Long Rumored, Finally Happened: Aaron Donald Comes Back

 by John Turney 

Earlier in the summer, Aaron Donald, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, teased via social media (with Michael Brockers hinting at it in early June) with a comeback, possibly prompted by the Rams' trade for Myles Garrett. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't but regardless, he's back, coming out of retirement to play for the Rams on a 1-year, $20 million deal with playoff incentives up to $30 million.

There have been comebacks before, even after sitting out. Some of the retirements were just sitting out a year because of a contract dispute. Gino Marchetti came out to play backup defensive line as a favor to his owner when the Colts had injuries to their defensive line in 1966.

Bronko Nagurski came out of retirement to play linebacker (mostly) during World War II after sitting out five years. Philip Rivers was out for four years until he played last fall. In 1998, Steve DeBerg came back to be a backup to Chris Chandler on the Falcons. Rivers was an emergency signing.

There was John Riggins (Washington, 1981): Walked away after 1979 over a contract dispute, returned in 1981, and was Super Bowl XVII MVP after the 1982 season. Frequently ranked as the most successful second act.   

Dallas defensive end Ed Jones retired to box professionally. After a year he came back and became a Pro Bowler. Of course, Randall Cunningham (Vikings, 1998): Retired in 1995, out for a season, signed in 1997 then had a huge 15-1 season with Randy Moss before fading.

Then there was Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers, 2020): One year off after New England, then two productive seasons with Brady in Tampa and a Super Bowl.

Eric Weddle (Rams, 2021): Out two years, signed for playoffs in 2021 and Rams won a Super Bowl.

Deion Sanders: Three years away, then 2004–05 with the Ravens as a nickelback, predominantly. Charles Haley retired for a year in 1997, then came back for 1998 and 1999. Reggie White retired for a year then signed for the 2000 season with the Panthers 

But this one feels different. Of the names mentioned above, only John Riggins and Ed Jones were stars after missing time. Others were stopgaps or backups or at best solid contributors. And they came back for multiple seasons. Donald seems to be a one-year thing at the moment. 

When Donald left, he was still elite but maybe has a chance to be elite again. He has been out for just two years and is now 35 years old, but even so, there are questions to be asked. Some for which we have no answers.

Some are: what his role will be- starter or rotational player? Pass rush specialist? How will the layoff affect his skill set?  We shall see.

Another question is how it will affect his legacy. Now, you can make a case that he's the best defensive tackle of all time. Some might still insist on Bob Lilly or Joe Greene, but a reasonable person could make a case that Donald, as it sits now, is first.

But what if he's just average this year? Will one average season change his status?

Probably not. There is reason to suspect he might not be the best defensive tackle in the game this season, but he still might be pretty excellent. Will an added Super Bowl ring (if achieved) help move him up in the minds of those who might still think Lilly or Greene (or Page or Olsen) are tops? 

Again, probably not. Another ring, and let's assume at least a good season, would not move him up in those cases. Or maybe it would. Some people do put a lot of weight on rings, even for defensive linemen.

But football is better for him to make this attempt. It's good for the game; it makes for an interesting story along the season. He might still have "it," and we will see him add to his sack totals his stuffs, pressures, all of that, even if "compilative" in nature or cumulative to use a non-invented word. Not sure 120 career sacks versus 111 makes a huge difference.

But he is at risk of not being a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career. He played ten years and was voted to ten. Eleven for eleven is possible, but if he totals maybe 5-6-7 sacks or so, he could miss the voting, and there are no alternates this year so no chance of being a first alternate and then being named as a replacement, which would have been theoretical if the rules had not changed.

If he plays mostly on passing downs, perhaps it could affect how the voting goes in December because we know stats matter.

But these things are on the margins. Or maybe 850 career pressures versus 788 (per Pro Football Focus), etc. He might be able to reach 100 career run/pass stuffs, Nick Webster's star) if he plays enough on run downs, making him a rare 100 sack/100 stuff guy; that is a wait-and-see. There may be others.

Buckle up, though. A rush set of Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, Byron Young and Braden Fiske/Kobie Turner will be a treat to watch, and if the new secondary can give better coverage than the last couple of years, this unit could be special. But we realize the measure will be if Rams can get over the hump, something they have not been able to do since 2021, when they won the Super Bowl in Los Angeles.

Where is the Big Game this year?

Career Stats:

Key:

Green Bay’s Two-Minute Men

By Eric Goska

Another NFL season is on the horizon. To pass the time until kickoff, let’s take a look at some of the quickest end-zone infiltrators in Packers history.

Scoring any touchdown is a reason to celebrate. But pushing across a six-pointer earlier rather than later can do more than boost morale. It can better the odds for victory.

History bears this out. Since 1921, the Packers are a robust 433-180-8 (.704) in regular-season games in which they registered a first-quarter touchdown. In games in which they failed to do so, they are an underwhelming 386-431-31 (.473).

Keep that in mind when Packers quarterback Jordan Love and his offensive mates open the 2026 season at U.S. Bank Stadium in September.

The Packers have been coming away with first-quarter touchdowns since Bill DuMoe broke the plane on a 25-yard interception return in a 43-6 rout of the Evansville Crimson Giants in 1921. In the years since, more than 200 others have joined in the fun, with Don Hutson (22) and Davante Adams (22) getting there most often in the opening 15 minutes of play.

If Adams and Hutson represent quantity, which players speak to alacrity?

Say hello to the two-minute men. Members of this never-before-assembled band of competitors all cashed in before the strains of the national anthem faded away.

Dick Gordon opened the door in 1926 when he snagged a touchdown pass from Jack McAuliffe in a 35-0 trouncing of the Racine Tornadoes. He crossed the goal line “inside of two minutes” (Green Bay Press-Gazette) and “in the first two minutes of play” (Milwaukee Sentinel).

Aaron Jones was the last to gain entrance into this exclusive club. The running back counted on a 46-yard run against the Saints in 2017 (two minutes elapsed) and again on an 8-yard burst in Seattle (1:14) a year later.

In all, 33 Packers have reached the end zone in the opening 120 seconds of a game. Their path to paydirt has included scores from scrimmage as well those on returns of interceptions, kicks and fumbles.

The Fastest

Travis Williams caught the NFL flat-footed in 1967. The Roadrunner, as he was known at Arizona State, returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in that, his rookie year.

Travis Williams

Used sparingly during the first six games of Vince Lombardi’s final season as Packers coach, Williams flashed against the Cardinals in Week 7. The 22-year-old ignited a 14-point fourth quarter by sprinting 93 yards to the end zone in a 31-23 win at Busch Stadium.

Two weeks later, the Roadrunner returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns in a 55-7 rout of Cleveland. On Dec. 9, he breezed 104 yards to TD No. 4 in a 27-24 loss to the Rams.

Williams averaged 41.06 yards on 18 returns as a freshman. That NFL record – highest average return in one season – has stood for nearly 60 years.

Pity that Browns team that lost by 48 points. Williams torched them twice, going the distance on returns of 87 and 85 yards. The first touched off a 35-point first quarter. The second capped that onslaught.

Williams registered that first return – one in which Jim Copeland may have been the only Brown to lay a hand on him – with a mere 13 seconds elapsed. No Packer before or since has counted so early in a regular-season game.

“It’s a question of speed,” said Lombardi when asked about his return specialist. “He hits the holes so darn quick.”

The Longest

The Packers selected Larry Krause, a native of Greenwood, Wis., in the final round (17th) of the 1970 college draft. Chosen 432nd overall, the local boy who had played running back at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., beat the odds and secured a spot on the roster.

Playing primarily on special teams, Krause did little to excite until Green Bay visited Pittsburgh in December. There, he became the only player in Packers history to travel 100 or more yards to a touchdown in the opening two minutes of a game.

With the thermometer hovering around 20 degrees, Krause corralled Allan Watson’s opening kickoff on the first bounce. Back foot squarely on the goal line, No. 30 headed upfield.

Blocks by Ken Ellis on Fred Barry and Gale Gillingham on L.C. Greenwood helped Krause skate past the 25-yard line. At the 35, the rookie made a Steeler miss.

Approaching the 50, Krause had one man to beat: the kicker. Watson, a Welsh football player whose NFL career lasted but four games, made a weak attempt at a tackle that failed. From there it became a footrace as Krause outlegged Watson, Barry, Clancy Oliver and Lee Calland to the end zone.

“I got some good blocks on it (the return),” Krause said to reporters afterward. “Mike McCoy, Forrest Gregg and Gale Gillingham all took their guys right down. I didn’t get hit on the run, really.”

The play took 19 seconds. The timekeeper, it was suggested, may have started the clock when Watson kicked off rather than waiting (correctly) until Krause touched the ball.

Krause’s 100-yard return – his only NFL touchdown – helped Green Bay beat Pittsburgh 20-12. He was released by the Packers in late September 1975 after having played 51 games for the team.

The Triple Play(er)

Only one man has scored a touchdown in the first two minutes of three different regular-season games for the Packers. That man is Steve Odom.

Odom, a receiver-return specialist from the University of Utah, was chosen by Green Bay in the fifth round of the 1974 draft. What he lacked in size (5-foot-8½ and 165 pounds) he made up in speed (4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 9.4 in the 100).

In each of his six seasons in Green Bay (1974-79), Odom led the team in kickoff returns. The 179 he brought back during his career are the most by any player in team annals.

Two of Odom’s early-bird scores came returning kicks. Both shaved 16 seconds off the clock.

Odom took one back 93 yards in a 20-19 loss to the Saints in 1975. Three years later, he returned one 95-yard touchdown against the Seahawks in a 45-28 win in Milwaukee.

In between those scores, the diminutive receiver hauled in a 95-yard TD pass from Lynn Dickey against the Vikings in 1977. On that play, Odom went to the ground to secure the ball. Nate Wright, who was defending on the play, also hit the turf.

Bounding to his feet, Odom outdistanced Wright, Phil Wise and Fred McNeill in sprinting the remaining 78 yards to the end zone.

Odom’s score (1:36) was the only one Green Bay mustered that day. In falling 21-7 to the Vikings, the Packers managed but 43 offensive plays with only three originating on Minnesota’s side of the field.

Bobby Dan Dillon

The Pick-Sixers

The Packers have returned interceptions for touchdown more than 125 times over the years. Only three resulted in scores in the opening two minutes of a regular-season game.

Fittingly, Bobby Dillon, the Packers' all-time career interception leader (52), was the first to turn the trick. In the 1958 season opener, Dillon pilfered a third-down pass intended for Bears receiver Bill McColl. Aided by rookie Ray Nitschke’s block on quarterback Ed Brown, Dillon raced 37 yards (1:16) to put Green Bay up 7-0. Unfazed, Chicago roared back to win 34-20.

Herb Adderley returned seven interceptions for touchdowns (regular season) during his nine-year Packers career. Only once did he pierce the goal line in the first quarter.

We’ll let Chuck Johnson, then of the Milwaukee Journal, describe that early score which came against the Cardinals on Oct. 30, 1967.

“On the next play, (Jim) Hart, even more baby-faced than his pictures indicate, tried his first pass. It was intended for Bobby Joe Conrad, but as the ball hit him, so did middle linebacker Ray Nitschke of the Packers. Conrad cartwheeled from the impact; the ball ricocheted to Adderley and Herb soon had his record (most TDs on interception returns in a career—since broken) after only 1 minute, 19 seconds had elapsed.”

Adderley’s 12-yard return was much needed as Green Bay had to overcome a six-point, fourth-quarter deficit before downing the Cardinals 31-23.

Johnnie Gray cashed in only once on an interception return during his nine years with the Packers. Unfortunately, the theft occurred in defeat as did so many of the other 21 steals he made from 1975 through 1983.

Gray recorded his lone score just 42 seconds into the 1976 season opener against the 49ers. As Jim Plunkett backpedaled under pressure from defensive end Clarence Williams, the quarterback unloaded an ill-advised pass. Gray, not the intended target Wilbur Jackson, came up with the ball and the free safety glided 15 yards untouched into the end zone.

“I thought Johnnie Gray played very well in the secondary,” said Packers head coach Bart Starr. “He made a lot of tackles. I think it was something like 10 solo tackles.”

Gray’s solid play was not enough as San Francisco prevailed 26-14.

Early Birds

Here is a list of the 33 Packers players who scored a touchdown in the first two minutes of a regular-season game.

Davante Adams, Herb Adderley (2), Johnny Blood, Tony Canadeo, Randall Cobb, Carroll Dale (2), Rob Davis, Bobby Dillon, Mike Douglass, Boyd Dowler, Gerry Ellis, Wert Engelmann, Dick Flaherty, Antonio Freeman (2), Ted Fritsch, Ryan Grant, Johnnie Gray, Ahman Green, Clarke Hinkle (2), Bill Howton, Don Hutson (2), Aaron Jones (2), Larry Krause, Dorsey Levens, James Lofton (2), MP McCoy, Steve Odom (3), Ron Pitts, Roell Preston, Tobin Rote, Barty Smith, Tracy White, Travis Williams

The Dan Hampton Effect, Howie Long, and J.J. Watt

By John Turney

When Dan Hampton was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, the argument against him was familiar. Hampton had been one of the most dominant defensive linemen of his generation, but he had also missed significant stretches of his career. For a defensive lineman in an era when longevity was often treated as an unofficial prerequisite for Canton, 157 games over 12 seasons—and roughly two dozen missed because of injury—gave voters something to consider.

The criticism, however, tended to focus on what Hampton did not play rather than on what happened when he did. That is where Hall-of-Fame voter and Hampton's presenter Don Pierson’s presentation became particularly interesting. 

Pierson had obtained research that went beyond Hampton’s individual statistics and examined separating their performance in games Hampton played from those he missed. It was not a perfect experiment, of course, but it was useful. Useful, that is a term Paul Zimmerman would often use when referring to statistics. Some were; many were not. 

Of course, players do not miss games randomly, and injuries can affect the entire team. The circumstances surrounding a game, the quality of the opponent, and the availability of other players all matter. "With Hampton" and "without Hampton" cannot, by themselves, establish causation.

But the numbers were striking enough to make the point. From 1983 through 1990, the Bears won 75 percent of the games Hampton played and only 33 percent of the games he missed. The difference was not confined to the scoreboard. 

Chicago averaged 3.6 sacks per game with Hampton in the lineup, compared with 2.3 without him.

More dramatically, the Bears defense allowed only 14 points per game when Hampton played and 23 when he did not. At Hampton's Hall of Fame induction, Bears legend Ed O’Bradovich pointed out that the Bears’ defense improved dramatically with Hampton in the lineup in all 20 statistical categories that were included in Pierson's presentation.

That is the part of Hampton’s résumé that can get lost when the discussion becomes a simple accounting of games played (and sack totals). Pierson later said the statistics helped in the induction of Dan Hampton.

The Dan Hampton Effect was real enough to show up on the scoreboard.

Howie Long offers a useful contrast. Over his Raiders career, the win percentage dipped only modestly when he was out (roughly 59 percent with him, 52 percent without). Rushing yards allowed rose from about 110 to 126 per game and yards per carry from 3.7 to 4.2. Sacks fell slightly without Howie from 3.2 to 2.8 per game. There was a measurable Long Effect in most things except points allowed, so really the defense did not collapse. The supporting pieces around him—Alzado, Townsend, Pickel and others—kept the unit functional. Long was elite; the room around him was deep enough that his absences did not quite produce the same cliff in terms of wins and losses as in Hampton's case.

Future Hall-of-Famer J.J. Watt supplies a modern data set that sits between the two. He won't need this kind of analytics to justify his induction; his All-Pro and Defensive Player of theYear credientials will zoom Watt into Canton on  his first try when his time comes.

However, he has a similar career profile as Hampton and Long in this particular regard, kind of in between the two and it's sueful to look at.

In the seasons in which Watt missed significant time (2016, 2017 and 2019 with Houston, plus 2021 with Arizona), the teams went 18-25 in the games he missed and 16-7 in the games he played during those same seasons. That is a jump from roughly 42 percent to 70 percent. And the defensive stats follow along with that trend. But to be fair, that is a slightly different analysis than what was done with Hampton and Long.

Watt's full-career sample (151 games played, 43 missed, and apples-to-apples to Hampton and Long) softens the win-percentage gap (51 percent to 42 percent), as expected because there were a few really poor teams Watt played on, but the defensive indicators still move in the same direction: points allowed drop from 25.0 per game without him to 22.0 with him, total yards allowed improve, passer rating allowed improves, and sacks rise from 1.8 to 2.5 per game. 

Rushing yards allowed jumped from 102 yards a game to about 121 without him. Yards per rush allowed also was negatively affected going from 3.9 to 4.3 per attempt.

It goes on, but you get the point. And yes, the gaps are real. They are not identical in magnitude to Hampton’s, nor are they as modest as Long’s. They are large enough, consistent enough across different seasons and supporting casts, and visible enough in the categories that matter most for a disruptive defensive lineman that the measuring stick still works. 

The Bears were better with Hampton than without. Same for the Raiders and Long. J.J. Watt's teams were better in terms of wins and in statistics when Watt was playing compared to when he was out injured.

Yes, J.J. Watt was a winner. 

Frank Buncom, A Career Cut Short and Better Than We Remember

By John Turney

After graduating from Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, Frank Buncom played junior college ball at East Los Angeles College before moving on to USC, where he lettered in 1960 and 1961. He was All-Conference and second-team All-Pacific Coast and honorable mention All-America as a senior playing both ways (weak-side tackle on offense) but was really a star on defense playing defensive tackle. 

As a junior at USC, Buncom played end, both on offense and defense, but his switch to tackle as a senior proved fruitful for the Trojans. After his collegiate career, he played in the East-West Shrine game and in the College All-Star game

Selected by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 1962 AFL draft as a "sleeper," the 6-foot-2, 224-pound end arrived in camp as a highly regarded rookie. Head coach Sid Gillman was enthusiastic about the 22-year-old’s potential, saying, "We’ve got all the reason in the world to be enthusiastic about Buncom’s chances of making our team. He showed tremendous improvement throughout last season and will continue to do so with us. He has the physical equipment and a fine, aggressive attitude."

Back then, all teams didn't use forty-yard dash times; that came later. Teams did their own thing. The Chargers would time their players in a fifty-yard dash. For example, Raiders executive Al Locasalle said that All-AFL defensive end Earl Faison timed 5.8 seconds in a 50-yard dash, which might roughly translate to a 4.8 40, depending on some factors; maybe call it 4.7 to 4.9. Locasalle didn't mention a time for Buncom but told us that Buncom was faster than Faison. So, whatever the time, for his era, he was considered pretty fast, rounding it out at maybe 4.6 to 4.8-ish in a forty. The bottom line is he ran well and according to his teammates, he was a great hitter. Vicious, even.

As a rookie, he was worked into the lineup slowly, but he kept making plays when he got snaps, so Gillman started him the final four games, where he picked off two passes to go with the two he made while he was filling in or playing in sub defenses during the first four games.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say He helped the Chargers capture the 1963 AFL title, but he did play all 14 games, though he didn't start much. He spent most of his time backing up Paul Maguire, whom he split time with as a rookie, but he'd play on most third downs as a kind of "coverage" backer when the Chargers often went with a four-linebacker defense. His speed was an upgrade to Maguire's and he did it with a nagging injury.

He became a full-time starter in 1964 and stayed one through his final five seasons with the Chargers. He was a right linebacker in their base defense, but as with many AFL teams, the defense was not just one thing. A team may be a 4-3 team but might stand up one of their defensive ends to give a 3-4 look. Or, in the case of Buncom, sometimes he might put his down and play defensive end. 

Buncom and furture Hall-of-Fame tackle Ron Mix briefly walked out of the Chargers’ Escondido training camp in 1966 over a contract dispute. But as Mix told the papers in 1969, " ... But we felt we had done what we had to (in terms of negotiations) but were rebuffed. So we retired," Mix said. Both were back four days later. 

And he got some All-AFL recognition, albeit not first-team but nonetheless he was second-team All-AFL in 1964 (AP, UPI, NEA), 1965 (AP, NEA), 1966 (AFL Official), 1967 (UPI) and in 1968 (UPI) after he'd gone to the Cincinnati Bengals as part of the AFL allocation draft. He also went to the AFL All-Star game three times (1964, 1965, 1967).

Buncom was expected to start again in 1969; why wouldn't he? He'd been among the top five outside linebackers in the AFL for a while, but on the morning of the Bengals’ season opener, September 14, he died in his hotel room at 7:20 a.m. His roommate, Ernie Wright, said Buncom awakened him during the night complaining of breathing difficulties. Wright summoned a team trainer and an emergency squad, who administered oxygen, but they could not save him. He was just short of his 30th birthday.

The coroner who performed the autopsy determined the cause of death was a blood clot that had formed in Buncom’s knee—the result of a football injury suffered the previous week—then traveled to the lung and caused instantaneous death (a pulmonary embolism).

Mix, who learned of the death while sitting at a pregame meal table with other San Diego players, later reflected on both the shock and the man. "My first thought was the injustice of it all," Mix said. Of Buncom's character, he added: "He, perhaps more than anyone I have ever known, was possessed with that purity of character ... He had an honesty that was unimpeachable." He added, "Moreover, he wore it well ... Frank had a warmth and an interest, and that interest lay in young people. I don’t care where it was, you’d always find Frank talking to some youngsters."

His defensive coach Tom Bass wrote a poem about Buncom that, many years later, was included in a book written by Bass, the NFL's poet laureate, that included some of his verse.

When Lions receiver Chuck Hughes died on the field in 1971, the AP ran a story listing Buncom as one of a half-dozen "game-related" deaths in the history of the NFL/AFL. Their definition included deaths on the field (and even Hughes was not pronounced dead until about an hour later) but also deaths in proximity to a game or as a result of an injury. It is noteworthy that Chiefs running back Mack Lee Hill died of an embolism after knee surgery meant to repair an injured knee.

It is hard to say if he'd have finally gotten first-team All-AFL honors in 1969 or been relegated to a runner-up, or even if his career might have leveled off. All we know is he was a fine player and one of the few (if any) who had as many as five second-team All-League honors without even getting the votes to be first team. During his "all" run, he just couldn't quite outpoll guys like Bobby Bell, Mike Stratton, Larry Grantham and some others. So it was kind of a crowded field so being second in terrific is a nice accomplishment.

With his ability to run and hit, he'd be an ideal player in today's NFL. As his body matured to a solid 235-245 pounds, he could play in a multiple-front scheme, an off-ball linebacker who could play some edge and who would stay on the field in nickel and even be a sole linebacker in a dime defense. But of course that's just speculation or a projection.

His legacy will be that of a Very Good linebacker, who arguably was among the top ten outside linebackers in pro football for a period of five years or so. Perhaps that may someday be enough for him to be included in the Pro Football Researchers Association's Hall of the Very Good. When the San Diego Chargers named their inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1976, Buncom was one of the initial four inductees. 

All told, he still had game in him and life tragically cut short. He was probably better than even most football fans remember, outside of San Diego, that is.

How Zach Allen Took a Category J.J. Watt Used to Own—and Set the Single-Season Record While Nobody Was Watching

by Nick Webster

There is a thing pass rushers do that the sack column refuses to acknowledge, and I have been calling it the "Unique QB Hit," which is an ungainly name for a simple idea: the quarterback got knocked to the ground, and the man who knocked him down got nothing for it in the box score that anybody looks at. He was a tenth of a second late. The ball was gone. The play went for eleven yards to the tight end and the defensive end who put the passer on his back walked off the field with a zero next to his name.

The league's own scoring manual is unusually clear about what it is measuring here, which is refreshing, because the league's scoring manual is not always clear about everything. 

The *Guide for Statisticians* buries quarterback hits in an appendix at the very end, after tackles and assists and sacks and passes defensed, and the operative condition is that the potential passer be "knocked to the ground, either in a prone position or to his knees."

That's the whole test. Not touched, not hurried, not brushed — grounded. The guidelines extend the credit to a rusher who drives an offensive lineman back into the passer and puts him down that way, which I think is correct and generous. 

They also instruct scorers to withhold the credit entirely if the hit draws roughing the passer or another personal foul, which I think is neither, and which quietly deletes the most violent contact in the sample. And there is no half-credit provision, unlike sacks — the language is singular throughout. One man, one knockdown, one hit.

Subtract the sacks from that total and you get a measure of something real: How often a rusher arrives. Not how often he finishes, which is what sacks measure and which depends enormously on the coverage behind him, the quarterback's internal clock, the down and distance, and luck.

 Arrival. 

And for a long time the arrival leaderboard belonged to one man so completely that it wasn't a leaderboard, it was a shrine.

*Source: nflfastR play-by-play, 1999–2025; qualifying seasons since 2006.*

Look at the top of that list. From 2013 to 2015, J.J. Watt posted 35, 33, and 32 — three consecutive seasons that, until last fall, were the three best anybody had ever had, and it wasn't close. He put a quarterback on the ground without credit a hundred times in three years. 

Those seasons are why his career figure of 206 sits so far above the field that the number looks like a typo. Carlos Dunlap is second at 161, and it took him forever. Watt did a quarter of his damage in the twenty-four months when he was the best defensive player anyone had seen since Reggie White, and the sack column, which gave him 20.5 and 17.5 in two of those years, was still underselling him.

Then Zach Allen went 30 and 36.

Now here is the part that makes this a story instead of a table. In 2021 and 2022, J.J. Watt played for the Arizona Cardinals. So did Zach Allen. They lined up on the same defensive front, in the same building, for two full seasons — Watt at the end of it, a 32- and 33-year-old surviving on technique and stubbornness, and Allen in years three and four, a third-round pick out of Boston College whom nobody had yet identified as anything in particular. And in both of those seasons, *Allen out-hit him.* Watt had 9 unique hits in 2021 and 13 in 2022; Allen had 10 and 14. Nobody noticed, because Allen had 5.5 sacks across two years and the sack column is the only column with a spotlight on it. The heir was standing right there in the same huddle, quietly doing more of the specific thing the old king had done better than anyone alive, and the transfer of the crown was invisible because the crown itself was invisible.

Then Allen went to Denver, and Vance Joseph turned him loose, and the curve went 17, 30, 36. That is not a leap; that is a staircase, and the last step is the single-season record. Thirty-six times last season a quarterback ended up prone or on his knees because of Zach Allen and got up to find that Zach Allen had officially recorded nothing. 

He is fourteenth on the career list already, tied with Everson Griffen, and he is 28 years old with the two best seasons of his life the two most recent ones. Watt's 206 looks unassailable the way career records always look unassailable, right up until somebody strings four seasons of 30 or more together.

What I keep coming back to is the irony of the thing, which is not really irony at all but something more like inheritance. Watt's peak seasons were so overwhelming that the sack column couldn't contain them, and we needed a second column to explain what he was actually doing to offenses. 

Allen's peak is the opposite problem: without that second column you'd barely know it was happening. Same statistic, opposite functions — for Watt it was overflow, for Allen it's the whole story. They found each other in Arizona for two years, one on the way down and one on the way up, and the ledger nobody was keeping recorded the handoff perfectly.

TUESDAY TIDBITS: "The big problem was inconsistency," The Saga of the 1946 Washington Redskins

By TJ Troup 

Kiki Aldrich

Has been a while, and sure hope all of you are having an enjoyable summer! Over the years have done plenty of research on teams from the late '40s through 1959, but never really looked at the season of 1946. Having film of 8 of the 11 games (many in vivid color) sure made viewing enjoyable, plus having other strong sources made writing this saga much easier. 

Will be using my usual format, so here goes! The title comes from a quote from veteran back Wilbur Moore and boy oh boy did he ever hit the bullseye! 

Having winning seasons and earning the right to play for the title four times in the past six seasons the 'Skins embarked on their quest to return to the championship game at home in late September against a revitalized Steeler team now coached by Jock Sutherland. 

Quoting Rich Tandler from his terrific book "The Redskins Chronicle," "the Redskins cruised into the fourth quarter with a 14-0 lead but had to hold their breath as a last-second field goal attempt went wide allowing them to escape with a 14-14 tie with Pittsburgh". 

Their first offensive drive of the season was 61 yards to pay dirt. So, let's start with the 'Skins offense shall we?

Playing end for Washington means you are gonna block, and when you are called upon to catch a pass from the best of his generation in Slingin' Sam! Doug Turley, Ralph Schiling, Jack Lookabaugh, Ted Lapka, John Kovatch, Ed Cifers, and Jim Peebles played end and as a group they caught just 37 passes total. 

While none stood out, the best of the group was probably Peebles. Baugh must be protected so let's take a look at the offensive line; John Koniszewski played left tackle in nine games, but he just did not distinguish himself either as a run or pass blocker. Don Avery is listed as the starter for 11 games at the website Pro Football Archives, and though that might not be accurate, he did see plenty of action (he also played some at right tackle). 

The usual starter at right tackle was John "Tree" Adams, who actually received all-league recognition. At times he was a powerful drive blocker, and agile enough to pass protect, yet did not see the type of play that merits all-league distinction. Veteran Bill Young saw action in eight games and always gave maximum effort. Bill Ward got the bulk of playing time at left guard, and he was asked to pull, trap, and lead running plays. He also did not stand out. 

Johnny Jaffurs got playing time in seven games, and also seeing action at both guard positions was Al Couppee for 8 games! Couppee even filled in at fullback for a few plays! John Steber was consistent in his performance at right guard and got the most playing time there. 

Sammy Baugh

The best offensive lineman for the '46 'Skins was right tackle Paul Stenn who used his size and strength to great advantage as a drive blocker. He was not quite as nimble as a pass blocker, yet no doubt he graded out the best. When he left the 'Skins he played very well for the Bears.

 Clyde Ehrhardt earned his letter at both center and right guard, but the center position was handled very well by the duo of Al DeMao & Kiki Aldrich. Early in the season Washington was able to run the ball effectively and consistently since they gained 658 yards rushing on a time-consuming 179 plays. There have been many teams that historically were backfield-by-committee, and the '46 Skins sure had depth at both fullback & halfback. 

Jim Gaffney, Bob DeFruiter, Dick Poillon & Frank Akins filled in, but the men getting the most snaps were Dick Todd, Jack Jenkins, and Sal Rosato. Early in the season, Rosato ranked among the league leaders, but as the season progressed, his injuries curtailed his effectiveness on inside running plays. Jack Jenkins hit the hole hard, bounced off tacklers, and after four weeks also ranked among the league leaders in rushing. He had the most carries in a game with 15 against the Boston Yanks on October 20th. He also had some injury issues, so he carried the ball only 25 times for 60 yards in the last seven games. 

Dick Todd led the team in rushing and after seven games he ranked among the league leaders with a total of 245 yards, but he carried the ball only 7 times for 21 yards in the last four games of the year (Skins lost three of those four games). Todd was still effective as a receiver when called upon. Eddie Saenz was quick and ran hard when given the opportunity, though he was much better as a receiver than as a runner. 

Jack Jacobs filled in at both fullback & quarterback at times. Since Frank Filchock was traded to the Giants (a very questionable decision by Marshall), the backup quarterback became Jim Youel. The youngster had to fill in the second half of the campaign since Baugh had injury issues! Youel, though a quick and willing runner lacked the accuracy necessary to be effective in directing the Washington offense. 

When you complete over 70% of your passes in a season, the question that must be asked is ... Can Baugh do it again? No, he can't! Though he is still Slingin' Sam and he sure had his moments, he just could not pitch the pigskin the way he did in '45. Oh, have left out who played the bulk of the season at right halfback? 

Watching film of #00 Steve Bagarus is just a joy! He was even better in '46 than he was in '45! He carried the ball enough on counters, sweeps and off-tackle plays to be a major part of the running game, but he was sent in motion often to be the main receiving weapon for Baugh, and was he ever a WEAPON! 

Steve Bagarus, number 00, on a long trap

He ranked among the league leaders all season with 31 catches for 438 yards. The lean, quick, versatile Bagarus is shown time and time again being called upon to make the big play for Washington on offense. When #00 had the ball in his hands in the open field, he was shifty and fast enough to elude tacklers. He is without a doubt the OFFENSIVE MVP of this team. 

Sammy Baugh hits Steve Bagarus on the corner

Early October and the Lions come to town and after a second-place finish in '45 there sure was optimism in the Motor City. Washington again had to survive a missed field goal by the Lions to survive 17-16. Home for the third week in a row and Washington put forth maximum effort is beating the Giants 24-14. This is one of those games that you can watch over and over again due to all the twists & turns in this compelling drama of two long-time division rivals that know whoever wins between them wins the division. 

Bagarus stood out on defense as well

The visit to Fenway Park for the first road game resulted in a 14-6 victory. The Redskin defensive effort in the victory was what you want in a defense! Strong at the point of attack with outstanding pursuit and tackling. Who played where for the 'Skins on defense in '46? Well, glad to share and detail. The defensive ends are the same as the offensive ends since players went both ways. The two men who stood out at defensive end are Jim Peebles at left end, and Ed Cifers at right end. 

The pass rush was average at best, yet in a 6-2 defense the ends are asked to play the wide run first. The defensive guards and tackles were asked to shed blocks and fill holes. All the players were adequate, yet the best in pursuit was Paul Stenn. During their division title campaign of '45 the 'Skins ranked 4th in the key defensive passer rating with a mark of 44.8. Though they ranked sixth in 1946, they actually improved with a rating of 42.8! The key was intercepting 11% of all opponent passes. There was a time when Wilbur Moore was an offensive weapon, but those days are long since passed, but the veteran right corner was superb in all facets of corner play in the nine games he played. 

Steve Bagarus got plenty of playing time at right corner and intercepted 3 Lion passes in the early October victory. For the first time, Baugh is not the safety for Washington. His instinctive ability to be where the ball is was missed, yet Jim Youel & Jack Jacobs were adequate playing the pass, with Jacobs being the better, stronger tackler, and Youel the better deep pass defender. Dick Todd played a few snaps at safety, but he was usually handling the left corner post with aplomb. Savvy, quick, and tough Todd was as good as it gets in what you want in your strong side corner. Jacobs played some there and so did Dick Poillon (he also played some linebacker). 

Now the key to their defense in a 6-2 defense are the linebackers (at times the 'Skins shifted to a 5-3). Clyde Earhart would stand up and move to middle linebacker at times, but he was mainly a defensive lineman. The first half of the season the best left linebacker in football was Jack Jenkins! This stud filled holes, pursued, and was an effective pass defender (two interceptions on October 13th against the Giants). Sal Rosato also played left linebacker, but he was no Jenkins. 

Since they rotated at center, they also rotated at right linebacker, who is "they" you ask? Why the dynamic duo of DeMao & Aldrich. Youngster DeMao (second season)is learning his lessons well. Excellent in pursuit, able to shed blocks and tackle, a very bright future for him! The second half of the season DeMao will play some left linebacker when Jenkins was injured. 

The NFL in this era has had so many outstanding right linebackers; future Hall of Famers Hein & Turner, and nose for the ball uncanny for being in the right place at the right time Charley Brock, yet Kiki Aldrich would get my vote for First-team All-Pro in '46 as a right linebacker. Instinctive, tough as nails, quick, with the ability to pursue at the proper angle, Aldrich is the Redskins DEFENSIVE MVP!

Kiki Aldrich with a pick six versus the Eagles

Kiki Aldrich with another terrific interception

Jack Jacobs did some punting but Samuel Adrian Baugh can still boom the ball with the best. Dick Poillon made 6 of 16 field goals. 

Returning punts for the 'Skins were Bagarus & Youel and they both ranked with the leaders all year. Eddie Saenz ranks as one of the best kick-off return men in Redskin history and he ranked among the league leaders in this category during '46 and of course #00 Bagarus gained field position for Washington many times on his returns. 

Now, back to season: four weeks into the season the first-place Redskins had allowed only 50 points, and coming to town are the Eagles. Washington leads 24-0 at half, but Philadelphia has a strong well coached team and rallies to close the gap to 24-21 with 5:11 to play and Head Coach Turk Edwards decides to go for it on 4th down and Rosato is stopped. Was this the turning point in the season as Thompson hit Ferrante for the winning touchdown? 

The rematch with the Steelers in Pittsburgh was simply the Bill Dudley show in the Black & Gold 14-7 win! Late in the game, Washington had the ball on the Steelers 37-yard line, but Baugh was sacked for a 22-yard loss. 

Kiki Aldrich with a stuff of a Steelers run

Returning home to play Boston, the Yanks decided they were the equal of the 'Skins and had the ball on the Washington nine-yard line late in the game with a chance to win being down 17-14. A penalty pushes the Yanks back, and a desperation pass falls incomplete. Though injured with a rib injury, Baugh comes off the bench to drive his team down the field all on running plays. Victory for the Washington Redskins. 

When the Redskins play the Bears, it is always meaningful and the game at Wrigley is a classic, with the 'Skins ahead 20-17. Though Luckman has misfired many times today, he finds Jim Keane twice on the winning drive in the Bears' victory. Still on the road, the 'Skins rebound with a victory over Philadelphia 27-10. 

During the game, Thompson of the Eagles loses 43 yards on 10 rushing attempts. Since the "sack" is not kept yet at this time in history, but having the film, this is a game where the Redskin pass rush got to Thompson time and time again. 

The morning of December first and the Eastern Conference standings are as follows: The 6-2-1 Giants are at home vs. the Rams, the 5-4-1 Steelers are at Philadelphia, and the 5-3-1 'Skins are at home against Green Bay. 

Any one of these three teams can still win the division. Quoting the Milwaukee Journal, "the Redskins, outcharged, outfought, outsmarted, were hardly in the game. Except for a brief flurry in the third quarter in which they got their consolation touchdown, after Green Bay had rolled up 13 points, they spent the time trying to ward off the trip hammer blows that descended on them from a hard running backfield of Walt Schlinkman, Ted Fritsch, Tony Canadeo and Bob Nussbaumer. Lewis Atchison in the Washington Star wrote, "Never before this season had the Redskins encountered the bruising brand of blocking, tackling, and running the Packers hurled at them."

Curly Lambeau's crew hit harder than the Bears and played cleaner football. They simply kicked the starch out of the 'Skins and left' em groggy." The season ended with a debacle in the Polo Grounds at New York 31-0. Though Washington still had a chance to force a playoff with a victory, you would not have guessed that based upon how easily the Giants dispatched Washington. The Redskins gained just 93 yards rushing as a team and Bill Paschal had 83 for the Giants. Summing up a season that began with so much promise, the words of Wilbur Moore ring true: "(T)he big problem was inconsistency"!

Remembering Jim Anderson and the Oorang Indians

LOOKING BACK 

By Chris Willis, NFL Films

Jim Anderson, 2000 NFL Films Interview 

Today PFJ looks back at the life of Jim Anderson. Late last year on November 6, 2025, Anderson passed away peacefully at a hospital in Marion, Ohio. He was 79 years old. Who was Jim Anderson? Glad you asked. For nearly fifty years he was the keepers of the flame for the Oorang Indians.

Jim Anderson was a native of La Rue, Ohio the small town that was the home of the Oorang Indians, the all-native team that was led by player-coach Jim Thorpe in 1922-1923. Over his entire lifetime Anderson became obsessed with the Oorang Indians, Jim Thorpe, Walter Lingo and anything to do with the Oorang Kennels.

Even after he graduated from Elgin (OH) High School and won a Purple Heart while serving for the United States Army in Vietnam, Anderson’s love for his hometown of La Rue and the history that went on there was always on his mind.

He was committed and passionate about preserving the history of the team, its players and the Oorang dog kennel that sponsored the team. He would pass on this knowledge of the team to anybody that would listen or to any visitor to La Rue who was seeking this information. I was one of these fortunate researchers.

Because of my role at NFL Films, I crossed paths with Jim Anderson several times.

I was fortunate enough to interview Anderson twice. The first time came back in June of 2000. I was doing research on the Oorang Indians and came across a former La Rue high school football player, William Guthery, who actually practiced with the Indians on the same field in LaRue. I set up an interview with Mr. Guthery and Bob Lingo, the son of Walter Lingo who owned the Oorang Kennels. During my research I was told I had to also interview Jim Anderson, he was the town’s historian and knew everything about the topics I wanted to ask about.

After our interview Anderson took me and the group on a tour of the small town. He knew La Rue like the back of his hand. These tours would be called the “Oorang Walk.” After I got back home to New Jersey he sent me a certificate to honor that walk around La Rue. After 25 years I still have that keepsake from my first trip to La Rue. 

Over the years after that first meeting, I kept in contact with Jim. Usually asking him any Oorang questions I had or to hear about the going-ons in La Rue. He would keep me updated on anything, especially the yearly town celebration called the Oorang Bang. (Started in 1980) each year the town would celebrate the team and the dog kennel. Jim would play a big part in this celebration since its inception. Every year he and his loving wife Bev would put up a display of Oorang Indians memorabilia and photos for guests to see. He loved to meet town folks, visitors and media people during these celebrations. Many times, his picture would be featured in newspapers around Ohio recapping the festival.

In La Rue, Jim Anderson and his wife Bev, show off 
Oorang collection for Oorang Bang, circa 1982

Jim Anderson displaying his Oorang collection (1988) 

Then in 2014 I had just finished a book project and was looking for my next idea. My thoughts came back to the Oorang Indians, Jim Thorpe, Walter Lingo and the dog kennels. My publisher liked the idea and I was off to do research. I reached out to Bob Lingo, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Cumberland County Historical Society. But my first call was to Jim Anderson. I told him about my book project. He was very excited and wanted to help. So, I made another trip to LaRue to spend some time with the expert on the Oorang Indians.

I ended up spending two days with Jim talking about the team, the town, the people. I interviewed him for two hours and then we spent time going through his Oorang collection which has tons of great material including letters, photos, advertisements, a pennant, football, and many other helpful collectibles.

Oorang Indians Pennant, Jim Anderson Collection

The following day Jim took me on a tour of the town. Another Oorang Walk. We visited the Lingo family home at 151 School Street. The home is still there with the last remains of the dog kennels out back with three garages. Jim took us inside to tour the home, then we look inside the garages to see the dog kennels.

After that we visited the location of the Ohio Historical Marker which sits at the old field where the Oorang Indians held their practices. Then we went out to La Rue Cemetery where Walter Lingo was buried. I have never forgotten that tour and the time that Jim spent showing me around. His interview and tour made my book on the Oorang Indians much better than if I never visited him.

Once the book came out (2017) I was able to do a book event at the Marion (OH) Public Library. The event was well attended but what made it very special with the appearance of Jim Anderson. He brought some of his collection to display and we were able to chat before and after the event. 

Marion Public Library, Oorang Indians Book Event
Jim Anderson (purple) talking to author Chris Willis

“Oh my gosh, I think it’s absolutely awesome,” said Anderson to the Marion Star. “What he has done has generated more interest than I’ve ever heard or could have even imagined. He’s a very vibrant guy and I love his research.” He was always very supportive of my writing, and I can honestly say that it meant a lot to me that he did.

Jim Anderson was responsible for keeping the memory of the Oorang Indians, Jim Thorpe, Walter Lingo and the Oorang kennels in La Rue more than anybody I know. For the past 25-years I’ve been honored to know Jim Anderson. But I feel even more honored to call him my friend. I miss you, Jim. 

Jim Anderson (right) with Oorang Indians author Chris Willis
2012 standing next to remains of Oorang Kennels in La Rue, Ohio