Robert Quinn, The Deacon Jones Award, And It’s Importance For The Defensive Player Of The Year

Earlier today, we posted our St. Louis Rams Christmas wishlist, consisting of finishing .500, potentially snagging the N0.1 overall pick, and one individual player bringing home a bounty of awards this offseason. That player, of course, is Robert Quinn. Last weekend, the third-year defensive end broke the single-season sack record for the St. Louis Rams, taking down Bucs’ quarterback, Mike Glennon, three times to finish out the day. However, it also potentially set the young stud up for much, much more…

With his second sack of the game, Robert Quinn passed Colts’ linebacker, Robert Mathis, in the race for the 2013 sack leader. As most in Rams Nation know, the leader of that statistical category at the end of the season will take home the first annual Deacon Jones Award. Currently, Quinn is holding the lead with 18 sacks on the season, while Mathis (courtesy of some post-game statistical modifications) is still at 17.5 on the year. Next week, Indianapolis will face-off against the Jackonville Jaguars, who are currently ranked 17th ranked in pass blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Robert Quinn and the St. Louis Rams will take on the Seahawks, in Seattle.

However, despite their reputation as the best team in the NFL, their pass blocking this season has been sub-par, currently ranked 24th in the league after playing a majority of the season without their two starting offensive tackles. The return of left tackle, Russell Okung, would seem to be a massive help. Yet, in the last two games, Wilson has been sacked an abnormally-high eight times. Moreover, Okung ended the game early last Sunday with a toe injury… the same injury that sent him to the IR earlier in the season.

Regardless of who is in the game on Sunday for Seattle, Quinn will likely need to wrangle up at least one more sack to claim the Deacon Jones Award at the end of the season. Lucky for him, he has never started a game against the Seattle Seahawks and left without a sack, having recorded 5.0 dating back to the start of 2012.

For those supporters hoping that Robert Quinn can also be the first St. Louis defender to take home the Defensive Player of the Year, winning the Deacon Jones is likely the first step. Being in a small market… on a non-playoff team… and not playing on an undisputable Top 10 defensive are all marks against Quinn at this point. However, breaking teams records and winning individual awards are the easiest way to overcome those “shortcomings,” and it will all start with his final performance on Sunday.