In baseball, hitters cling to the notion that succeeding three out of 10 times is all-star caliber.
In football, defensive linemen would say hitting a baseball is simple next to sacking the quarterback.
“Figure that your top sack leader will have maybe 16 sacks,” Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. “That’s one a game. You can have 400-plus pass rushes a year. So that’s a very low percentage even for those who are great at it.”
Ekuban is on to something. Last season, Indianapolis end Dwight Freeney led the NFL by a relatively substantial margin with 16 sacks. The Colts, meanwhile, faced 527 pass attempts. That means Freeney got his quarterback on 3 percent of the Colts’ opposing pass plays.
All this might help in understanding why the Broncos aren’t very good at sacking the quarterback this season. Entering Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens at Invesco Field at Mile High, the Broncos are tied for last in the NFL with 18 sacks. In their three defeats, the Broncos didn’t record a sack.
“We’ve won (two) games where we didn’t have any sacks, so I wouldn’t read too much into it,” said Ekuban, one of five Broncos with two sacks. Trevor Pryce leads the team with three. “But I tell you, sacks are big. A lot of things go into sacks. Quarterback depth. Coverage by the defensive backs. That’s probably first and foremost. An offensive lineman has a miscue in protection. There’s a lot that goes into it. That’s why our D-line coach says it’s one of the hardest things to do in football.
“But no excuses. As defensive linemen, our job is to stop the run and harass the quarterback, and we have to do a better job at getting sacks.”
Brown ailing
Broncos defensive end Courtney Brown was held out of drills Wednesday because of a knee injury that has him listed as questionable. Brown is expected to practice today, however, and play Sunday.
“I’m doing OK,” Brown said. “They just want me to stay off it, and I’m getting treatment to take care of it.”
Easy Ed and the skier
With the temperature near zero Wednesday, the Broncos practiced in the sports bubble down the street from their headquarters. After their indoor practice, in strolled former University of Colorado receiver and Olympic ski hopeful Jeremy Bloom, former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey and former Colorado School of Mines quarterback Chad Friehauf, cut by the Broncos in training camp.
Bloom, who will participate in the NFL combine in February with hopes of getting drafted, asked McCaffrey to help him with the finer points of receiving after the two ran into each other on a flight to Las Vegas.
“Maybe there’s something I can see in his route-running or the way he’s catching the ball,” said McCaffrey, who had 462 catches for the Broncos from 1995-2003. “He’s got great physical skills. One thing I think that is going to give him a chance to make it in the NFL is his desire to get better. Proof of his desire is the fact he asked me to work with him.”
Ray Lewis done
Broncos fans who are attending Sunday’s game got a tough break when Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn hamstring.
If ever there was player worthy of the price of admission, it’s Lewis, a likely future Hall of Famer.
“I wanted to see the dance,” Broncos running back Mike Anderson said of Lewis’ signature ritual. “That’s what this league is all about. Guys like him who bring an excitement and entertainment to the game and play hard for four quarters. If you’re a young guy going up against Ray, that’s when you realize what playing in this league is all about.”
