2021 has been a gold mine for sacks, but who was the best of the best?
A sack is when an offensive player acting as a passer is tackled behind the scrimmage line before they can make a forward pass.
The definition of a sack makes it sound really dull but it is actually one of the most entertaining parts of football to watch. You know when you see a well-timed sack, even if you don’t completely understand the game.
Now that the regular season is over, it is the perfect time for a round-up of the best sacks we’ve seen this year before the Super Bowl is upon us. You can find more information and Super Bowl betting odds here.
#10 – T J Watt, Week 3
Steelers vs Bengals
T J Watt landed enough sacks for us to fill this list with his plays alone. The Steelers didn’t win this match, but Watt gave as good as Hendrickson gave in this match.
#9 – Myles Garrett, Week 9
Browns vs Bengals
If Garrett had been more consistent this year then he could be the all-time sack scorer for the Browns right now.
But, being inconsistent doesn’t make his sacks any less potent when he does pull them off.
#8 – Robert Quinn, Week 17
Bears vs Giants
This year Quinn recorded a personal best for sacks and gave us 18 amazing sacks to choose from. We went for his last in the season, as it was a franchise record-breaking one for him.
#7 – Nick Bosa, Week 5
49ers vs Browns
If Bosa has ended his season in a stronger manner then he too could have broken a franchise record. However, we don’t want to make it sound like he didn’t have an incredible season – because he really did.
Just check out the sacks he pulled off in Week 5 against the Browns.
#6 – Cameron Jordan, Week 17
Saints vs Panthers
3.5 sacks in the final week of play is nothing to sniff at. In fact, it was a beautiful way for Jordan to top off his return to form after a disappointing 2020 season. Even if the Saints did lose the match.
Jordan ended the season on 12.5 sacks.
#5 – Haason Reddick, Week 11
Panthers vs Washington Football Team
Many said that the 12.5 sack season that Reddick put in in 2020 was a fluke. However, Reddick proved everyone wrong this year by racking up 12 sacks in 2021.
The Panthers had a great game against the Washington Football Team and that was partly due to the pressure that the defensive team put on Washington’s quarterback.
#4- Will Gholston, Week 16
Buccaneers vs Panthers
Week 16 was the best game of Gholston’s career so far. The Bucs got 7 sacks overall against the Panthers’ offensive team. 2.5 of those sacks were done by Gholston.
All 2.5 sacks are worth watching, but the first one was something special.
#3 – Trey Hendrickson, Week 3
Bengals vs Steelers
The Bengals have had a great season so far and that is no surprise to us when they have players like Trey Hendrickson on their team. We will be honest any of his sacks could have made it onto this list.
His sack against the Steelers quarterback in Week 3 is 100% worth watching.
If you think Hendrickson and the Bengals are going to make it to the Super Bowl this year then you need to check out their Super Bowl betting odds.
#2 Chandler Jones, Week 1
Cardinals vs Titans
This spot is well deserved by Jones. In Week 1 of this season, he managed to pull off 5 successful sacks and proved to be a huge headache for Ryan Tannehill.
The rest of his season was less impressive, but 5 sacks in one match from a 31-year-old are more than enough for us.
#1 – T J Watt, Week 17
Steelers vs Browns
Watt rounded off the 2021 season nicely with a 4 sack game, this led to him breaking the NFL record for most sacks in a single season and helping the Steelers end a middling year on a positive note.
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This year T J Watt set a new NFL record for most sacks in a single season with – 22.5 sacks. Is it any wonder that his name appeared so many times in this list. He also led the league in tackles for loss and quarterback hits – he led the league in these three categories last season as well.
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