Vic Beasley finishes the season with the NFL lead in sacks

Vic Beasley just turned in a truly astonishing 2016 season, putting up 15.5 sacks in his sophomore campaign after getting just four in his rookie year. That total is just one away from John Abraham’s franchise best of 16.5 sacks, and it’s good enough to lead the NFL this year.

Beasley was in a fierce competition with Broncos great Von Miller, but he finished the year with the uncontested lead. His sack of Drew Brees, which you can see the image above, ensured that, and was a satisfying note in a game that got a little grim toward the end. He suffered a shoulder injury in the game, but I see no reason to believe he won’t be ready for the team’s game after the bye.

I’m not sure that Beasley is going to get the defensive player of the year award he’s certainly in the running for, but as is the case with Matt Ryan and the MVP, whether he gets the award or not matters little. He did tremendous work this season, frequently coming up with impressive, athletic sacks that killed drives, and he got better as the season went on. The sky is truly the limit for Beasley, and I’m so glad we can swiftly retire the ridiculous “bust” talk that dogged him after just one season in the NFL.

Congratulations to Vic Beasley, and may this merely be the first in a string of great seasons that make up a great career.