Latest news with #ProFootballFocus'
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
One reason for optimism for 2025 Patriots that isn't Drake Maye
One reason for optimism for 2025 Patriots that isn't Drake Maye Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman shared one reason every team in the NFL should be optimistic about the 2025 season. When it comes to the New England Patriots, some might assume it would be second-year quarterback Drake Maye and the offensive line improvements. However, Wasserman took things in a different direction and chose Patriots coach Mike Vrabel's defense. The Patriots had a busy offseason upgrading the unit, starting with the blockbuster addition of Milton Williams, who signed a four-year, $104 million deal. Williams will join a healthy Christian Barmore along the defensive front. New England also addressed cornerback by signing veteran Carlton Davis III to play opposite Christian Gonzalez. Together, Davis and Gonzalez should form one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. The team also revamped its linebacker position with the addition of Robert Spillane. Wasserman wrote: "The Patriots have the makings of a potentially dangerous defense. They handed out a huge contract to former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, who led all interior defenders with a 91.7 PFF pass-rush grade last season. New linebacker Robert Spillane placed sixth at his position with an 87.3 PFF run-defense grade. Carlton Davis III could form one of the league's best cornerback duos with Christian Gonzalez. Throw in playmakers such as Christian Barmore, Keion White and Marcus Jones, and the Patriots could have one of the NFL's emerging defenses this season under head coach Mike Vrabel." Defense has historically been a calling card for the Patriots. Even when they struggled during Bill Belichick's final years, they still had a formidable defensive unit to lean on in hard times. The team lacked a defensive identity last season, and now, that appears to be changing under Vrabel. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Which 10 players have recorded the most sacks ever in an NFL season?
If quarterback play is the most valuable thing in football, then the most valuable thing on the defensive side of the ball is getting after the quarterback. NFL teams seem to agree with that sentiment as well. In this offseason, three edge rushers have earned extensions that will pay them at least $35 million per year in average annual salary – Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Danielle Hunter – as money at that position continues to rise. But with a higher salary comes higher expectations. As each of those players looks to prove their team right by investing in them, let's take a look at the 10 highest-sack seasons in NFL history. T8. Lawrence Taylor: 20.5 (1986) Taylor's 1986 campaign is viewed by some as one of the best ever by a defensive player. He won his third Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first defensive player in NFL history to unanimously win MVP. In the postseason, Taylor recorded a pick-six off Joe Montana in the divisional round en route to winning a Super Bowl. T8. J.J. Watt: 20.5 (2012) After impressing as a rookie in 2011, Watt popped off in his second season. He recorded 20.5 sacks and had an NFL-record 39 tackles for loss that year. He also had two forced fumbles, helping him win his first of three Defensive Player of the Year Awards. T8. J.J. Watt: 20.5 (2014) Two years after he crossed the 20-sack threshold, Watt did it again in 2014. Even though he set the tackles for loss record in 2012, some not only regard 2014 as the best year in Watt's career, but also the best season ever for an edge rusher. Watt led the league in fumble recoveries (four) and tackles for loss (29) to go with five forced fumbles that season. Additionally, he recorded an interception, which he returned 80 yards for a touchdown. Watt's 2014 season was also historic by Pro Football Focus' standards. He recorded 119 pressures that season, the most ever recorded by a player since PFF began tracking the stat in 2006. T8. Aaron Donald: 20.5 (2018) Along with Watt and Taylor, Donald is one of three players in NFL history to win Defensive Player of the Year three times. The best of those three seasons for the former Los Angeles Rams star came in 2018, when he recorded 20.5 sacks, 59 total tackles, a league-leading 25 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. He also had 106 pressures that year, per PFF. T-6. Reggie White: 21 (1987) You don't fall two sacks short of having the most sacks in NFL history without having an all-time great sack season. White had 21 sacks, along with 76 total tackles, when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987. It marked the first of two straight years in which White led the league in sacks, which only a few other players have ever done. It was also one of his five seasons with 15-plus sacks and nine with 10-plus sacks, which are both the most in NFL history. T-6. Chris Doleman: 21 (1989) Nearly two decades after the Minnesota Vikings had their "Purple People Eaters" defense, they had someone who would've fit right in with that group in the late 1980s. Doleman recorded 21 sacks in 1989, marking a surge into stardom for him as he also had 94 total tackles and five forced fumbles that year. T-3. Mark Gastineau: 22 (1984) In the final years of the Jets' "New York Sack Exchange" era, Gastineau had what was at the time the best season ever for a pass rusher in NFL history. He recorded 22 sacks in 1984, getting a scoop-and-score touchdown that year. T-3. Jared Allen: 22 (2011) In the midst of his seven-year streak of double-digit sacks, Allen broke the 20-sack mark in 2011. He had 22 that year, leading the league in sacks for the second time in his career. He also had 66 total tackles and four forced fumbles, falling just seven votes short of winning Defensive Player of the Year. T-3. Justin Houston: 22 (2014) While Watt's 20.5-sack season won him Defensive Player of the Year in 2014, he didn't have the most sacks that season. Houston recorded 22 sacks with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014, adding 69 combined tackles and four forced fumbles to go with them. Four of his sacks came in the Chiefs' regular-season finale, surprisingly bringing him within a half-sack of the all-time record. T-1. Michael Strahan: 22.5 (2001) Strahan broke Gastineau's 17-year record in 2001, doing so when he took down Brett Favre in the New York Giants' regular-season finale loss to the Green Bay Packers. Some have debated whether Favre purposely took a dive in that game to allow Strahan to break the record, but it still went down as a sack. Strahan actually recorded 3.5 sacks in the week prior, giving him the opportunity to break Gastineau's record. T-1. T.J. Watt: 22.5 (2021) Watt matched Strahan's record in 2021. While the 2021 season marked the first year the NFL played 17 regular-season games, Watt only played in 15 games. Just like Strahan, Watt also went off in the penultimate week of the regular season to allow him to match the record, recording four sacks in a game against the Cleveland Browns. The Pittsburgh Steelers' great recorded 64 total tackles and five forced fumbles that year, too. Check out all of our Daily Rankers. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Three Wisconsin Badgers appear on PFF's list of the NFL's top centers for 2025 season
Three Wisconsin Badgers appear on PFF's list of the NFL's top centers for 2025 season A trio of former Wisconsin Badgers landed on ProFootballFocus' list of the top 32 centers entering the 2025 NFL season. Captained by Super Bowl-winning center Creed Humphrey, PFF's hierarchy features former Badger standouts Joe Tippmann, Tyler Biadasz and Tanor Bortolini. Tippmann, who is entering his third campaign representing the New York Jets, landed at No. 11 on the ranking between Arizona Cardinal Hjalte Froholdt (No. 10) and Cleveland Brown Ethan Pocic (No. 12). The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native has started in 31 of 33 career games in New York, including all 17 games at center a season ago with four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at the helm. The Jets, with building star Breece Hall and Badger alumnus Braelon Allen in the backfield, rushed 363 times for 1,561 yards and eight scores behind Tippmann in 2024. Here's PFF's analysis on how the 2022 Honorable mention All-Big Ten center stacks up this coming season: "Tippmann took a big step forward in his second NFL season, earning a top-10 PFF overall grade (73.4) among centers. He improved his figure by more than 10 points on the grading scale over his rookie campaign, which bodes well for his ability to continue his career progression at just 24 years old." Amherst, Wisconsin, product Tyler Biadasz was the second Badger on PFF's recent list at No. 15. The five-year NFL veteran and 2022 Pro Bowler made 49 starts across four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before suiting up in 15 games with the Washington Commanders during the 2024 slate. With rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels at the helm and both Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler in the backfield, Washington rushed for 2,619 yards and 25 scores in 2024, with Biadasz leading the blocking effort. Only the Eagles and Ravens totaled more yardage on the ground. Here's PFF's take on the veteran: "Biadasz, in his first year with the Commanders, started off the 2024 season on a high note. Through the first nine games, his 79.3 PFF pass-blocking grade charted as the second-highest mark at the position. While that momentum faded as the season went on, and as Biadasz dealt with injury and illness, he still managed to finish with solid marks as a run blocker and a pass protector." Fresh off his first season with the Indianapolis Colts, Tanor Bortolini earned the No. 30 designation on the annual ranking. The Wisconsin product started in five of 12 total appearances for the Colts, largely contributing due to injuries at the position. Nonetheless, PFF's staff did not ignore the impression he made. "With the injuries to Ryan Kelly this past season, it was Bortolini and veteran Danny Pinter who stepped in to shoulder the load. Both are expected to compete for the starting job this summer. Bortolini showed a bit more of a well-rounded game in his first year as a pro, albeit on a limited sample. He produced a 64.0-plus PFF grade as both a run blocker and a pass protector, which may bode well for his chances of taking control of the starting job in 2025." As of June 6, all three players are poised to start for their respective franchises this coming season. The Colts, Jets and Commanders all kick-start their 2025 seasons on Sept. 7. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans Kamari Lassiter sneaks onto Pro Football Focus' top 32 CBs list for 2025
Texans Kamari Lassiter sneaks onto Pro Football Focus' top 32 CBs list for 2025 Kamari Lassiter set the tone for No. 2 cornerbacks during his rookie season with the Houston Texans. Some could argue he was the top rookie defensive back after shutting down quality No. 2 receivers like Chicago's Rome Odunze and Los Angeles' Quinten Johnston in the playoffs. Does Pro Football Focus agree? Not entirely. While the former second-round pick made the list of the top 32 cornerbacks in the league for this fall, he appeared at No. 31, just one spot higher than Dallas Cowboys star Daron Bland. "There were several great rookie seasons in 2024, and Lassiter's was arguably right behind those of Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell," PFF's John Kosko wrote. "He ranked third among rookies in PFF advanced coverage grade and 15th among all cornerbacks. He also led the NFL with a 45.2% completion rate allowed." Drafted 42nd overall last season, Lassiter arguably was the best rookie defender in his class. According to The 33rd team, from Week 9 on, the former Georgia standout did not allow more than 50 yards in coverage in a game. He also forced two interceptions, a 50% completion rate and only gave up 21.7 yards per outing. In 16 games, Lassiter totaled three interceptions, a safety, 10 pass breakups and only allowed a 54.4% completion rating. He and third-round pick Calen Bullock became staples in coverage, helping Houston win a second straight AFC South division title and postseason victory. Philadelphia's Cooper DeJean ranked 11th and led all rookie cornerbacks while his teammate, Quinyon Mitchell, ranked inside the top 20 at No. 16. The Texans open the regular season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 7.
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Marcedes Lewis hasn't discussed teaming up with Aaron Rodgers, Steelers, TE says
Marcedes Lewis hasn't discussed teaming up with Aaron Rodgers, Steelers, TE says Show Caption Hide Caption Former NFL QB Alex Smith weighs in on the Aaron Rodgers situation Alex Smith explains why Aaron Rodgers should return for at least one more year. Sports Seriously Marcedes Lewis is hoping to suit up for a 20th and final NFL season in 2025. Could the 41-year-old seek to reunite with his former teammate Aaron Rodgers to achieve his goal? Lewis was asked by Kay Adams on the Friday, May 29 episode of her "Up and Adams" show about the possibility of playing with Rodgers to close his career. The 2006 first-round pick revealed it is something the two discussed during their five seasons together with the Green Bay Packers. "It's always been something A-Rod would bring up, even when we were in Green Bay," Lewis said. "He was like, 'Hey, we gotta retire together.'" Lewis explained that he and Rodgers "connected and became really good friends" while they were with the Packers. He credited their willingness to put in the work to find consistent success with being the "thread" between them. Does that connection mean Lewis could end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers if Rodgers signs with the organization? The veteran tight end threw cold water on that theory for the time being. "Nah, we haven't talked about playing with the Steelers," Lewis said. "No." Perhaps that will change if Rodgers signs or if the Steelers dip into the tight end market after losing projected third-stringer Donald Parham to a torn Achilles. OPINION: Signing Aaron Rodgers is wrong move for Steelers at this point Lewis spent the last two seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears and played 19.37% of the team's offensive snaps in 2024. He had just one catch for two yards but thrived as a blocker, grading as Pro Football Focus' 12th-best pass blocker among tight ends. Lewis – who also suited up for all 17 games, marking the fourth consecutive season he achieved that goal – is hoping to find a similar role as he seeks out a new landing spot for the upcoming NFL season. "For me, it's just ... whoever values me and respects me and knows my skill set and [is] able to put me in position to play and not just be a guy on the sideline thinking that I'm 'just an older guy,'" Lewis said when explaining where he would like to play in 2025.
