensive NPP%.

• San Francisco 49ers’ NPP%: 8.61
• Aldon Smith’s personal NPP% with 19.5 sacks: 3.43
• Houston Texans’ NPP%: 9.73
• J.J. Watt’s personal NPP% with 20.5 sacks: 3.44

That is an almost identical contribution to their team’s NPP%, although Smith arguably contributed more to his team’s overall pressure on the quarterback, considering that the 49ers’ NPP% is a whole percentage point lower.

On the other hand, Watt has tipped five passes at the line of scrimmage that led directly to passes being intercepted. If those five interceptions were counted, Watt would have a personal 4.28 NPP%.

Watt also put up four tackles for a loss and a pass defended (tipped) in Week 17, while Smith only had two tackles, one for a loss.

While Watt has redefined the way a defensive end in a 3-4 defense is expected to play the game, Smith’s sack drought for the past three weeks has exposed an element in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme that fuels his sack fire. While Smith may rely on a 3-4 defensive end to help him to the quarterback, Watt is a 3-4 defensive end that has no trouble finding him on his own.

J.J. Watt: Rewriting the History Books from a Historically Unproductive Position

As stated in many of the Hog Report’s expressions of admiration for Watt, he has reinvented the wheel within the context of a three-down-lineman defense. While most great pass rushers fly around the edge, often reaching the quarterback unseen, Watt often takes on the passer head-on while still performing his block-soaking duties.

With a wingspan whose size is only rivaled by machines made by Boeing, finds himself tipping passes almost as often as he takes down the quarterback. With 20 sacks and 15 passes defended, Watt is the first player in history to rack up 20 sacks and 15 passes defended.

Unsurprisingly, Watt was the only non-defensive-back ranked amongst the league leaders for passes defended. In the top 20 players were 17 cornerbacks. There were only two safeties and one Watt.

2012 Passes Defended Leaders
CB	Keenan Lewis	23
CB	Richard Sherman	23
CB	Casey Hayward	20
CB	Tim Jennings	19
CB	Patrick Robinson	17
CB	Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	17
CB	Cary Williams	17
CB	Stephon Gilmore	16
CB	Asante Samuel	16
DE	J.J. Watt	15
CB	Patrick Peterson	15
FS	Ed Reed	15
CB	Kareem Jackson	15
S	Glover Quin	14
CB	Charles Tillman	14

And even if he is not the first player ever with 20 sacks and four forced fumbles, he is rubbing shoulders with a pretty elite group of pass rushers.

20 Sacks and 4 Forced Fumbes
Year	Player	Sacks	FF
1987	Reggie White	21.0	4
1989	Charles Doleman	21.0	5
1990	Derrick Thomas	20.0	6
2001	Michael Strahan	22.5	6
2008	DeMarcus Ware	20.0	6
2011	Jared Allen	22.0	4
2012	J.J. Watt	20.5	4

And while the Texans do use multiple fronts, including an occasional four-man front, Watt often makes plays by the dint of his super-human efforts. And while Smith is an outstanding pass rusher in his own right, he gets by with a little help from his friends.

Aldon Smith: Pass Rushing in Tandem

In 2011, Smith was selected in the first round out of Missouri to rush the passer off the edge as an outside linebacker. Although he played a hand-in-the-dirt, 4-3 defensive end, he amassed 14 sacks as a rookie at outside linebacker as more of a finesse rusher that uses his speed and explosiveness to turn the edge.

He often finds himself lined up to another Smith out of Missouri, selected in the first round as a 4-3 defensive end who was selected to rush the passer out of his natural position as a defensive end in a 4-3. But Justin Smith never racked up more than 8.5 sacks in Cincinnati as a rookie. He moved to a 3-4 defensive end, where his high-motor, brute strength, low-finesse game was much better suited.

Under defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, Smith played a more penetrating role. But Vic Fangio arrived with Jim Harbaugh and Aldon Smith in 2011, and brought a more traditional 3-4 role for both DE Justin Smith and OLB Aldon Smith.

As Aldon has become a more prolific pass rusher, Justin has begun to embrace his role as Aldon’s bodyguard. Smith, who Giants’ defensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride says “gets away with murder,” takes pride in his ability to occupy two blockers as once.

Even if the man they call “Cowboy” has the blocker roped in with an illegal hold, as indicated in the circle. This allows Aldon a clean path to the quarterback, who never has a chance with Aldon’s unreal closing speed.

In fact, look no further than Smith’s sack totals with the 49ers, which decrease under Fangio.

Manusky Era
2008	7.0
2009	6.0
2010	8.5
Fangio Era
2011	7.5
2012	3.0

With the difference in scheme and Justin’s reinvention, Aldon has far and away been the most successful pass rusher that the 49ers have seen since Justin has been with the team.

Outside Linebackers - Manusky Era
2008	Parys Haralson	8.0
2008	Manny Lawson	3.0
2008	Roderick Green	3.5
2009	Parys Haralson	5.0
2009	Ahmad Brooks	6.0
2009	Manny Lawson	6.5
2010	Ahmad Brooks	6.0
2010	Travis LaBoy	5.0
2010	Parys Haralson	4.0
2010	Manny Lawson	2.5
Outside Linebackers - Fangio Era
2011	Aldon Smith	14.0
2011	Ahmad Brooks	7.0
2012	Aldon Smith	19.5
2012	Ahmad Brooks	5.5

Unsurprisingly, Aldon’s rush for the sack record was abruptly halted along with the triceps injury that has caused Justin to miss almost all of the past three weeks.

Aldon entered the game against the Patriots three weeks ago with 19.5 sacks, which would have put him on pace for 24. After Justin left the game early, Aldon has seen his sack total stagnate, as he has found blocking schemes better able to get a helmet on him.

Of course, as Aldon himself told Ian Rappaport after the game, “I’m 23 years old. I’m only getting better.” As Smith becomes more accustomed to learning the outside linebacker position, Watt will continue to expand the horizons of what his position can do. While the quarterback position’s revolution will be televised, the pass rushing revolution will not.

Comparatively, at least.

But as the hybrid quarterbacks continue to be celebrated on every waking minute during Sports Center, the pass rush revolution will stay underground.

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Read more: Ahmad Brooks, Aldon Smith, Asante Samuel, Bruce Smith, Casey hayward, Derrick Thomas, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Ed Reed, Glover Quin, Houston Texans, Jared Allen, Justin Smith, Kareem Jackson, Keenan Lewis, Lawrence Taylor, manny lawson, NFL, Pace, Parys Haralson, Patrick Peterson, Patrick Robinson, Richard Sherman, San Francisco 49ers, Shaw, Stephon Gilmore, Taylor, tim jennings, Travis LaBoy, Week 17