The approach to measuring how successful an NFL team’s pass rush is isn’t an exact science. So, what’s more important: sack numbers or quarterback pressure numbers?
For the Detroit Lions, the 2023 NFC runner-up, the answer is multi-faceted. The Lions’ 41 sacks as a defense this past season ranked 23rd despite having a top-five quarterback pressure total (274, the third-most in the NFL) and rate (41.6%, the fourth-best in the NFL). The issue was converting their consistent quarterback pressure into sacks, which they did at a rate of 6.5%, the 11th-lowest in the NFL.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said he would “absolutely” prefer to have better sack figures than pressure figures in a vacuum, but he also explained the nuance about sacks versus quarterback pressure rate in depth this week.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said he would “absolutely” prefer to have better sack figures than pressure figures in a vacuum, but he also explained the nuance about sacks versus quarterback pressure rate in depth this week.
“Sacks aren’t that big of a deal as long you’re getting the pressures,” Campbell said at his press conference on Thursday. “As long as you’re getting pressures, and those pressures show up and affect the quarterback negatively, you know? Now would you rather have sacks? Absolutely, I would rather have sacks. The loss of yardage, all of those things, but the pressures … a pressure that affects the quarterback. … We watched a couple clips this morning in front of the team. Quarterback is wanting to step up. He can’t step up, the throw is high. He’s flipping to his right, and he can’t get his hips around. Throw a pick. These things that end up in negative plays as incomplete, as turnovers, whatever, I’ll take those all day long.”
The problem for the Lions in 2023, despite all their success, is their consistent pressure didn’t always result in generating a negative play…
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