Burning Question: Will Aidan Hutchinson Break Sack-Free Streak?
It's been four long weeks now for Aidan Hutchinson without a sack. Will the sack-less streak for the second-year EDGE rusher end Sunday against the Chicago Bears?
Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has still managed to be productive during his sophomore campaign as a pro. Yet, there's no denying the fact that the sacks haven't been as easy to come by, as they were a year ago.
In nine games this season, the Michigan product has amassed 4.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits, along with 38 hurries and 52 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He only trails the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons and the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby in the pressures department.
For Hutchinson's efforts this season, he's earned a 90.2 overall grade from PFF (the seventh-best overall mark among all EDGE defenders), plus an 88.9 pass-rush grade from the analytics site.
Now, through his first nine games as a pro, Hutchinson had recorded just one more sack (5.5 total) than he has so far in 2023. And, he ended up finishing his rookie season with 9.5 sacks.
However, when you closely examine his debut season as a pro, you'll see that most of his sacks came in bunches. In fact, five of his 9.5 sacks from a year ago came in just two games: his three-sack game in Week 2 against Washington and his two-sack effort in Detroit's season finale against Green Bay.
In case you were wondering, Hutchinson produced 1.5 of those 9.5 sacks against Justin Fields and the Bears.
Fast-forward to a week ago, Detroit, as a team, recorded no sacks against the Los Angeles Chargers, and allowed Justin Herbert & Co. to score 38 points. Hutchinson is certainly motivated to not allow that type of a performance to happen again.
“Definitely, you know, we’re not happy with that type of performance. But, we’re going to bounce back. I think we just got to finish it, man. That’s all,” the second-year pro told reporters Thursday. “I can go on, and ramble on and on. But, I feel like at the end of the day, that’s the message.
“Yeah. No doubt. No doubt (I’m frustrated). It’s a mental game more than anything, I feel right now. It’ll pass. And soon, I know, things are going to be flowing.”
On Sunday at Ford Field, it'll be Fields’ first time taking the field since October 15, a Week 6 contest with the Minnesota Vikings. Despite Fields’ superb mobility, I think Hutchinson will be in and around the third-year passer's face all afternoon long, ultimately finishing with at least half-a-sack.
So, yes, Lions fans, Hutchinson's sack drought will come to an end in Detroit's Week 11 matchup with the Bears.
