New York Giants defensive finish Kayvon Thibodeaux has a lofty purpose for the 2024 season. Nicely, actually for each season. He desires to turn out to be the NFL’s all-time single-season sack chief, taking down the mark held by a former Giants legend.
“We’re simply going to start out this off, in case you had been questioning, I am going for the report — so do not ask,” Thibodeaux stated, maybe jokingly, by way of NJ.com. “Yearly I am right here, I am going for Michael Strahan’s report.”
Thibodeaux elaborated on the purpose, noting that he could have an opportunity to hurry the passer extra typically in 2024 than Strahan did when he set the report all the way in which again in 2001.
“Now being right here, it is like he [Strahan] did not have as many rush alternatives as I’ll have,” Thibodeaux stated. “The sport wasn’t as a lot passes because it was earlier than. I’ve a possibility that folks would need they could possibly be in. It is solely proper if I give the individuals what they need. I honor myself by placing every little thing on the road, making an attempt to be the perfect.”
Thibodeaux additionally apparently acquired some recommendation from one other Giants legend on tips on how to enhance his recreation. Or not less than, he sought that recommendation. He did not essentially get what he was searching for when he talked to Lawrence Taylor on the Giants’ legends night time ceremony.
“You realize what I believe is humorous? You go into these conversations and also you’re at all times searching for one thing,” Thibodeaux stated, by way of NFL Media. “If they are a legend, you are like, ‘What did you do? What’s the secret sauce?’ And I believe it was humorous, LT, he checked out me loopy after I stated, ‘LT, what is the secret sauce?’ And he is like ‘Now you realize rattling effectively there ain’t no secret sauce.'”
Joking or critical, with or with out secret sauce, Thibodeaux has an extended option to go to catch Strahan — even in a league the place passing is significantly extra widespread. He notched simply 4 sacks in his first season, however made a bounce to 11.5 final 12 months. Even that two-year whole leaves him seven wanting the report held by Strahan and T.J. Watt. However Thibodeaux’s 11.5 sacks in 2023 additionally would possibly overstate how efficient he was at dashing the passer.
These 11.5 sacks tied Thibodeaux with Denico Autry and Aidan Hutchinson for twelfth most within the NFL, however his 43 whole pressures checked in simply 67th within the league, tied with 1 / 4 of inside linemen in Fletcher Cox, Osa Odighizuwa, Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones. Each play within the high 15 in sacks save for one had a stress charge not less than 1.5 occasions as excessive as Thibodeaux’s 8.6% mark, which ranked 141st out of the 216 gamers who rushed the passer not less than 150 occasions final season, by way of Tru Media.
Thibodeaux was capable of report so many sacks due to his astronomical 26.7% sack-to-pressure ratio, which almost doubled the league common of 13.5% and ranked eighth among the many identical group of gamers. He was down at 10% as a rookie, checking in 142nd out of 221 gamers.
Except you suppose Thibodeaux actually is twice nearly as good as, say, Micah Parsons or Javon Hargrave or Chris Jones at turning stress into sacks, he will have to be across the quarterback much more typically in 2024 to match final season’s sack whole, not to mention get to Strahan and Watt.
It could be much more troublesome as a result of Thibodeaux now has a teammate who might merely attain the quarterback earlier than he does; Brian Burns‘ common time to sack final season was almost 0.7 seconds sooner than Thibodeaux’s — which is an eternity in a league the place most quarterbacks attempt to ship the ball inside 2.5 seconds of the snap. Burns’ presence ought to afford Thibodeaux higher matchups, however regardless, he’s going to want to step his recreation up if he desires to come back near reaching his objectives.