Outside of interceptions, there is probably no more celebrated defensive statistic in professional football than sacks. It is the single-most determining number that separates great defensive linemen from everybody else. What a lot of people don’t understand is it’s also one of the more recent major stat categories according to NFL history. The league didn’t officially recognize it until 1982. That means every sack collected before that year apparently didn’t happen. This is unfortunate, especially for the Chicago Bears. An organization that has produced several great pass rushers in the decades prior to that season.
Top statistic site Pro-Football-Reference has endeavored to change that. Mike Lynch wrote a post explaining that detailed accounts of pass rush numbers actually go as far back as 1960. Yet for whatever reason, the NFL has not chosen to use them to enrich their own records. So the site decided to instead. They feel the research that has gone into it is thorough and deserves to be recognized.
“In the case of sacks, thanks to decades of research by John Turney and Nick Webster, we have a very thorough accounting of the statistic all the way back to 1960. Given that accounting for these ‘unofficial’ statistics allows us to paint a richer picture of the history of the game, we think it is a no-brainer to present them on Pro Football Reference, allowing fans to gain a deeper appreciation of some of football’s biggest stars in the 1960s and 1970s…
…The important things to know are that these numbers are based upon review of official play-by-plays, watching game film, photographs and coaches’ stats. The work continues to this day as new information is discovered, particularly for numbers from the early 1960s.”
When examining these new numbers? The change is startling.
Especially for the Bears’ all-time leaderboard when it comes to sacks. According to the official records, here is how the top 10 shape up.
1. Richard Dent – 124.5
2. Steve McMichael – 92.5
3. Dan Hampton – 57.0
4. Alex Brown – 43.5
5. Trace Armstrong – 42.0
Adewale Ogunleye – 42.0
7. Brian Urlacher – 41.5
8. Jim Flanigan – 40.5
9. Julius Peppers – 37.5
10. Otis Wilson – 36.0
It has pretty much been a two-man show with Dent and McMichael far ahead of anybody else. So what do the new PFR stat revisions do to it? More than you can imagine. Here is the new top 10.
1. Richard Dent – 124.5
2. Steve McMichael – 92.5
3. Dan Hampton – 82.0
4. Jim Osborne – 81.0
5. Doug Atkins – 64.5
6. Mike Hartenstine – 55.0
7. Ed O’Bradovich – 51.5
8. Alex Brown – 43.5
9. Trace Armstrong – 42.0
Adewale Ogunleye – 42.0
10. Brian Urlacher – 41.5
The differences are pretty stark.
Dan Hampton went from 57 sacks to 82. An enormous jump. However, the biggest beneficiaries of these changes are the men between #4 and #7. Doug Atkins had 64.5 sacks from 1960 until his final year with the team in 1966. Keep in mind he was with the team multiple seasons before that in the late 1950s. So even that stat isn’t telling the entire story. Mike Hartenstine and Jim Osborne are two forgotten studs from the 1970s, beacons of light in an otherwise forgotten era of Chicago Bears football.
Last but not least is Ed O’Bradovich. The man affectionately nicknamed “OB” was a key member of the great 1963 team that won the NFL championship. Yet he never got much credit for how good he was because of Atkins’ presence. Now he is seventh all-time in sacks. A fitting tribute to his excellence.
The history goes even further for the Chicago Bears
There are other newcomers on the list as well. Alan Page, the Hall of Fame defensive tackle is best known for his years with the Minnesota Vikings. Many forget he was actually traded to the Bears and spent three and a half seasons in Chicago. That time wasn’t wasted either as the aging Page still managed to reel off 40 sacks, good enough for 13th in team history. Another beneficiary is Wally Chambers.
Like Hartenstine and Osbourne, he is a forgotten hero from the ’70s era. A three-time Pro Bowler, he now has the numbers to help justify how good he was for about a four-year period. He finished with 37 sacks in his Chicago Bears career. Good for 16th in team history. That included 14 in 1975. This is back when there were only 14 games, mind you.
This is such a great way to help fans better appreciate players from more distant eras. Those who didn’t benefit from the many stat categories modern athletes enjoy today.