LOOKING BACK
By Nick Webster
We've been updating you
on Run/Pass Stuffs all season at Pro Football Journal . One we've been keeping tabs on
is total stuffs, where a runner is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, and it
was a big year in the stuff department in 2015.
Some stuffs - most in fact - are made on running plays, but certain players excel on stuffs on passing plays, and as the passing game increasingly takes center stage the ability to tackle receivers behind the line of scrimmage is increasingly important. Of 1,682 total stuffs in 2015, 313 or 18.6% were on pass plays, with some very impressive individual performances to boot.
By Nick Webster
We
Some stuffs - most in fact - are made on running plays, but certain players excel on stuffs on passing plays, and as the passing game increasingly takes center stage the ability to tackle receivers behind the line of scrimmage is increasingly important. Of 1,682 total stuffs in 2015, 313 or 18.6% were on pass plays, with some very impressive individual performances to boot.
The leaders:
Name
|
R/P Stuffs
|
Run Stf
|
Pass Stf
|
||
1
|
Mark Barron
|
18.5
|
15.5
|
3
|
|
2
|
J.J. Watt
|
16.5
|
15.5
|
1
|
|
3
|
Kelvin Sheppard
|
14
|
11.5
|
2.5
|
|
4
|
Aaron Donald
|
13.5
|
13.5
|
0
|
|
13.5
|
10.5
|
3
|
|||
6
|
Michael Bennett
|
12.5
|
12.5
|
0
|
|
7
|
Khalil Mack
|
12
|
8.5
|
3.5
|
|
8
|
Paul Posluszny
|
11.5
|
9.5
|
2
|
|
Ndamukong Suh
|
11.5
|
11.5
|
0
|
||
10
|
Calais Campbell
|
11
|
10
|
1
|
|
Malcolm Smith
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
||
12
|
Malcolm Jenkins
|
10.5
|
4.5
|
6
|
|
Deone Bucannon
|
10.5
|
8
|
2.5
|
||
Olivier Vernon
|
10.5
|
8.5
|
2
|
||
15
|
Demarcus Lawrence
|
10
|
9
|
1
|
|
Jonathan Babineaux
|
10
|
7
|
3
|
||
17
|
Bennie Logan
|
9.5
|
9.5
|
0
|
|
Kevin Minter
|
9.5
|
6.5
|
3
|
||
19
|
C.J. Mosley
|
9
|
6
|
3
|
|
Geno Atkins
|
9
|
9
|
0
|
The context: J.J.
Watt has now led or tied for the lead in run Stuffs in the last four seasons
consecutively. Since 1982, no individual defender cumulatively has
led or tied for the league lead more than three times – Watt is the leader in
this category over the past 43 seasons, and he’s not done yet. He
has the highest single season total (dating to 1982) with 23.5 in 2012. In
Watt we are truly watching a generational talent whose trajectory is with those
of Reggie White, Deacon Jones and Gino Marchetti – count yourself lucky.
Perhaps more interesting
is the player at the top of the total Stuff leader-board Mark Barron. His
ascendance is emblematic of the way the game has changes with ever increasing
hybridization with in the box Safeties playing as Linebackers - particularly
considering Barron's own previous career high of 6.5 as a Rookie. How
impressive is Barron’s figure at 18.5? It is tied with Ed McDaniel’s 18.5 in
1995 with the Minnesota Vikings. It is the highest figure in 20
years for someone not named J.J. Watt. Barron completed the feat
very differently, with 3 of his 18.5 coming on Pass Stuffs, McDaniel was a
classic run plugger in a scheme designed to keep him clean to make plays. With
the Rams Barron as well is the beneficiary of a unique scheme, but he has
displayed a unique ability to make plays in this context, ergo his 2nd best
(tied) all-time Single Season Stuff mark.
Other notable names at
the top include Defensive Player of the Year candidates Khalil Mack and Aaron
Donald and perennial Pro Bowlers like Calais Campbell, Ndamukong Suh
and Michael Bennett. Less familiar names include Telvin Smith,
Kelvin Sheppard and another Safety/Linebacker hybrid Deone Bucannon.
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