interesting intel on QB sacks

[rkarp1]

 

[rkarp1]

follow up tweet to the above info, showing expected sack rates for 2026. clearly an area Maye needs to improve on, as many of us have pointed out.

 

[n1997y]

Somebody needs to print this out and tape it to Maye’s locker. If not Josh maybe Big Country?

A 10% sack rate sucks. That’s what 9.70 rounds to.

I agree there’s more to it than just QB, nut the correlation is too strong to ignore.

 

[Triumph]

Pass rushes overall seem more intense today.

The last 2 Super Bowl Champions had DLs that basically overpowered the other teams OL and QB rendering that offense useless.

IMO, the stand tall in the pocket QBs are almost all gone. The NFL QB of today is more mobile. He can and wants to throw the ball, but has the ability to take off with his legs avoiding the sack often ending in a positive play. Converting 3rd downs and extending drives is a back breaker when a D is so close getting the QB.

 

[Vindicate]

Pass rushes overall seem more intense today.

The last 2 Super Bowl Champions had DLs that basically overpowered the other teams OL and QB rendering that offense useless.

IMO, the stand tall in the pocket QBs are almost all gone. The NFL QB of today is more mobile. He can and wants to throw the ball, but has the ability to take off with his legs avoiding the sack often ending in a positive play. Converting 3rd downs and extending drives is a back breaker when a D is so close getting the QB.

And here we begin the ever-present void of current NFL talk, where I throw in, as an addition to DL play being more intense: OL play is rough and fails to acclimate to the NFL in a reasonable manner. I think this puts more pressure on a QB to be leg-ready and now OC's are more likely to expect that of their QB. Self-feeding machine or something like that. Ouroboros.

However, I do expect Maye's number to go down this year. He has more options that are going to be expected beyond "deep pass / use legs". If McDaniels develops Maye right, he's gonna start getting comfortable behind the line pre/post snap and start playing mismatches. His number is high now, and it makes sense given how our offense was shaped last year. I believe he'll make another step to looking like a real pro this year.

 

[upstater1]

I remember a stat about 6 or 7 years ago, around the time everyone was saying Brady was protected by soft roughing calls, that showed Brady and Manning were even over their careers at drawing the least amount of roughing calls per hit. They were hit a lot more than their peers per roughing call. And the distance between them and others was large. I was a little surprised but the explanation was that they knew exactly when to get rid of the ball before taking a sack.

The only QB that was hit more than Manning and Brady without calls was Ben Roethlisberger. And Ben's stats were through the roof. As in, he might've drawn fewer roughing calls than any QB of the modern era.

 

[rkarp1]

And here we begin the ever-present void of current NFL talk, where I throw in, as an addition to DL play being more intense: OL play is rough and fails to acclimate to the NFL in a reasonable manner. I think this puts more pressure on a QB to be leg-ready and now OC's are more likely to expect that of their QB. Self-feeding machine or something like that. Ouroboros.

However, I do expect Maye's number to go down this year. He has more options that are going to be expected beyond "deep pass / use legs". If McDaniels develops Maye right, he's gonna start getting comfortable behind the line pre/post snap and start playing mismatches. His number is high now, and it makes sense given how our offense was shaped last year. I believe he'll make another step to looking like a real pro this year.

While I agree, I don't think the answer is he has more weapons.
he needs to make better decisions
he needs to learn how to kill a play to live another down

lets not forget in addition to the sacks, he has 17 fumbles in 29 career starts

 

[Rob0729]

Sack rate isn't any one thing. It isn't just pass protection. It isn't just the QB holding onto the ball too long. It isn't just scheme and play calling. It is a combo of all of those things.

I see the biggest reasons for Maye's sack rate is a combination of offensive line play that has been awful at times especially in the playoffs and Maye needing to work on his internal clock. Part of it is having a deep ball passer.

You look at some of the QBs who are historically low on the sack rates and they were quick read, short to intermediate passers and not guys who were known to throw deep (Marino is the exception).

That is the part of the game Maye needs to work on. but when you have a QB who is the most accurate deep ball passer in the league, you are asking him to hold onto the ball longer than most. Maye has fairly good pocket presence, but he still needs to work on that too at times.

That said, I would say o-line blocking is still the biggest problem with sacks on this team.

 

[Rob0729]

While I agree, I don't think the answer is he has more weapons.
he needs to make better decisions
he needs to learn how to kill a play to live another down

lets not forget in addition to the sacks, he has 17 fumbles in 29 career starts

More weapons will help with the sack rate. With the receivers the Pats had last year, it made it easier for defenses to blitz more often and rush at least four almost all the time. With better and more receiving options, defenses will now have to drop extra defenders into coverage more often.

 

[Wozzy]

It comes down to a multitude of factors.

Offensive line and other blockers, scheme and yes, even QB.

Some young QB’s don’t understand their mortality or importance of getting the ball out fast.

Some schemes like Kevin O’Connell’s in Minnesota or other West Coast leave the QB open to hits despite having very good linemen.

Joe Burrow’s offensive lines have been atrocious… there’s no other reason.

 

[Triumph]

And here we begin the ever-present void of current NFL talk, where I throw in, as an addition to DL play being more intense: OL play is rough and fails to acclimate to the NFL in a reasonable manner. I think this puts more pressure on a QB to be leg-ready and now OC's are more likely to expect that of their QB. Self-feeding machine or something like that. Ouroboros.

Absolutely.

Good OTs are sparce and LTs demand premium contracts. Lately there have almost none in FA so that leaves the draft and you better have a high pick because they go quick. Really and truly any hole at all in the OL spells trouble. Also, not many teams carry a FB anymore. I believe the signing of Gilliam was not only to aide the Pats run, but also as the last line of defense in the pass game.

However, I do expect Maye's number to go down this year. He has more options that are going to be expected beyond "deep pass / use legs".

I expect Mayes pass attempts to go up. He may struggle if a DC figures out a defense that takes away his strengths.

If McDaniels develops Maye right, he's gonna start getting comfortable behind the line pre/post snap and start playing mismatches. His number is high now, and it makes sense given how our offense was shaped last year. I believe he'll make another step to looking like a real pro this year.

I have read that the Pats have been working on the hurry up offense like when Brady was here.

Maye has a contract due after this season.

 

[Vindicate]

It comes down to a multitude of factors.

Offensive line and other blockers, scheme and yes, even QB.

Some young QB’s don’t understand their mortality or importance of getting the ball out fast.

Some schemes like Kevin O’Connell’s in Minnesota or other West Coast leave the QB open to hits despite having very good linemen.

Joe Burrow’s offensive lines have been atrocious… there’s no other reason.

Burrow himself has said he needs to get better at not taking sacks, who has also previously said "who cares about sacks on 3rd down? I'm trying to extend the play to get a 1st down." - Burrow also rarely plays under center, always preferring shotgun. He certainly doesn't make it easier for himself. That OL is atrocious as well, just saying Burrow has some blame to take in his sacks, as well.

 

[Zuma]

Converting 3rd downs and extending drives is a back breaker when a D is so close getting the QB.

Seeing this as a child has stunted my growth

 

[Wozzy]

Burrow himself has said he needs to get better at not taking sacks, who has also previously said "who cares about sacks on 3rd down? I'm trying to extend the play to get a 1st down." - Burrow also rarely plays under center, always preferring shotgun. He certainly doesn't make it easier for himself. That OL is atrocious as well, just saying Burrow has some blame to take in his sacks, as well.

He’s never known good line play as a pro, not even average line play. What he should do and can do are two different things.

 

[TomPatriot]

Shouldn’t an adjustment be made for offensive line quality and playcalling?

 

[ivanvamp]

Maye has a lot of learning to do still. He's not yet 24 years of age (he turns 24 in less than two weeks). But it's hard to pin the crazy sack number on him when the OL is getting turnstiled every other play.

 

[Wozzy]

Shouldn’t an adjustment be made for offensive line quality and playcalling?

It all falls apart against the better defenses and in the playoffs. It can look good against lesser teams, but gets exposed against the best. There’s no adjustment for a jailbreak.

 

[Wozzy]

Maye has a lot of learning to do still. He's not yet 24 years of age (he turns 24 in less than two weeks). But it's hard to pin the crazy sack number on him when the OL is getting turnstiled every other play.

Ehhh… five linemen can only block so many guys. Patriot linemen weren’t getting turnstiled last year that often, it was more often a case of the defense sending 6 or more defenders and Drake not recognizing it pre-snap, keeping extra blockers in or having a hot route ready to beat the blitz.

Young QB’s haven’t learned how to deal with dialed up pressure. This is evident in most stats. Look at the careers of most QB’s who became great over time, generally their worst career sack percentages came in the first few years. A great offensive mind like Andy Reid for example can mitigate some of that with scheme and a great offensive line, but on average this is the case.

At the end of the day a QB has to improve, his offensive line and peripheral blockers need to be good, he or his coach need to account for pressure. I can remember a case of a Patriots offensive line coach not accounting for the crowd noise in Denver or prepared with a silent snap count.. it got Brady beat up and the coach fired. It’s a team game, nobody plays in a vacuum.

 

[rkarp1]

Ehhh… five linemen can only block so many guys. Patriot linemen weren’t getting turnstiled last year that often, it was more often a case of the defense sending 6 or more defenders and Drake not recognizing it pre-snap, keeping extra blockers in or having a hot route ready to beat the blitz.

Young QB’s haven’t learned how to deal with dialed up pressure. This is evident in most stats. Look at the careers of most QB’s who became great over time, generally their worst career sack percentages came in the first few years. A great offensive mind like Andy Reid for example can mitigate some of that with scheme and a great offensive line, but on average this is the case.

At the end of the day a QB has to improve, his offensive line and peripheral blockers need to be good, he or his coach need to account for pressure. I can remember a case of a Patriots offensive line coach not accounting for the crowd noise in Denver or prepared with a silent snap count.. it got Brady beat up and the coach fired. It’s a team game, nobody plays in a vacuum.

I think the OL is good, plenty good, if all 5 starters are healthy
the play calling is also top notch and will expand as Maye takes on more. scheme will help offset one D-lineman out playing an O-lineman. Scheme cannot overcome the defense knowing the play call pre snap.

 

[Wozzy]

I think the OL is good, plenty good, if all 5 starters are healthy
the play calling is also top notch and will expand as Maye takes on more. scheme will help offset one D-lineman out playing an O-lineman. Scheme cannot overcome the defense knowing the play call pre snap.

The OLine was good last year, Drake looks to have improved this preseason and needs to… even if his line is better this year.

I expect to see a better Drake this year, he’s a smart kid.