Does Von Miller, JJ Watt, or Danielle Hunter Offer Value to Lead the NFL in Sacks?
- Aaron Donald is still the heavy favorite to register the most sacks
- Donald hasn’t had a sack in two weeks – cause for concern?
- Is there anyone worth wagering on to surpass Donald?
Despite going sack-less in his last two contests, Aaron Donald still leads the NFL in QB takedowns by two over his closest competitors (JJ Watt, Von Miller, and Danielle Hunter).
Remaining games against Arizona and San Francisco should have Donald licking his chops to add to an already career-high in sacks.
Is it just a foregone conclusion that the 13th-overall pick in the 2014 draft will rack up the most sacks this season, or is there a very real threat to his crown?
Odds to Lead NFL in Sacks in 2018
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aaron Donald | -400 |
| J.J. Watt | +600 |
| Von Miller | +600 |
| Danielle Hunter | +650 |
| Chandler Jones | +1100 |
*Odds taken 12/21
Rams likely won’t rest Donald in Week 17
Last season Los Angeles gave Donald the final week off to rest for the playoff push. This year, however, there’s a strong chance that he’ll be needed in the final week.
Should the Saints lose against the Steelers this week, the Rams could still win top spot in the NFC.
Even if New Orleans wins and the Bears also defeat San Fran then the Rams will be fending them off for the second seed and a first round bye.
Aaron Donald just crushed Nick Folespic.twitter.com/8NAfCINu81
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 17, 2018
Suffice to say, it’s likely the Rams will need the full complement of Donald for both games, so he’s likely to fend off his closest pursuers. He’s only had two tackles in each of the last two games, so he weirdly seems due to reprise his role as the ferocious freak.
2018 Defensive Stats
| Player | Total Sacks | Sacks Last Three Games | Sacks Allowed By Last Two Opponents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Donald | 16.5 | 2 | 86 ( @ARZ, vs SF) |
| J.J. Watt | 14.5 | 3 | 80 ( @PHI, vs JAX) |
| Von Miller | 14.5 | 3.5 | 77 ( @OAK, vs LAC) |
| Danielle Hunter | 14.5 | 3 | 67 ( @DET, vs CHI) |
| Chandler Jones | 12 | 1 | 73 ( vs LAR, @SEA) |
Can anyone surpass Aaron Donald for NFL Sack King?
The writing has been on the wall for weeks – Aaron Donald will almost assuredly win the sack title.
Sack machine @AaronDonald97 brings his NFL-leading 16.5 sacks into #SNF ? pic.twitter.com/vEReZB15xL
— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 16, 2018
Don’t even consider Chandler Jones at +1100, seeing how he’s 4.5 sacks behind Donald. Quite honestly, it almost feels like those odds were meant for the Chiefs Chris Jones – not Arizona’s Chandler Jones – given that Chris is just 2.5 sacks behind the Rams dominant defensive tackle.
JJ Watt never misses a chance to be a leader. pic.twitter.com/H6Wf46qIza
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 15, 2018
But as we said weeks ago, JJ Watt presents the best chance for anyone to overtake him, having led the NFL in sacks twice (2012, 2015).
Houston has the Eagles and Jaguars remaining on their schedule, teams that have combined to allow 80 sacks, so he’ll be able to tee off on them. The Jags have to be feeling extra nervous because Watt has lit them up for 14.5 sacks in his career.
The Best Bet to Lead NFL in Sacks
Don’t do anything fancy here. Stick to the script and be confident that Aaron Donald will lead the league in sacks at the end of the season.
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
