The Arizona Cardinals have played good defense over the last two and half games. However, they have only four sacks through four games.
One would think that would be something that worries defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, especially when he is accustomed to players with double-digit sacks in a season like Markus Golden, Chandler Jones and Haason Reddick.
If it does worry him, he isn’t showing it and says the exact opposite.
“That’s not important,” he said Thursday when asked about low sack numbers. “Obviously over the years, sacks have led to defenses having success, but it’s about winning the game.
“Our win rate as far as (pass) rushing has been high. In the history of our system, people don’t hold the ball. The ball’s out fast, so sack numbers don’t concern me.
“One number concerns me and that’s winning the football game, and that comes down to playing good, solid football — win third downs, win in (the) red zone and not giving up big plays. And if sacks fall in there, I’ll take them, but outside of that, that doesn’t bother me at all.”
The Cardinals do have the third-best pass-rushing win rate in the league, according to ESPN’s metrics, so if you are to trust that metric, it should mean the sack numbers will come.
Joseph has said previously that the pass rush will improve when the coverage improves.
After having only two sacks total in the first three games of the season, both by J.J. Watt, they had two against the Panthers in Week 4.
They say that sacks come in bunches. If they continue to win on their rushes one-on-one, the numbers will come.
The question is whether they come this week playing a very talented and tough Philadelphia Eagles team.
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