How Sheldon Rankins has made the bull rush one of the deadlier elements of Saints' defense

jeanpierre · 11-15-2018, 12:19 AM

BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Nov 14, 2018 - 4:45 pm

It looked like his spin move was going to be the most deadly weapon in Sheldon Rankins' arsenal.

He ripped it out with some frequency earlier in the season, finding success almost every single time he reached for it. It was deadly, but Rankins has been smart about how he uses it. Use it too often, and it loses effectiveness. So, it stays tucked away in case of an emergency.

Besides, it is starting to look like the deadliest weapon in Rankins’ arsenal might be his bull rush. It is deadly. It is overwhelming. It loos unstoppable. For a while, it was a New Orleans’ secret, but there is a growing list of 300-pound men who have been made to look like they were strapped backward to a zip line when going up against Rankins’ bull rush.

“I’ve been trying to tell y’all,” defensive end Cam Jordan said.

Jordan has been doing that. For two years now, he’s been going to bat for his teammate, trying to tell anyone who would listen how well Rankins was playing despite not having a lot of stats. Jordan often talked about how Rankins was setting him up for success and called his teammate the “mastermind of the defensive line” for all the ways he helped the group make adjustments.

All of those details are still true. Rankins takes pride in that aspect of his game, as much as doing things that more directly result in stats and accolades. But he’s now accumulating the numbers, which makes it a lot easier for people to see on the surface how integral the former first-round pick is to the success of the defensive line.

After only notching two sacks last season, Rankins already has five this season, which ranks ninth among interior defensive linemen. He’s just one back from joining the tie for fifth place, where more popular players such as Cincinnati’s Geno Atkins and Buffalo’s Kyle Williams currently reside.

One of the big reasons for that has been Rankins’ bull rush. Seeing him set an offensive lineman up with a stutter step and then drive them into the backfield has become a weekly happening. He drove Bengals guard Clint Boling back several yards and then shed him to drop Andy Dalton for a sack last week, and had a similar sack against the Vikings with center Pat Elflein as the victim.

Rankins had another one that led to Rams quarterback Jared Goff hurrying a screen pass and set up a Vikings guard by flashing one before sidestepping him and going in for another sack. It’s become a problem, mostly because offensive linemen are getting beat with it because they’re trying to protect against Rankins’ other attributes.

“The bull has become my thing because a lot of guys have seen me win in a lot of way with speed, a lot of hand moves, quickness,” Rankins said. “I think a lot of guys back up and try to play the space game and hold on for dear life. But the stutter makes them move their feet, and once I unleash on the bull, I feel like I can win any battle.”

Rankins’ has become someone that Terron Armstead enjoys watching on a weekly basis. The Saints offensive tackle always keeps a close eye on the defense and shares tips when he sees something that might help one of his teammates.

In doing so, he’s come to appreciate all the different things Rankins can do, and also understands why the defensive tackle is a difficult matchup for offensive linemen.

“He’s got a nasty spin. He’s got an arsenal. I love to watch him go to work,” Armstead said. “(The bull rush) comes from him working other moves. If you beat a guy on the edge with hands or a side step, he’s looking for that, his arms are wide open. Hit him in the chest. He’s been doing it.”

One of the other things that has helped Rankins succeed is that he’s moving around the defensive line and rushing from different positions. He bounces back and forth from the left side and the right, and also has taken some snaps over the center. Last year, he was almost exclusively next to Jordan except for a stretch at the end of the season when he had to play defensive end due to injuries.

But more and more Rankins’ signature celebration, a little shimmy dance, is showing up. The biggest question is if it is better than Jordan’s signature “levels” celebration.

“Oh, that shimmy’s sweet,” Jordan said. “I love it. I’m all here for it. The more shimmy I see, the more I want to level up. It’s perfect.”

He's right. There are now more levels to this line.

11-15-2018, 12:19 AM	#2
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: How Sheldon Rankins has made the bull rush one of the deadlier elements of Saints' defense BY NICK UNDERHILL \| nunderhill@theadvocate.com Nov 14, 2018 - 4:45 pm It looked like his spin move was going to be the most deadly weapon in Sheldon Rankins' arsenal. He ripped it out with some frequency earlier in the season, finding success almost every single time he reached for it. It was deadly, but Rankins has been smart about how he uses it. Use it too often, and it loses effectiveness. So, it stays tucked away in case of an emergency. Besides, it is starting to look like the deadliest weapon in Rankins’ arsenal might be his bull rush. It is deadly. It is overwhelming. It loos unstoppable. For a while, it was a New Orleans’ secret, but there is a growing list of 300-pound men who have been made to look like they were strapped backward to a zip line when going up against Rankins’ bull rush. “I’ve been trying to tell y’all,” defensive end Cam Jordan said. Jordan has been doing that. For two years now, he’s been going to bat for his teammate, trying to tell anyone who would listen how well Rankins was playing despite not having a lot of stats. Jordan often talked about how Rankins was setting him up for success and called his teammate the “mastermind of the defensive line” for all the ways he helped the group make adjustments. All of those details are still true. Rankins takes pride in that aspect of his game, as much as doing things that more directly result in stats and accolades. But he’s now accumulating the numbers, which makes it a lot easier for people to see on the surface how integral the former first-round pick is to the success of the defensive line. After only notching two sacks last season, Rankins already has five this season, which ranks ninth among interior defensive linemen. He’s just one back from joining the tie for fifth place, where more popular players such as Cincinnati’s Geno Atkins and Buffalo’s Kyle Williams currently reside. One of the big reasons for that has been Rankins’ bull rush. Seeing him set an offensive lineman up with a stutter step and then drive them into the backfield has become a weekly happening. He drove Bengals guard Clint Boling back several yards and then shed him to drop Andy Dalton for a sack last week, and had a similar sack against the Vikings with center Pat Elflein as the victim. Rankins had another one that led to Rams quarterback Jared Goff hurrying a screen pass and set up a Vikings guard by flashing one before sidestepping him and going in for another sack. It’s become a problem, mostly because offensive linemen are getting beat with it because they’re trying to protect against Rankins’ other attributes. “The bull has become my thing because a lot of guys have seen me win in a lot of way with speed, a lot of hand moves, quickness,” Rankins said. “I think a lot of guys back up and try to play the space game and hold on for dear life. But the stutter makes them move their feet, and once I unleash on the bull, I feel like I can win any battle.” Rankins’ has become someone that Terron Armstead enjoys watching on a weekly basis. The Saints offensive tackle always keeps a close eye on the defense and shares tips when he sees something that might help one of his teammates. In doing so, he’s come to appreciate all the different things Rankins can do, and also understands why the defensive tackle is a difficult matchup for offensive linemen. “He’s got a nasty spin. He’s got an arsenal. I love to watch him go to work,” Armstead said. “(The bull rush) comes from him working other moves. If you beat a guy on the edge with hands or a side step, he’s looking for that, his arms are wide open. Hit him in the chest. He’s been doing it.” One of the other things that has helped Rankins succeed is that he’s moving around the defensive line and rushing from different positions. He bounces back and forth from the left side and the right, and also has taken some snaps over the center. Last year, he was almost exclusively next to Jordan except for a stretch at the end of the season when he had to play defensive end due to injuries. But more and more Rankins’ signature celebration, a little shimmy dance, is showing up. The biggest question is if it is better than Jordan’s signature “levels” celebration. “Oh, that shimmy’s sweet,” Jordan said. “I love it. I’m all here for it. The more shimmy I see, the more I want to level up. It’s perfect.” He's right. There are now more levels to this line. SmashMouth and 73Saint like this.
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