Defensive Line All-Stars: A look back at Week 7's standout defenders
Week 7 did not disappoint in the defensive-line department, as multiple defenders dominated the line of scrimmage by using a variety of approaches. Let's look at the standout defensive linemen from Week 7:
Defensive Lineman of the Week: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
Nine tackles, six for loss, five quarterback hits, and four sacks. Need we say more?
Donald has been one of the best defenders in the NFL for a while, but his performance Sunday might have been his best, as he terrorized the 49ers' backfield throughout the Rams' blowout win. No matter what San Francisco tried, it still couldn't block the 6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive tackle.
His first sack was particularly impressive, as he breezed past one offensive lineman before driving another into quarterback C.J. Beathard:
On this play, Donald is aligned in a wide 3-technique, meaning he is set up well to the right of the left guard's outside shoulder. When Donald fires out of his stance, he mimics the footwork of an outside speed rush before crossing the left guard's face with a smooth and well-timed swim move.
The center actually does an excellent job of providing help for the left guard, but he's just a minor inconvenience to Donald on his way to the quarterback. In lieu of discarding the center to make the sack, Donald opts to use him as a battering ram to knock Beathard off his feet, displaying an impressive mix of momentum, leverage advantage, hand placement, and raw strength.
That wasn't the only time Donald was able to defeat multiple blocks before putting Beathard on the turf. This time, Donald shows off his athleticism, pliability, and nimble footwork:
On this play, Donald is once again lined up in a wide 3-technique - this time, over the right guard. After the ball is snapped, Donald slants his rush outside as the 49ers' offensive line slides inside to sell the run action.
Because of this, Donald is able to blow by rookie tackle Mike McGlinchey with a speed swim move. Notice how Donald's arms and legs move in unison as he avoids the right tackle's block - this allows him to move fluidly through his swim move while maintaining his balance and momentum.
From there, Donald employs a dip-and-rip move to defeat the tight end's block, wrap around the edge. and flatten to the quarterback for a sack.
Most of the time, when a defender racks up an absurd number of pressures or sacks in a game, it is usually aided by a few unblocked or schemed pressures. That wasn't the case for Donald, as he had to beat at least one block on each of his four sacks, giving him an NFL-leading eight sacks on the season.
The difficulty was high, but Donald made it look easy throughout the game - the sign of a truly generational talent.
Pass Rush of the Week: Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
Clowney's unique mix of size and linear explosiveness tends to overshadow how technically savvy he is as a pass-rusher. This play is an excellent example of Clowney's nuanced pass-rush abilities:
Here, Clowney is aligned wide of the Jaguars' right tackle. Even though Clowney possesses an impressive athletic profile, he lacks the lower-body pliability to burn around the edge at an acute angle. He displays great self-awareness as he shifts his hips toward the quarterback early in his rush, employing a pseudo sidestep up the arc. This allows Clowney to turn a tight corner because his hips are already on track toward the quarterback.
The beauty of this rush lies in the handwork of the Texans star. Pay attention to Clowney's inside (left) arm. After the left tackle punches with his outside (left) hand, Clowney latches onto the tackle's wrist with his outside (right) hand. From there, Clowney places his inside hand on the tackle's outside triceps, using a variation of the wrestling arm drag to pull the tackle's weight over his toes and wrap around the edge. This allows Clowney to close on the quarterback unimpeded for the sack.
It's rare to see a defender employ such a technique to soften the corner, but it's a great illustration of Clowney's refined hand technique. As Clowney has gained more experience, he's developed an array of techniques aimed at manipulating his opponents' balances, and it's done wonders as Clowney has recorded 4.5 sacks in six games this year, nearly half of his previous career high in a season (9.5).
Run Defender of the Week: DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
He didn't get a ton of help from his teammates, but Lawrence might have had the most disruptive performance of his career as a run defender, finishing with six tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Lawrence showed off an array of techniques to defeat blocks, displaying impressive quickness, hand technique, and awareness. This play is a great demonstration of his dominance against the run:
With Lawrence aligned outside the right tackle, the Redskins try to use their tight end to pin the Cowboys defensive end inside with a down block. Instead of looking at the tight end, Lawrence displays unique awareness to feel the block and spin across the blocker's face.
From there, the Boise State product maintains his balance, drops his weight, and dives to make the tackle as Adrian Peterson cuts the ball inside.
It's a testament to Lawrence's work ethic and ability to apply a highly refined technique in chaotic situations.
Of Lawrence's six tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage, two were on third down, as he often took matters into his own hands to get Dallas off the field in third-and-short situations - none bigger than this goal-line stop:
On this play, the Redskins are looking to wham block, in which a defender is given a free release before being blocked by a tight end crossing the formation. However, because Lawrence is able to identify the run concept and get deep in the backfield, he's able to make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage before tight end Vernon Davis can land a meaningful blow on him.
In the Spotlight: Ryan Kerrigan, Washington Redskins
In the ever-growing contingent of underrated edge defenders, Kerrigan may be the mayor, as the Redskins pass-rusher has put up three double-digit sack seasons in the past four years (he had 9.5 sacks in the other year).
Kerrigan hasn't had the most productive start this season, recording one sack in the first five games of the season, but he seemed to find his groove against the Cowboys. He was giving Cowboys right tackle La'el Collins fits on the edge, as Kerrigan utilized his natural leverage advantage and raw strength to bully the LSU product at the point of attack:
On this play, Kerrigan converts speed to power using an old-fashioned bull rush to walk the tackle back into the quarterback's lap before discarding the blocker for the sack. Notice how Kerrigan is able to establish initial contact with his inside hand, utilizing a lifting motion to elevate Collins' pad level so that it is impossible to anchor on his rush.
Once Dak Prescott elected to step up in the pocket, Kerrigan was able to easily to discard Collins and make the sack.
Kerrigan wasn't done there, however, as he later made the game-winning play for the Redskins' defense - a sack-fumble that resulted in a Preston Smith scoop and score:
After eating the chip block from the tight end, Kerrigan, who aligned outside the right tackle in a two-point stance, was able to loop inside, identifying an open pass-rush lane that led directly to Prescott. Kerrigan did well to come to balance once he got within range so that he could adjust to Prescott's desperate attempts to ask.
In the process of wrapping up the Cowboys quarterback, Kerrigan was able to jar the ball loose from Prescott, giving Smith the ability to record the easy scoop and score.
Kerrigan picked the perfect time to have his breakout performance, as it helped propel Washington to a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place Cowboys and Eagles in the NFC East.
John Owning is a football writer at theScore. He has written for Bleacher Report and Football Insiders. He was also the lead NFL content editor at FanRag Sports. John provides analysis on the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and edits for The Quant Edge. Find him on Twitter @JohnOwning.