I'm kidding, they really are, but I did see this article on the Sports Illustrated site. The full article is here, but here are a couple important quotes:
"There have been just 521 sacks in 7,630 pass attempts so far this year, among the lowest rates of sack-success in NFL history, and a far cry from the days when the likes of Deacon Jones dominated overmatched offensive tackles and made life a living hell for quarterbacks."
"The NFL itself deserves much of the blame for emasculating defenses and rendering defensive players second-rate citizens on the field of play .... There was the "re-emphasis" of pass interference that followed the 2003 playoffs. And, just this year, there's the ridiculous "Tom Brady Rule." Between these two officiating efforts, it seems defenders can barely even touch receivers or quarterbacks without getting flagged and fined. Defensive linemen are getting a little sack-shy in the process. Like cattle surrounded by an electric fence, pass-rush specialists have realized that their game has boundaries, boundaries it didn't have in Deacon's day."
The Chiefs set a record for pass-rushing incompetence last season, and the Jaguars seem to be mounting a serious challenge for a new record. Obviously this is only a very minor part of the Jaguars' struggles with getting to the quarterback, and obviously other teams like the Giants and Colts still do just fine these days. I guess it just makes me wish I'd been alive and cognizant of the NFL during the rough and tumble good ol' days.
This topic also gives me a chance to create a poll about Derrick Harvey, since he is the face of the future on the defensive line for the Jaguars. No opinions from me here - I just want to see where everyone stands.
Poll
What is your opinion of Derrick Harvey?
Fire Ted Monachino! Harvey's progressing, and he'll be a Pro Bowler someday. (19 votes)
Fire Ted Monachino! Harvey's progressing, but he'll never be a star. (53 votes)
Fire Ted Monachino! Harvey's not progressing, and he's a bust. (2 votes)
74 total votes


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