[/zn/]

holding out until the start of the regular set him back last year and this year, it's a shame really, he could have put up great numbers, booked great seasons, had he been in camp from the get-go, not seeing any preseason snaps also hurt him, set him back, oh well.

So your take is that if an exceptional player like AD held out of camp and doing so had an effect on him, that effect would last for 8 games. If it didnt last for 8 games, then there was no such effect?

Meanwhile in the 1st 3 games of 2017 and 2018 combined, he had 1 sack in 6 games...while all the other games from both years combined at this point, he had 20 sacks in 18 games.

[RamsFanSince82]

So your take is that if an exceptional player like AD held out of camp and doing so had an effect on him, that effect would last for 8 games. If it didnt last for 8 games, then there was no such effect?

Meanwhile in the 1st 3 games of 2017 and 2018 combined, he had 1 sack in 6 games...while all the other games from both years combined at this point, he had 20 sacks in 18 games.

I can't believe you didn't know he was joking.

Why do you always have to be so serious?

[/zn/]

==

from PFF:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/p ... ter-week-8

While they have earned the fifth most pressures of any defense in the NFL, over a third of them have come from Aaron Donald alone. The defensive tackle is playing the best football of his entire career and his 28.4 percent win rate as a pass-rusher would be the highest we’ve seen from any player – interior or edge – for a single season.

===

Saints brace for Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Rams' vaunted defensive line

RWALKER@THEADVOCATE.COM

https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans ... 92d18.html

To hear Drew Brees explain it, he was still playing with the Purdue Boilermakers the last time he faced a team with a defensive front like the one he will line up against Sunday.

It was in the Outback Bowl after the 1999 season, and Brees was playing against Georgia's duo of Marcus Stroud and Richard Seymour.

But the defensive front the Saints will face at 3:25 p.m. Sunday, when the Los Angeles Rams visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome?

"At this level, it's unheard of to have (Ndamukong) Suh and (Aaron) Donald in there," Brees said. "It's unbelievable."

Donald and Suh have combined for nine Pro Bowls and both have been selected first-team All-Pro three times.

They anchor a defense that comes into Sunday's showdown ranking eighth in the NFL in yards allowed per game.

With those lofty accolades comes plenty of respect in the Saints' locker room.

Just ask Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.

Each week, after Rankins watches the Saints game film, he watches film of Donald, the NFL's leader in sacks (10) and the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.

"You can study him, but there are just some things he does off God-given ability," Rankins said. "There's really not anything he doesn't do well. He's a helluva player."

But as Saints tackle Terron Armstead is quick to point out, the Rams defensive line isn't just a two-man show.

"I don’t think (Michael) Brockers gets enough credit," Armstead said of the former LSU defensive lineman.

"I feel like he's in that conversation with the other guys, but he's on the left tackle some and the right tackle some. They move around quite a bit, so you don't know exactly where they’re going to (or where) they're going to line up when you break the huddle, so that's an advantage for them.”

And if that wasn't enough to be concerned about, the Rams added yet another weapon Tuesday when they acquired Dante Fowler from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fowler played defensive end in the Jaguars' 4-3 scheme but is expected to play outside linebacker for the Rams. He had eight sacks a year ago and gives the Rams another pass-rushing threat and the Saints another player to prepare for.

“He's an outstanding pass rusher, and it's an aggressive move as they approach the trade deadline to add another piece to the puzzle," Armstead said. "Now preparing for him, I think in a short week or a week where he's just coming over, certainly we'll expect to see him in sub-rush packages.”

The Rams' front will face a Saints offensive line that has shown itself to be one of the best in the NFL at protecting the quarterback.

The Saints have allowed just nine sacks this season, the fewest in the league. The Rams, meanwhile, have recorded 22 sacks, which is tied for eighth in the league. The Rams sacked Brees three times last season in a game the Saints lost 26-20 to snap their eight-game winning streak.

“It presents a ton of problems," Payton said. "First off, the talent when you're talking about some of the top tackles and ends in the business, that that in itself is difficult. And then when you put it with an outstanding scheme, then you really have a challenge. We're going to work hard this week as best we can to simulate the movement."

[HAL 9000]

As dominant as Donald has been it has been disappointing that Suh and Brockers have been somewhat neutralized. They should be way more disruptive considering Donald is double teamed 70% of the time and sometimes even triple teamed. It doesn't help that Peters is getting burned like toast multiple times a game.

Hopefully Fowler is the spark the rest of the line needs to explode. I gotta think when Talib gets back the interceptions and sacks will also increase.

Knock on Woods....

[/zn/]

As dominant as Donald has been it has been disappointing that Suh and Brockers have been somewhat neutralized. They should be way more disruptive considering Donald is double teamed 70% of the time and sometimes even triple teamed.

Arguably they are. making a contribution.

70% of the time facing multiple blockers is actually down from last year.

One study last year had it at 83%.

Plus by the 8th game last year AD had 4 sacks, not 10.

So it can be argued that AD is taking advantage of Suh getting some of the attention.

By this time last year Suh had 3.5 sacks so he's on a normal pace for him.

...

[PARAM]

Brockers has just 1 sack (he had 4.5 last year) but he had 4 TFL (8 last year).

Suh has 2 sacks (4.5 last year), 3 TFL (9 last year), *9 QB hits (12 last year).

[Rams 1974]

Brockers has just 1 sack (he had 4.5 last year) but he had 4 TFL (8 last year).

Suh has 2 sacks (4.5 last year), 3 TFL (9 last year), *9 QB hits (12 last year).

I concur, I mentioned this earlier.

Maybe I expected more gaudy tackle & sack numbers form these two, due to focus on AD. But at 8 - 0 , I'm not saying a word, other than, I'd like to resign SUH, but not at break the bank $$ !

Roll LA rams !!

[AvengerRam]

Suh has 3 sacks which, of course, projects to 6 on the year. He's averaged 6.5/year during his career.

I think an interesting question is whether Suh should get partial credit for Donald's sack numbers. Donald is still seeing mostly double-teams, even with Suh there, but I have to believe that Suh's presence helps Donald to an extent.

[/zn/]

Just to clarify...yeah Suh has 3 sacks. Someone said 2? Both PRF and NFL.com have him at 3.

On Brockers btw I suspect he's playing with an injury. If I recall he missed time in the preseason because of it. Plus of course he's coming off of off-season knee surgery anyway. My bet is he's not 100%.

...

[Drew31]

2 of Suh's sacks have come at 5 tech.

From my eyes when I see him line up there he has looked really effective as a rusher.

But my amateur eyes see him show out at shade tech, doing the selfless job of pushing the pocket and making it hard for QBs to step up.

I would love him to stay on the team, who knows, the Pats used to make a living out of having good vets join a winning programme after they made their millions elsewhere... so maybe we can bring him back, fingers crossed.