Broncos' pass rushers have 2nd hardest job on team

ENGLEWOOD - On average this season, NFL teams attempt 32.9 passes per game. If a defensive lineman sacks the quarterback once per game — a little more than 3 percent of the time — he’ll retire not only as a multimillionaire but also as a legend.

“Rushing the quarterback is the second-hardest thing to do in football, other than being a quarterback,” Denver Broncos defensive line coach Bill Johnson said.

Getting a sack is one of the rarest feats in the NFL. Only 18 players had 10 or more sacks last year, and that’s about one every six quarters. In each of the past five years only one player has reached 16 sacks in a 16-game season. Hall-of-Famer Reggie White got 0.85 sacks per game, which is a record among those who played at least 50 games.

Over the past six seasons only two Broncos have reached 10 sacks. The year after reaching double-digit sacks for Denver, Bertrand Berry and Reggie Hayward each signed five-year, $25 million contracts with Arizona and Jacksonville, respectively.

“That’s why they get paid a lot, because it’s hard,” Broncos rookie Tim Crowder said about top pass rushers.

Great pass rushers are rare and valuable, which is why they’re coveted in the draft. This April, there were two quarterbacks and two running backs drafted in the first round. Five defensive ends were picked in the first round, including Jarvis Moss by the Broncos.

Many things can conspire against a pass rusher getting a sack. Set up the offensive tackle, execute a great move, get a clear lane and watch the quarterback get rid of the ball to avoid the sack. With some of the game’s best athletes playing defensive end, teams have adjusted. Many offenses are based on short quarterback drops and quick pass patterns.

“You don’t even have to have an offensive line and you can’t get to him,” Johnson said.

End Elvis Dumervil leads the Broncos with eight sacks. Yet, he said he came up empty in some of his best performances this year, including a sackless day against the Colts.

“I was back there numerous times,” Dumervil said. “But Peyton Manning is a great quarterback and got it out of there.”

And teams can plan to stop a great pass rusher, keeping a tight end or running back in to help protect the quarterback. Also, if cornerbacks are getting beat often, the quarterback won’t hold the ball as long. Dumervil said the credit for every sack should be spread around.

“It’s an overall effort,” Dumervil said. “Everybody has their finger in the pie.”

Once a defensive lineman gets to the quarterback, he still has to tackle him. Both quarterbacks in the next game, Tennessee’s Vince Young and Denver’s Jay Cutler, are listed at 233 pounds.

Getting pressure on the quarterback without bringing him down can have a big impact on a game, but try selling that to a frustrated lineman.

“You have to be patient,” said Crowder, who got two sacks against Kansas City. “It took until Week 9 to get my first, and it was killing me.”

With so many obstacles in the way of getting a sack, it’s no wonder players usually celebrate when they get one.

“To get a sack in this league, you’ve done something,” Johnson said.

Injury report

Safety John Lynch, who has missed two games because of a pinched nerve in his neck, went through practice Thursday, and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said he should be ready to play Monday.

Running back Travis Henry was limited because of a left knee injury and looked “fairly good,” Shanahan said. Henry will be in Arizona today to appeal an impending one-year suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy.

“It ain’t a tough week, it’s a good week,” Henry said, before cutting off further questions and leaving his locker. “It’s been going on for so long, I’m ready to know what’s going to happen.”