It was certainly a good day for Aidan Hutchinson. The Detroit Lions defensive end established his dominance in the very first quarter of the game with three sacks within 10 minutes. If he had kept with the same pace, the NFL would have had to add a new page to its history books.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are missing their right tackle Luke Goedeke and Hutchinson is taking full advantage of the fact. He swiftly equaled his previous career high against RT Justin Skule and QB Baker Mayfield with three back-to-back sacks. He did this too, with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. This got some fans wondering if they could see some new milestones in the game.
Currently, the Chiefs legend and arguably one of the best pass rushers of all time, Derrick Thomas holds the record for most sacks in a game at 7. The Chiefs loyalist completed the feat back in 1990 against the Seattle Seahawks. He is followed by Khalil Mack, Adrian Clayborn, Osi Umenyiora, and Fred Dean all tied at 6 sacks in a game.
#Lions Aidan Hutchinson has 3 sacks in 1Q.
The NFL record for sacks in a game is 7, by the incomparable Derrick Thomas, in 1990.
There are five players (including another Thomas game) with 6. The most recent was Khalil Mack in 2023. (Source: https://t.co/yOFXLfTVvi)
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) September 15, 2024
While the Chiefs have Derrick Thomas ruling on the top spot with the most sacks in a game, when it comes to overall teams, it is quite a different story!
The Eagles Rule with the Most Sacks Recorded In a Game
It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles have had one of the most formidable defenses throughout the years. Back in 1952, they scored a whopping 14 sacks against the New York Giants which is still unbroken to this day, as per StatMuse. Almost poetically, on the second spot stands the Giants themselves, with 12 sacks they scored against the Eagles in 2007! Tied at 12 are also the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, and the Arizona Cardinals.
The names change again when considering an entire season and not a one-off game. The record for most sacks in a single season is held by the Bears with their 72 sacks in 1984, closely followed by the Minnesota Vikings at 71, four seasons later. More recently, the Eagles again made it up the chart with 70 sacks in the 2022 season. Individually, Michael Strahan stands at the top of the list with a whopping 22.5 sacks in the 2001 season with Al Baker one-upping him with 23 sacks unofficially.
Whether Aidan Hutchinson will be able to set a record or not, remains to be seen. However, one thing is for sure, the DE has made his presence felt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 4.5 sacks coming 2.5 sacks shy of the record.
