Kayvon Thibodeaux continued his breakout campaign Monday night. The second-year outside linebacker picked up a half-sack to go with eight total tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble, which Xavier McKinney recovered for the team’s first turnover of the game. It marked the second consecutive game in which Thibodeaux forced a fumble.
“I’ve said this before, I’ve got a high amount of respect for Kayvon, glad we have him. He’s made progress since the day he walked in this door. He’s got good leadership traits about him, he’s a talented player, he loves the game of football, he’s a great teammate. I’m glad we have him. He’s really made a lot of progress and he always strives for more. He’s done a nice job for us.”
Thibodeaux is now up to 11.5 sacks on the season, the ninth-most in the NFL. He has at least a half-sack in eight of the last 11 games, including each of the last three, and has already topped his rookie-season marks with three forced fumbles, 12 tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits.
“We’ve talked about it before, and I’ve thought about it even more. I said that the guy has no ceiling,” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Thursday. “You remember me saying that before. The reason why he doesn’t have a ceiling is because he doesn’t allow himself to have a ceiling. He’s in here working every day. He and (Outside Linebackers Coach) Drew (Wilkins) are in there watching tape from everything from A to Z because that’s what he does. He’s dropping in coverage, and they handle all that. So, I can’t say enough about his work ethic, and he has that knack.
“To me, he’s a finisher at the football, whether it’s a sack, a strip sack, or the play you saw on Monday night when we had (Packers quarterback Jordan) Love held up and he dug the ball out. He’s leading the defense. I mean, he’s a vocal leader out there. Like I already said, it’s crazy, because the guy is only 22 years old. He’s becoming that football savant in the NFL where he sees things before they happen. He knows what’s coming. That’s a testament to, like I said, he and Drew Wilkins, and how hard they study the game. It’s fun to watch.”
The Saints have allowed 28 sacks this year, tied for the ninth-fewest in the league. After getting sacked 11 times in the first three weeks of the season, Saints quarterback Derek Carr has not been sacked more than twice in a game in the last 10 contests.
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