Chandler Jones chasing history
He’s tried not to think about. He’s tried not to talk about. And when he’s seen reporters headed in his direction with one question in mind, he’s done his best to avoid as many interviews as he possibly can. Lately, it’s even been hard to talk to his father and two brothers.
“That’s why I wear these,” Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones said, pointing to the earbuds stuck in each of his ears. “Haven’t you noticed me walking around here with these things in, just so I don’t have to hear it?”
During a couple of occasions in the past week, Jones took a few minutes to address what everyone
wants to know: Can he get four more sacks on Sunday during the Cardinals’ regular-season finale at the Los Angeles Rams to break Michael Strahan’s singleseason NFL record of 221⁄2, set in 2001?
“I’m trying to block that out because you don’t want to think about it too much,” Jones said. “All I’m thinking about is trying to win the game. That’s my mindset. That’s what I want to do. That’s what would make me the happiest. If I had zero sacks on Sunday and we win, I’ll be happy.”
Jones presently leads the league with a team-record 19 sacks. Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, there have been just 12 seasons where a player has finished with 20 or more sacks in a season. The last three to do it were the Ram’s Aaron Donald (201⁄2) last season, the Chiefs’ Justin Houston (22) and Texans’ J.J. Watt (201⁄2) in 2014. Watt also did it in 2012 (201⁄2), the only player to do it twice.
Nobody has more sacks than Jones since he entered the league in 2012. He’s got 96 and counting. Only five more players have registered more in their first eight years in the NFL – Reggie White (124), DeMarcus Ware (111), Jared Allen (105), Von Miller (98) and Derrick Thomas (98).
If he reaches 100 with a four-sack game against the Rams, it will be his third, four-sack effort of the season, something no player has ever accomplished. He’s already only one of three players to ever do it twice, having joined White (1986) and Karl Mecklenberg (1985) with his four-sack performance in last Sunday’s 27-13 win at Seattle.
“Chandler Jones, we went into the game knowing and we tried chipping him and all kinds of different things and we weren’t able to keep him out of there,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “It was a really hard day. I can’t tell you exactly, because you would like to know what was the one thing but there was not one thing, because we did a number of things to try and keep him from getting there. He just had a huge day.”
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury hasn’t spoken with Jones about 20 sacks or chasing Strahan’s record.
“I haven’t really. It’s out there in front of him, he knows that,” Kingsbury said.
“I just always talk to him about as a staff how much we appreciate his effort, what he’s brought this year. Out of playoffs, we know that, but he plays like his life is on the line. That’s special for coaches to be around that.”
Since the Cardinals acquired Jones from the Patriots in exchange for offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick, Jones hasn’t just led the entire league in sacks with 60, but he’s also forced the most fumbles (27) and ranks second in tackles for loss (66) during that span.
Jones’ 19 sacks this season are 21⁄2 more than the next-closest leader, Tampa Bay’s Shaquil Barrett. Jones’ eight forced fumbles and seven strip sacks also lead the league. Those numbers have thrust him contention for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
“What he’s done is incredible,” Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “That’s a huge year. If he gets 20 sacks, that’s rare air. I was in Houston when Watt won his first (Defensive Player of the Year) award and it was a special year. He’s doing it. If he gets one or two (sacks) this week, he’s the guy in my opinion.
“It’s the best player on defense award, not the team’s award, so in my opinion, if he gets 20 sacks, that’s rare air and that’s history, so he should be the player of the year.”
A Cardinals first for league honor?
No Cardinals’ player has won Defensive Player of the Year since the award was created in 1971. Jones’ toughest competition for the honor comes from Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is tied for the league lead with six interceptions, has two pick-sixes and has deflected an NFL-high 19 passes. He also happens to play on the league’s topranked defense.
“I’m not surprised at nothing nowadays,” Gilmore told reporters last week when asked about possibly winning the award. “Even when you think you did something, people get slighted in life all the time. It’s not nothing new.”
Jones knows the feeling, but he’s never complained about being overlooked and underrated. Reaching 20 or more sacks, though, would be “special and definitely cool,” he said.
“Twenty is huge for me,” Jones added. “I always thought 10 was good, so if you can double that it would be huge.”
So would toppling Strahan as the NFL’s single-season sacks king. Many NFL observers still feel Strahan’s record is tarnished because Packers quarterback Brett Favre gift-wrapped the record-setting sack for Strahan, his close friend, during the 2001 regular-season finale in New York. Favre changed the play without telling anyone, faking a handoff and running right toward Strahan before diving at his feet for a freebie.
Strahan hasn’t discussed the controversial sack very often, but he discussed it in 2013 during the NFL Network’s series “A Football Life.” In the show, Strahan said he doesn’t like how much flak he’s received over the sack in question and points how people forget he didn’t register a single sack through the first three games of the season.
“So from four weeks on – 13 games, 22-and-a-half sacks,” Strahan said. “That’s hard to match and I’ve never spoken like this about it because I’ve always kind of taken it, but I always have to say, ‘If you don’t like it, then break it.’ ”
Jones isn’t into the politics of the record. As evidence by his earbuds, which he was getting ready to plug back into his ears, he doesn’t even like talking about it.
“I’m not even looking at Strahan’s record, to be honest with you,” Jones told The Republic. “That’s the last thing that’s on my mind. My biggest thing is trying to finish this season strong, whatever that may be, finishing it healthy and getting ready for next year.
“As far as chasing records, I’m never one to stat chase. I let the stats come.”
Note
The Cardinals have elevated quarterback Drew Anderson from the practice squad to the active roster and have placed tight end Darrell Daniels (biceps) on injured reserve. The move was made because Kyler Murray is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game because of a sore hamstring. If he doesn’t play, Brett Hundley will get the start and Anderson will serve as the backup.
Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@ arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch and every Wednesday night from 7-9 on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.