This is no news flash, but the NFL has become a passing league. Defenses win championships and every team goes into every game wanting to establish the run. But while those clichés are indeed true, make no mistake that most of the NFL’s prolific offenses are built around a quarterback with command over his offense.
So with quarterbacks having such a profound impact on today’s game, one can most certainly make the argument that the men charged with neutralizing the opposition’s quarterback rank nearly as high in the NFL pecking order of importance. In that subset of NFL players, there is one man who has stood above the rest – Vikings defensive end 
Since joining the Vikings, Allen has reached a double-digit sack total every season and his string of seasons with 10 sacks is currently at seven, dating back to his final season with the Chiefs in 2007.
“That passion and that desire that he has, I think separates him from other great defensive ends in this League,” Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier explained. “He’s a special guy when it comes to rushing the passer. He has a unique ability to find a way to get to that quarterback. You know every year you can go ten-plus sacks for Jared Allen. Just pencil it in in the preseason.”
If you penciled in Allen for 10.0 sacks this season, you need him to start picking up the pace. Going into the season’s 12th week, Allen has 5.0 sacks. With six games to go, Allen will need to go on an impressive run to extend his consecutive seasons with 10 sacks streak to seven. The good news is Allen has made a career out of going on impressive runs. He has the NFL record for consecutive games with a sack (11) and no one will forget his historic 2011 season in which he challenged Michael Strahan’s NFL record and set a new Vikings record for single-season sacks with 22.0.
There’s more good news. Allen has a chance to begin a late-season run for double-digit sacks this weekend when he and the Vikings travel to Lambeau Field to play the Packers, a team against which Allen has registered 17.0 sacks in 13 career games.
What do you think, Vikings fans? Will Allen get to double-digit sacks this season? And if he is to do so, how many sacks will he collect in Green Bay this weekend?
Let us know what you think by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below this entry.
Remember When?
Jared Allen set a Vikings record for single-season sacks with 22.0 in 2011, breaking Chris Doleman’s mark of 21.0 in 1989. He entered the final game of the season with 18.5 sacks and notched a season-best 3.5 vs. Chicago. Allen is the first Viking since John Randle from (1996-2000 to lead the club in sacks five straight seasons. Allen’s 22.0 sacks in 2011 paced the Vikings as they tied for the NFL lead with 50.0 sacks, the third-highest total in team history. Allen led the NFL in sacks in 2007 and 20011, giving him the chance to be the first NFL player to lead the League in sacks three times in a career.
“The season that Jared had was a record-setting season and really the numbers speak for themselves. It was a terrific season by a great player. He was so committed to playing at a high level and then to come out and play the way he played every single week, facing double teams or triple teams, was just a testament to who he is as a person or as a player and for him to have the kind of year that he had and facing the protection that he did, was incredible and a great feat by Jared.” – Leslie Frazier
