Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Beasley named NFC defensive player of the week

Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. against the Rams (Getty Images).
Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. against the Rams (Getty Images).
By
Dec 14, 2016

Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week on Wednesday.

Beasley Jr. had three sacks and scored his first career touchdown in Atlanta’s 42-14 win over Los Angeles.

He is the first Falcon and 10th NFL player with three sacks and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

Beasley is tied for the league lead with 13.5 sacks. He leads the league in forced fumbles with six.

Beasley’s sack-to-pressure ratio this season is off the charts.

League-wide this season edge rushers convert pressure into sacks about 15 percent of the time, while Beasley has converted pressure into a sack 28.6 percent of the time, according to profootballfocus.com.

Against the Rams he had six total pressures, but three of them were sacks, and one was the perfect pass-rushing trifecta of a sack, forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown.

This year there have been few pass-rushers to make as many impact plays as Beasley.

About the Author

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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