Bryan Bresee has surpassed his sack total from his rookie year, and he has a chance to lead all defensive tackles in sacks this season. Dexter Lawrence leads the league with 9 sacks at the position but is on injured reserve. The New Orleans Saints won’t have to face him when they play the New York Giants this week.
When the New Orleans Saints drafted Bresee in the first round, explosiveness was one of his featured traits. That quickly translated to his ability to get after the quarterback in the NFL.
What has contributed to the bump from 4.5 sacks a year ago to 6.5 sacks with five games remaining this season?
Bresee said how sacks are a team stat: “I think a lot of people look at sacks as a single person stat, but at the same time you have to look at the defensive backs covering. You have to look at the other defensive linemen you’re running games with. There’s a lot that goes into sacks.”
On an individual level, the improvement came from a better grasp of the game. Bresee continued, “Being able to understand what I’m going against every week, who I’m going against, what I think is going to work on them and being able to develop plans.”
It wasn’t immediate, but Bresee has began to piece together what he needs to craft a more intentional pass rush plan. It’s resulted in a more productive sophomore season.
