Sacks Leaderboard

Of particular interest in these parts: Minnesota Vikings players now hold down approximately one-quarter of the top 25 spots (six, to be exact) on the NFL’s “unofficial” all-time sack leaderboard dating back to 1960. Three of the six are members of the Vikings’ legendary Purple People Eaters defense. Four Vikings on the list – Chris Doleman, Alan Page, John Randle, and Carl Eller – are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are joined in the new-look top 25 by Jared Allen and… Jim Marshall.

Doleman’s sack total remains unchanged at 150.5 since his career began in 1985. Still, he slipped from fifth to seventh on the official leaderboard, leap-frogged by additional stats for Deacon Jones (now in third place with 173.5 sacks) and Jack Youngblood, who sneaked ahead of Doleman into sixth place with 151.5. Page now follows Doleman in eighth place all-time with 148.5 sacks, further quantifying his greatness as possibly the best pass-rushing defensive tackle ever – since, you know, he has the most sacks by a defensive tackle.

I suppose this is as good a time as any to throw in the caveat on sacks not being a perfect metric. It has its flaws beyond the fact that, until now, it’s only included useful data back to 1982. Sacks are great, no doubt. Sacks make headlines, get players paid, get listed on Hall of Fame and All-Pro resumés, and change games. However, the underappreciated quarterback pressures and quarterback hits disrupt plays and play-calling just as much without the loss of yardage. Alas, nobody seems to care much about pressures and hits, nor is there a top 25 for such things. And by “nobody,” we mean “the general football-consuming population.” Football people realize the value of those metrics.

Having said that, please give the Honorable Justice Page his due once again. He deserves all the kudos. Page belongs on any true Vikings Mount Rushmore and is an inner-circle Hall of Famer, if you’re into that kind of debate.

Six Vikings in the top 25. That’s pretty impressive. For perspective, active greats such Von Miller (106.0 sacks), J.J. Watt (101.0), and Aaron Donald (85.5) still have a long way to go to reach the rarified air these former Vikings have achieved. In terms of producing pass-rushing greats, it’s difficult to make a case for another franchise being superior.