Simon Fletcher doesn’t have to sweat yet, but Broncos rookie Tim Crowder is working on a sack streak of three games. Fletcher, the Broncos’ all-time sack leader, holds the NFL sack streak record with 10 games.
What makes Crowder’s streak noteworthy is the rookie was supposed to be more of a balanced defensive end, not necessarily a premier pass rusher, when he was drafted in the second round in April.
“That’s always what they’ve said about me,” Crowder said. “I told everybody I could do both.”
Jarvis Moss, who was selected by the Broncos in the first round, was supposed to be the pass-rushing specialist. Moss had one sack in six games before suffering a season-ending ankle and lower leg injuries.
Is Crowder getting free in part because opposing offenses are doubling up on Elvis Dumervil, who has posted a team-high 16 1/2 sacks the past two seasons?
“I don’t think so because we trick it up out there,” Crowder said. “We switch up on the move to make sure they don’t do that.”
Crowder has one other sack this season, giving him four overall, and a touchdown return on a fumble that Dumervil forced while sacking Ben Roethlisberger. After Dumervil’s eight sacks and Crowder’s four, the only other Bronco with multiple sacks is defensive tackle Alvin McKinley, who has two.
Dumervil said he hopes more quarterbacks will get dumped as he and Crowder to work off each other.
“Generally I get double-teamed in the beginning of the game but as we get into the flow of the game, Tim takes on a lot of double teams, too,” Dumervil said.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
