In a year when multiple quarterbacks and wide receivers are threatening to re-write the NFL passing record book, there’s a defensive player who’s on pace to set a record of his own.
Unfortunately for Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Minnesota’s lousy season has much of the NFL world overlooking the fact that Michael Strahan’s NFL record of 22.5 sacks in a season is within Allen’s reach: Allen has 8.5 sacks through five games and is on pace for a whopping 27 sacks this season.
Sacks are too unpredictable for anyone to have much confidence that Allen can keep this pace up. But Allen, who led the league with 15.5 sacks in 2007, has been remarkably consistent in his ability to get to the quarterback: He has 52.5 sacks in his last 55 games. It’s certainly possible that Allen could have 14.5 more sacks in him this season, which would be enough to pass Strahan’s mark.
Allen had two sacks on Sunday as the Vikings beat the Cardinals, and coach Leslie Frazier said afterward that Allen is having “a really unbelievable year.” Allen may be on a last-place team, but he’s one of the best players in football.