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    • Aidan Hutchinson from the Lions with historic pace
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    Aidan Hutchinson from the Lions with historic pace

    Bronwen Cerys Posted on

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    The sack is somehow still an underrated skill among some NFL fans these days.

    The NFL is rapidly growing in popularity around the world, largely due to high-profile offenses. Offensive records appear to be being chased and broken more often because the league has expanded the rules and imposed harsher penalties on defense. Some fans love the offensive explosions of their fantasy football players, touchdowns and colorful scores from their favorite teams, but a great defense can provide the same excitement.

    The NFL sack leader heading into Week 4 is Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. He leads the NFL with 6 1/2 sacks heading into Detroit’s Week 4 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks on “Monday Night Football.”

    Through the first three weeks of the season, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft was the best defensive player in the league. His outstanding play got him into the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year early on.

    DPOY RANKINGS: Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions is climbing up the odds for Defensive Player of the Year

    Aidan Hutchinson stats

    Through three games, Hutchinson is on pace to total 91 tackles, a whopping (and improbable) 37 sacks and six forced fumbles. In Week 1 against the Rams, he finished the game with a single sack. He then posted a 4 1/2 sack performance against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. He had a sack against the Cardinals in Week 3.

    On Monday night, he will face left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Stone Forsythe in the trenches. According to PFF, the Seahawks rank 27th in pass blocking, while Hutchinson is the top-rated pass rusher in 2024 along with Myles Garrett.

    There are a dozen current NFL defensive superstars who can dominate a game, but the NFL sack record has been difficult to break. However, Hutchinson is on pace to break Michael Strahan’s sack record of 22 1/2 sacks in a season.

    What is the NFL single-season sack record?

    Michael Strahan of the New York Giants set the single-season sack record in 2001 at 22 1/2.

    Twenty years later, TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers set the record with 22 1/2 sacks in the 2021 season. When Watt set the record, he played only 15 games and left another game with a first-half injury. Strahan played in all 16 games as he set the record.

    In 2023, Watt played in all 17 games and finished with a league-high 19 sacks.

    What is a sack in football?

    A sack occurs when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. It has been an official statistic since 1982.

    NFL single-season sack record

    • T1 Michael Strahan 22 1/2 (2001, NYG)
    • T1 TJ Watt 22 1/2 (2021, PIT)
    • T3 Justin Houston 22 (2014, KC)
    • T3 Jared Allen 22 (2011, MIN)
    • T3 Mark Gastineau 22 (1984, NYJ)
    • T6 Chris Doleman 21 (1989, MIN)
    • T6 Reggie White 21 (1987, PHI)

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    2024 NFL sack leader

    • Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit: 6 1/2 (three games played)
    • Kyle Van Noy, Baltimore: 6 (four games played)
    • Pat Jones II, Minnesota: 5 (four games played)
    • Will McDonald IV, New York Jets: 5 (four games played)
    • Myles Garrett, Cleveland: 4 (four games played)
    • Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota: 4 (four games played)
    • Keion White, New England: 4 (four games played)
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    Bronwen Cerys
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