Shaq Barrett Favored to Lead NFL in Sacks Entering Week 16, Chandler Jones Given +150 Odds
- Oddsmakers are listing Tampa Bay linebacker Shaquil Barrett as the -200 favorite to lead the NFL in sacks this season
- Barrett (16.5 sacks) holds the league lead with two games to go in the regular season
- Arizona Cardinals LB Chandler Jones is second both in sacks (15) and in the odds (+150)
Does Shaquil Barrett have the NFL sacks lead in the bag, or will Chandler Jones add another title to his resume?
With two weeks to go in the NFL regular season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Barrett holds a 1.5-sack lead over Arizona Cardinals LB Jones.
He also has the backing of the oddsmakers. They are listing Barrett, the league leader with 16.5 sacks, as the odds-on -200 chalk to earn his first NFL sack crown.
Odds To Be 2019 NFL Sack Leader
| Player (Team) | 2019 Sacks | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Shaquil Barrett (Buccaneers) | 16.5 | -200 |
| Chandler Jones (Cardinals) | 15.0 | +150 |
Odds taken on Dec. 18.
Jones, the 2017 NFL sack leader, is the second betting choice at +150. Jones is also second in the NFL currently with 15 sacks this season.
Breakout Campaign For Barrett
Signed last March to a one-year, $5-million contract by Tampa Bay, Barrett has enjoyed a career season with the Buccaneers. Undrafted out of Colorado State, Barrett signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos and spent his first four NFL seasons in the Mile High City.
It was with the Broncos that he recorded his previous career-best 5.5 sacks in 2015 while helping Denver win Super Bowl 50.
#Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett on making his first Pro Bowl. pic.twitter.com/13NcUok0P8
— PewterReport (@PewterReport) December 18, 2019
This year’s sack total by Barrett is already an NFL single-season record for an undrafted player. Barrett has tied the Buccaneers’ single-season sack record, as well. Warren Sapp recorded 16.5 sacks for the 2000 Bucs. Barrett is seeking to become the first Tampa Bay player ever to lead the NFL in sacks in a season.
He’s also tied for the league lead with 31 quarterback hits and forced fumbles with six. On Wednesday, Barrett was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
Fast Start, Strong Finish
Barrett opened the season with nine sacks in Tampa Bay’s first four games. That included a three-sack game in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers and a four-sack game in Week 3 while facing the New York Giants.
Todd Bowles on when he realized Shaq Barrett could have a special, double-digit sack season.
"Probably when he had nine sacks in a short amount of time." ?? pic.twitter.com/SNj3YdOWYc
— Taylor Jenkins (@TJenkinsTampa) December 18, 2019
He recorded just two sacks in the next six games but, as the Bucs heated up down the stretch, so did Barrett. During Tampa Bay’s current four-game winning streak, Barrett has successfully bagged the opposing quarterback five times. He’s grabbed a sack in each of the last four games.
Keeping Up With Jones
Jones led the NFL with a franchise-record 17 sacks in 2017. Favored to lead the NFL in sacks entering Week 11, Jones is currently riding a six-game sack streak. He’s also tied with Barrett for the NFL lead with six forced fumbles.
Chandler Jones sack totals the last 3 years:
2017: 17
2018: 13
2019: 15 (so far)Those 45 sacks are most in a 3-year span since JJ Watt’s 48.5 from ’13-15 when he was voted DPOY twice
Only player in NFL history with more consec seasons w 13+ sacks than Jones: Reggie White (4) pic.twitter.com/GwQyv2s338
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) December 16, 2019
Like Barrett, he enjoyed a four-sack game this season against the Giants. Again like Barrett, Jones was named to the Pro Bowl on Wednesday. But for him, it was his third selection.
Jones is the only NFL player to record at least 10 sacks in each of the past five seasons.
Schedule Favors Barrett
Already holding a 1.5-sack advantage, Barrett faces teams that aren’t all that effective at protecting their QB over the final two weeks of the season. This week, he gets the Houston Texans, who’ve surrendered 40 sacks, 11th overall in the NFL.
In Week 17, the Bucs play the Atlanta Falcons. They’ve given up 43 sacks, seventh overall.
Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett was a lightly-discussed signing this past offseason, inking a one-year deal for up to $5M.
Now he's a first-time Pro Bowler that leads the NFL with 16.5 sacks. One of the best stories of the NFL season.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 18, 2019
This week, Jones faces the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has allowed 40 sacks, 10th in the league. But a Week 17 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams doesn’t bode well. The Rams are 30th in sacks surrendered at 21.
Jones has 0.5 sacks in his last three games against the Rams.
Pick: Shaquil Barrett (-200)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
