Sports

Broncos can become fourth team with 50 sacks in 11 games

The Denver defense is going to need a good nickname.

They could possibly dust off Orange Crush, the label given to the team's defense in 1977, when the Broncos led the league in yards allowed per game and carried a 12-2 record to the Super Bowl.

That year, the Broncos had 50 sacks in 14 games. This year, they're four sacks away from having 50 in 11.

Via NBC Sports research, the Broncos can join the 1967 Raiders (61), the 1989 Vikings (53), and the 1987 Bears (51) as the only teams with 50 or more sacks in the first eleven games of a season.

As MDS noted in the aftermath of Denver's six-sack showing against the Raiders in Week 10, the Broncos are on pace for 78 sacks. That would be six more than the current single-season record of 72, set by the Bears in 1984.

The Broncos' 46 sacks lead the league by 14 over the Steelers and Seahawks, both with 32. (Seattle and Pittsburgh have played nine games each.)

To get to 50, the Broncos will need to corral Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. At 17 sacks on the season, he's being sacked at a rate of fewer than two per game.

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown fined $12,172 after taking first jab that ultimately led to Daron Payne's punch

The NFL fined Amon-Ra St. Brown $12,172 for unnecessary roughness after the Detroit Lions star wide receiver took the first jab that ultimately led to a punch from Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne last week, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Payne was ejected for his retaliating hook after a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown in the second quarter of the Lions' 44-22 win. The league issued Payne a one-game suspension the next day. While Payne appealed the suspension, it was upheld. He then posted footage Tuesday that provided more context than the broadcast showed last Sunday.

The video Payne shared on Instagram showed St. Brown taking a swipe at Payne's helmet a few plays before Payne threw the punch that got him in trouble with the league. 

St. Brown wasn't flagged despite the incident taking place in an official's line of vision.

After the game, Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said he saw St. Brown hit Payne. He criticized NFL officials for the way the situation was handled, calling it "bulls***."

Kinlaw was fined $28,555 for unsportsmanlike conduct after he made contact with an official, per Pelissero, who additionally reported Saturday that Commanders rookie linebacker Ale Kaho was fined $46,371 for illegal use of the helmet. Kaho is out this week with a concussion.

As a result of Payne's suspension, he will miss the Commanders' Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins and was ineligible to travel with the team to Madrid, Spain, for the international matchup.

Through nine games, St. Brown has hauled in 64 catches for 693 yards and 8 touchdowns. The wideout is well on his way toward posting his fourth-straight season with over 1,000 yards receiving and 100-plus catches. 

Since he was selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, St. Brown has emerged as one of the game's best receivers and quarterback Jared Goff's favorite target. After a promising rookie season, in which he nearly gained 1,000 yards, thanks to a second-half breakout, St. Brown announced his presence on a national level in 2022, making his first of three straight Pro Bowl appearances.

He got even better the following season, exploding for 1,515 yards and his first of two straight All-Pro nods.

Bills sign Mecole Hardman to 53-man roster, elevate Gabe Davis

The Bills added a pair of wide receivers to their roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

They signed Mecole Hardman off of the practice squad and elevated Gabe Davis on a temporary basis. They also activated defensive tackle T.J. Sanders from injured reserve, elevated tight end Keleki Latu and waived cornerback Brandon Codrington.

Hardman spent the summer with the Packers and had a brief stint on their practice squad before signing with Buffalo. He has 178 catches for 2,302 yards and 16 touchdowns for his career.

Davis is in his second tour of duty with the Bills. He had 163 catches in 64 games for Buffalo before moving on to Jacksonville for the 2024 season. He returned to the Bills in September.

More Articles …

  1. Lions place TE Sam LaPorta on IR with back injury ahead of NFC showdown with Eagles
  2. Dallas Turner draws more than $34,000 in fines for two infractions
  3. Patriots DT Milton Williams lands on injured reserve
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