Here are some numbers about Chandler Jones
Dec 24, 2019, 11:00 AM
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) slides to avoid a tackle by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones, right, during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Sunday was a busy day for the Arizona Cardinals’ Chandler Jones.
The outside linebacker finished his team’s 27-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks with (*takes a deep breath*) six tackles, 4.0 sacks, two tackles for loss, a career-high six quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. He broke his old franchise record for sacks in a single season.
The performance thrust Jones into the league lead in quite a few categories for this season. And historically, it holds a lot of significance.
Did we mention that the Cardinals have one more game in 2019?
Here’s what Jones’ season looks like from a numbers standpoint so far:
RELATED STORIES
2
Only two players, Jones and Indianapolis Colts pass-rusher Robert Mathis (2013), have recorded more than 15 sacks and eight forced fumbles in a single season.
3
Jones is the third player in history to reach multiple four-sack games in one season, joining Hall of Famer Reggie White (1986) and six-time Pro Bowler and Denver Broncos Ring of Fame member Karl Mecklenburg (1985).
4
If Jones records four more sacks in Sunday’s season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, Jones would surpass the NFL record for the most quarterback takedowns. The all-time mark is held by New York Giants legend Michael Strahan, who posted 22.5 sacks in 2001.
8
Along with his sack totals, Jones has recorded eight forced fumbles this season, including two against Seattle on Sunday. That’s enough for the NFL lead, and if he finishes the season with the lead in both sacks and forced fumbles, he would be the seventh NFL player to do so.
9
Mid-game Sunday, Jones’ 17th sack of the season made him just the ninth player to post multiple seasons of 17 or more sacks. White and the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt are the only players with three such seasons.
10.7
That’d be Russell Wilson’s QBR for his game against the Cardinals, the second-worst mark of his career. Wilson went 16 of 31 for 169 yards, a touchdown and five sacks taken against Arizona. In addition to Jones’ four sacks, he had nine quarterback hurries on 33 pass-rushes, per Next Gen Stats. The nine hurries are tied for the second-most by any NFL player this season. Jones’ six quarterback hits were a career high.
12, part I
Only 12 times has a player recorded more than Jones’ 19 sacks in a season.
12, part II
Jones’s final big play on Sunday, a strip-sack of Wilson, registered as the 12th-fastest sack of 2019, per Next Gen Stats. The linebacker had the quarterback on the ground in 2.34 seconds.
41
Jones’ 96 career sacks are good for 41st all-time. He can move up that list quickly. The 29-year-old is just 26 away from top-20 status, where he would surpass Simeon Rice’s 122.0 career sacks.
96
As of the penultimate game of 2019, Jones’ 96 career sacks are four more than the NFL’s all-time sacks leader Bruce Smith had at age 29, after his eighth NFL season, as NFL Draft analyst Jon Ledyard points out. Smith played another 11 seasons and finished his career with 200 sacks.
