38
It could be said that sacks are an overrated statistic. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs tied for the NFL lead with 52 quarterback traps this past season and neither won a Super Bowl. On the other hand, the 2015 Denver Broncos paced the league with an identical amount of quarterback traps and walked away with a Lombardi Trophy.
The reality is that you need talent on all ends of your defense to make a difference. This past season, the New England Patriots were tied for next-to-last in the NFL with 30 sacks. But Bill Belichick’s secondary also features cornerback Stephon Gilmore and a few savvy veterans.
In any case, Colts general manager Chris Ballard looked to add some oomph up front to a pass rush that produced a respectable 38 sacks. Defensive tackle Denico Autry led the way with nine QB traps, followed by linebacker Darius Leonard (7) and defensive linemen Jabaal Sheard (5.5) and Margus Hunt (5). And the one-time Kansas City Chiefs’ front-office product signed a familiar face in Justin Houston, released by his former club this offseason.
In eight seasons with the Chiefs, the four-time Pro Bowler has amassed 78.5 sacks in 102 regular-season contests. Houston also brings plenty of experience which could prove to be invaluable to young pass-rushers such as Tyquan Lewis and Kemoko Turay.