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Sunday, December 09, 2001

Compiled by Ed Bouchette

Back when the Jets used to win games in December, they featured the New York Sack Exchange of Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko. Now New York has put its sack stock in John Abraham and Michael Strahan, one with the Jets, the other with the Giants.

Abraham leads the AFC with 11 sacks, Strahan leads the NFC and the league with 15 1/2.

It prompted two questions: How valuable is the sack to a defense? Should the Pro Bowl ends and linebackers always be the ones with the most sacks?

The Steelers are second in the league with 41 sacks, one behind Green Bay, but they were shut out in their last game and had just two in the previous game. They remain on pace to break their team record of 55 in 1994.

Jason Gildon led NFL linebackers last year with 13 1/2 sacks. He has seven this year and with 57 1/2 is two away from moving into third place on the Steelers' career list.

Strangely, he believes sacks are overrated.

"Sacks are not the catalyst behind our defense, it's something that's a bonus, but it's not the thing that makes our defense go. The main purpose of our pressure is to get off the field on third down. Whether we get a sack, an incomplete pass, an interception, the goal is accomplished."

Wayne Gandy, the Steelers' left tackle, says there are sacks and there are sacks.

"I wouldn't say it's overrated, it's all about what effect it has on the game," he said. "Sometimes, it has no effect. It's like a dunk to me. If you dunk on three people and it generates some sort of energy for the rest of the team, that's fine. Sometimes a guy can get a sack and not even know it -- the quarterback's scrambling out of the pocket and didn't break the line of scrimmage. And if you end a game with one sack and no tackles, what did you do?"

Gandy will try to hold off Abraham today on the left side of the Steelers' line. He has done well all season against all-comers. He has allowed just one sack and that came in the opener at Jacksonville.

If things go the way they usually do, Abraham will make the Pro Bowl because he leads the conference in sacks. While Gildon does not agree with the sacks-Pro Bowl formula, Gandy thinks there is merit to it.

"Usually, we award whoever ends up as the top sacker because at least that shows a certain amount of being around the ball."

Linebacker Joey Porter, who leads the Steelers with eight sacks, has studied Strahan's pass-rushing techniques on video.

"I try to steal from everybody," Porter said, "and I think he is a great pass-rusher. He has a lot of good moves he's whuppin' guys with. Now, they're trying to game plan him, I guess, but he's still doing his job. He's still playing great. I think he still has a chance of breaking that record, too."

Gastineau owns the NFL sack record with 22 in 1984. Strahan is on pace for 22 1/2. Reggie White holds the career record with 198. Sacks have been compiled officially since 1982 for league records. Some teams, such as the Steelers, have kept them longer as a statistic and their records reflect that. For example, L.C. Greenwood holds the Steelers' record with 73 1/2 sacks, but his playing career ended in 1981.

"Strahan, man, just watching him, some of the sacks, he's been doing that great," Porter said. "He's been killing those guys."