Alabama Football Film Room: The Sacks of Jonathan Allen, Part 2

Jonathan Allen leaves Alabama with 28 career sacks, the most by any player not named Derrick Thomas in school history. And in just a few months, he’ll hear his name called early on in the NFL draft. He could’ve gone pro after his junior campaign; but he came back, improved his stock, and gave Crimson Tide opponents many more headaches.

To conclude Wednesday’s piece, here’s the second round of quarterbacks Jonathan Allen laid waste to this past year.

Texas A&M

3rd and 14: Allen is at the 3 tech spot on the right, with Tim Williams standing up to his right. Allen beats the left guard, who spins around and can only watch the ensuing destruction, with almost lazy easiness. He steps first with his inside foot and swims past him. That first line of defense beaten, Allen moves on the running back. The back dives to cut Allen down; but Allen, donning his Superman cape, takes to the air. He leaps and smashes into QB Trevor Knight, taking him down for the 8 yard sack.

How about another angle?

LSU

2nd and 15: Allen is the right defensive end here. QB Danny Etling is in shotgun with four wide and Fournette on his right hip. Allen bullrushes the left tackle, getting his hands inside and driving him back. Dalvin Tomlinson has beaten his man and is in Etling’s face. Allen shoves the tackle flat on his back and grabs ahold of Etling, who had nowhere to go.

Florida

2nd and 10: Allen is inside with Rashaan Evans to his right and Tomlinson to his left. Tim Williams is standing up on the left as well. The left guard reaches out, but Allen wipes his arms away and blows past to the right, leaving him an unobstructed path to QB Austin Appleby. Williams has beaten the right tackle and is coming up from behind. Appleby has nowhere to go but down to the ground.

3rd and 18: Allen lines up in the same spot as the last play, but Evans and Williams flip sides. Allen slices into the A gap, but both guards pick up his rush. He keeps fighting, however, and never takes his eyes off the prize. Evans, rushing from the left, busts out a pretty spin move to get by the right tackle; and this pressure forces Appleby to move to his right. Allen has kept churning, though, and now has Appleby moving straight in his path. All brings him down.

Washington

2nd and 8: Washington goes with an empty backfield. Allen’s over the left guard. He explodes out of his stance; and, I feel like a broken record here, he gets his arms inside the guard’s and keeps him at a distance. Allen doesn’t do anything fancy on this; he just wins. Allen swipes away the lineman’s arms and moves around his outside shoulder, leaving the guard stumbling in his wake. QB Jake Browning tries to scramble forward, but it’s too late. Allen gets his sack.

Clemson

1st and 10: This play came up in my Da’Ron Payne breakdown. Allen is on the end with Payne to his left, and it’s really Payne who does heavy lifting here. Allen hasn’t even made contact with the left tackle by the time Payne is past the guard. Allen does help clean it up and gets half a sack.

1st and 10: Payne is the right defensive end. QB Deshaun Watson is alone in the backfield with five wide. Ryan Anderson is covering the slot receiver to the right before he creeps in closer to the line of scrimmage. Rashaan Evans is shaded to the right as well; and he blitzes, streaking through the A gap unaccounted for. The left guard tries to cut block Allen, but he keeps his footing and, along with Ryan Anderson, joins in the gang tackle.