The 2021 True Sack Rate (TSR): Week 14 Update

Welcome back everyone for the Week 14 update to the TSR. A full explanation of this project with a detailed definition of terms can be found here. If you are new to the TSR, here are the final leaderboards from the 2020 season for edge-rusher and interior D-line.

My objective with the TSR is to identify which rushers utilized the highest level of skill against the most difficult set of circumstances to record a sack. We will be able to more accurately evaluate sack and pass-rush production as a whole for the position through this process.

First, a few notes:

• 620 sacks by 123 players have been charted and graded so far.

• All sacks are graded with the end zone and/or sideline copies of the film.

• Half sacks were counted as full sacks if the rusher beat the blocker and was going to likely take down the quarterback without the help of a teammate.

• Sacks were not counted if the QB got back to the line of scrimmage.

• All graphs are made by John Pulice. A special thank you to Justin Scarpaci for building the formulas inside Google sheets to help make this project come alive.

Edge Results through Week 14

Listed below is the current top 31 in ‘sack score’ among edge defenders in the NFL (minimum score of 5).

• Robert Quinn is the new leader in sack score by just .25 of a point. This is the first time we have had someone other than Myles Garrett in first place since Week 4. I recently wrote about the remarkable season Quinn is having using arguably the league’s best blend of get-off, bend and a lethal signature move (cross-chop). Quinn is second among edge-rushers in sacks per snap behind only T.J. Watt (minimum 500 snaps) and second in HQ sacks per snap behind only Myles Garrett (minimum 500 snaps). It will be fascinating to see if Quinn can hold off the field and finish on top in the end of season update after Week 17.

• Nick Bosa is tied with Myles Garrett in sack score at 12.25 after going on a tear over the last few weeks, using a potent ‘forklift’ technique for his last four sacks, three of which were HQ. Bosa has been an elite rusher since stepping onto the field as a rookie in 2019 and the TSR is doing a nice job reflecting his rare blend of skills and impact so far this season.