Robert Quinn gets NFL Spin Zone Player of the Week
St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (94) celebrates after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (not pictured) during the first quarter at Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and he added another excellent performance to his sterling resume this past week. Quinn was a monster against the New Orleans Saints, and he caused veteran left tackle Charles Brown to be benched unceremoniously as a result of the beating he took from Quinn. There’s not too much shame in getting beat badly by Quinn, though, because, as they cliche goes, he’s like a predator who absolutely eats up left tackles when they are the weak link of the offensive line.
Quinn helped spearhead the Rams upset of the Saints by constantly getting in Drew Brees’s face, which is a huge key to victory against the Saints. You absolutely have to penetrate that sturdy offensive line and get to Brees in order to give your secondary chance, and that’s especially true when your secondary is as poor as the Rams. Quinn was at his best on Sunday, and the Pro Football Focus credited him with an outstanding seven hurries, which further underscores his dominance.
In total, Quinn added two more sacks to his total of 15 sacks this season, and he needs to be regarded as one of the league’s superstars on defense. He’s always been good, but he’s broken out to a whole new level this season and has been very stout in run defense. It would be a shame to overlook Quinn’s huge impact on a national scale, which means that he should be regarded as a top tier DPOY candidate. Hopefully his role in the Rams upset over the Saints nets him more national attention, because he’s made plenty of sacks and plays this year, and he is also consistently a high performer in run defense and consistently puts plenty of pressure on the quarterback. He makes everyone else on his team better due to his pass rushing, and that’s another mark of a great player.
Seven hurries and two sacks are definitely numbers to be proud of, and Robert Quinn was a constant thorn in Brees’s side. For that, he definitely deserves are “Player of the Week” honors, and he joins Tom Brady and Calvin Johnson as the only players to win our weekly award twice this season.