40 sacks a benchmark not often reached
Posted by on July 24, 2013 – 10:59 amIn the NFL 40 sacks in a season for a team is a popular benchmark if you want to be among the top 10 clubs in the league in that category. While defensive coordinators often dismiss team sack totals as an indicator for how effective a team’s pass rush is it’s still interesting to look at some of the Bills’ best seasons in terms of sack totals and see where the team ended up at the end of the year. Here’s a look.
In our Top 25 questions until camp we asked if new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme would lift the Bills up among the league leaders in sacks? Pettine’s defense is known for high pressure and disrupting quarterbacks, but not high sack totals. Here though is the list of the 10-best sack total seasons for the Bills and how those seasons turned out.
Buffalo has reached 40 sacks or more in a season in 14 of their 53 seasons as a franchise.
Year Sacks Season outcome
1964 50 Won AFL title
1995 49 Won AFC East, lost in Divisional playoff
1996 48 Lost in Wild Card playoff
1981 47 Lost in Divisional playoff
1988 46 Lost in AFC Championship game
1997 46 Finished 6-10
2004 45 Finished 9-7
1992 44 Lost in Super Bowl XXVII
1990 43 Lost in Super Bowl XXV
1967 43 Finished 4-10
1998 43 Lost in AFC Wild Card
Tags: Mike Pettine, Top 25 questions until training camp
Posted in Inside the Bills