I'm confused here. I hear people talking about pressure, hits, batted passes, etc. all the time. Sacks are a highlight obviously, but I always hear a lot about the other stats, too. In fact, most networks always show drop backs, hits, knockdowns, etc throughout the game. And with teams such as the Eagles and Cowboys, we hear about that kind of stuff anymore.
I agree that sacks themselves aren't all that matters. However, generally, if a team gets lots of sacks, chances are they also get a lot of pressure, hits, knockdowns, and possible even batted passes. I imagine those things are fairly highly correlated. Perhaps the 2012 Packers could be an exception though, since they are leading the league in sacks, but the pass rush seems to disappear at times. 😕 There are always exceptions though, that's why it's important to state things as generalizations.
Throwing the ball away on 3rd down ends the drive, sure, but the QB might not get hit. I want mean sacks as often as possible to that the QB hears foot steps and is terrified in the pocket. That mental aspect cannot possible be over rated, imo. I'll gladly settle for some quick pressure and a throw away, but a sack would always be ideal.
Originally Posted by: doddpower