After recording a career-high 13.5 sacks in 2015, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap is setting his sites on a far greater prize.
The next task at hand for Dunlap is his plan to break the single-season 22.5 sack record, set by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan in 2001.
“Along with the team goals, you’ve got to have your personal goals that will help you obtain the team goal,” Dunlap said per Coley Harvey of ESPN. “My personal goals is to get that sack title at the end of the season, one, and then two, to get Strahan’s record.”
The magic number for Dunlap to achieve in 2015 would be 23 sacks which equates to an average of 1.44 quarterback sacks per game.
Dunlaps’s 13.5 sacks from 2015 did at least earn him a Pro Bowl selection and Week 15 AFC Special Teams honors.
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Though, he fell short of Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt for the league lead, which was 17.5 sacks in 2015.
It’s always great to have a goal, and Dunlap wouldn’t mind passing up a few other NFL greats in this category while he sets to beat out Strahan.
“I look at the big one and I work for the big one and hopefully catch a couple of them along the way,” Dunlap said.
This would include fellow pass rusher Justin Houston of the Kansas City Chiefs, who recorded 22 sacks in 2014.
As it stands, Dunlap at least owns the record for the most sacks for the Bengals. Per Harvey, Dunlap’s 13.5 sacks from 2015 bettered Eddie Edwards who recorded 13 sacks in 1983.
Dunlap’s goal is lofty, and he likely has other competition besides Houston and Watt who wouldn’t mind dethroning Strahan.