By: Girvane Bola

In the 2014 season, Robert Quinn finished fourth in the AP DPOY voting. Seven years later, he had a phenomenal personal season. Quinn posted 18.5 sacks, his best since 2014, and his magnificent play on defense awarded him his third Pro-Bowl appearance and second All-Pro appearance. After last season, Quinn has the chance to win the Defensive Player of the Year award next season.

“He has a lot of pride in the way he plays and the product he puts on the field.” defensive coordinator Sean Desai said in December. Desai could not be more right about Quinn. At age 30, his pride and passion for the defensive game are not only evident but also infectious. His ability to get to opposing QBs and sack them with swiftness and ferociousness is astonishing. An example is his sack in the Week 2 win against Cincinnati Bengals. He shows tremendous pace and explosiveness to get to sack Burrow in the first quarter, the first of two in that game.

Furthermore, he can win DPOY with the high level of sacks Quinn can accumulate across the season. However, this could also be an argument against him, affirming his status as a wildcard and not a frontrunner. While 18.5 sacks are brilliant across the 2021 season, it is unlikely Quinn has a similar output of 18.5 or more. Nor does Quinn tie or break the NFL single-season sack record of 22.5. His sack total will most likely drop to approximately 13.5-16. Though good overall, it takes a lot to win DPOY now.

Last year saw Watt win the award. The defining factor was that Watt tied the NFL single-season sack record set by Giants legend Michael Strahan in 2001. What made this more remarkable was that the OLB did this in fewer games. To win the award now, one needs to tie or break a record that is considered unbeatable such as T.J. Watt and be impactful on the field.

Players like T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald have taken the defensive to new heights. Quinn must either match or exceed this. The Bears also need to improve their record if Quinn is considered for DPOY this upcoming season. Last year, his 18.5 sacks helped them win only six games. Yet, can they win more than six games with all those sacks? If the Bears become a playoff team with Quinn achieving 18.5 sacks or more, Quinn can be a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year.

The post Why Robert Quinn is a darkhorse to win DPOY next season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt tied Michael Strahan’s sack record (22.5) and won the defensive player of the year award last season. It should also be noted that Watt recorded 22.5 sacks in 17 games 15 games. It’s clear that the second Watt brother to win DPOY has cemented himself as a mythical football figure. There is already a mighty question that many Steelers fans have regarding the 27-year-old pass rusher: Is T.J. Watt already a future first-ballot Hall of Famer? Well, I will unveil his career production and conclude if his current resume is impressive enough to make it as a first-ballot HOF at this moment.

Watt has been an All-Pro player in each of the past three seasons. The four-time Pro Bowl selection also has 72.5 career sacks, 150 QB hits, and 80 career tackles for loss. Watt and his older brother in Arizona are still seeking the elusive Super Bowl ring.

I believe Demarcus Ware has a very fascinating career comparison to Watt right now. The former Cowboys legendary sack artist had 138.5 career sacks, two seasons of 19.5+ sacks, and he made four All-Pro teams in his career. Unfortunately, Ware did NOT make the Hall of Fame in his first year of HOF eligibility (2022).

Watt has 1 DPOY award, while Ware has 0 DPOY awards. The two pass rushers have the same number of All-Pro honors and they both have been consistently superb in sacking the QB at this point. Ware actually has an upper hand on Watt in a pivotal category: Super Bowl victories. Ware has a Super Bowl ring, while Watt hasn’t won a SB thus far. Ware also notched two sacks and five tackles in the SB.

I honestly don’t believe Watt is the first-ballot HOF yet. If Watt can have two or three more All-Pro seasons, or win another DPOY (while making another All-Pro team), I believe the reigning DPOY should join Aaron Donald as a sure-fire first-ballot HOF. His fellow DL teammate Cameron Heyward is still playing at a high level at 32 years old (10 sacks in 2021) and I expect the “highest-paid defensive player in the league” to continue to prove every penny of his hefty contract. When the younger Watt on the Steelers retires, he should be another greek god-like Steeler to wind up as a first-ballot HOF.

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