Sack machine Schobel turns 100
NFL
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Buffalo defensive end Aaron Schobel ranks second in sacks over the past four years in the NFLand has moved into second place on the Bills all-time sack list. Photo by Patrick McPartland

Aaron Schobel is coming up on a milestone of sorts this week.

When the Buffalo Bills (0-3) welcome their AFC East rival New York Jets (1-2) Sunday, Schobel will play his 100th game in the NFL, marking a career that has propelled the star from Texas Christian University into football's upper echelon.

But passing the century mark won't mean that much to Schobel, the soft-spoken, quarterback crushing defensive end.

"It's just another game," Schobel said after practice Monday. "If you had asked me six years ago how I'd feel to play in my 100th game, I would say that sounds like it's pretty cool. But now that I'm here, it's no big deal."

What is a big deal is the body of work Schobel has put together in his seven years with the team. He's a Pro Bowler and one of the best defensive ends in the NFL.

Schobel, the Bills' second-round pick in the 2001 draft, already ranks second on the team's all-time sack list with 61.5. He's tied with Phil Hanson and trails the great Bruce Smith (171). But he's not just making news in Buffalo. The 2006 Pro Bowl selection ranks second in the league for sacks since 2003 with 46.5. Only 2006 NFLDefensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor (49) has more.

Still, Schobel's name is not regarded as highly as defensive stars like Taylor, San Diego's Shawne Merriman or Dwight Freeney of Indianapolis.

"Yeah, I think (he's overlooked), up until this last season when he made it to the Pro Bowl and started getting a little more recognition," Buffalo's other defensive end Chris Kelsay said. "He's deserving. He plays hard every down. It's more than just a rushing standpoint. He plays the run extremely well, too. I don't know if it's because we're in a small market, being in Buffalo, or just what the deal is, but I think he's been overlooked. He's starting to get some of the credit due, though."

The 6-foot-4, 262-pound Schobel has made his biggest impact in divisional games. Twenty Five of his 61.5 career sacks have come against the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. And he gets more sacks on New England quarterback Tom Brady, the poster boy for the NFL, than anyone else in the league.

Schobel has sacked Brady 11 times in 13 games, including the .5 sack he got in this past Sunday's 38-7 loss in Foxboro. Taylor is second with 8.5 sacks on Brady.

"Obviously, they throw the ball a lot," Schobel explained about his ability to get to Brady. "We take away the first guy he's looking for and we just keep rushing him. The secondary usually does a good job. We know who his first read is, and we take that away. Then you've got time to get him. Sacks, pressures go with coverage. Interceptions go with coverage. It's a team deal."

Schobel is coming off a career year in 2006, in which he finished third in the league with 14 sacks and third on the team with 95 tackles. His 14 sacks ranked fourth on the Bills all-time list, tying him with Smith, who did it in 1992, 1993 and 1997. Combining with his 12 sacks in 2005, Schobel became the first Bill to post back-to-back 10-plus sack seasons since Smith did 10 years ago. Schobel was an alternate on the AFC roster for the 2005 Pro Bowl.

So what makes Schobel so good?

"I think it's his motor," said Kelsay, who has combined with Schobel to make Buffalo's best pass-rushing combo since Smith and Phil Hansen in the 1990s. "He plays hard every down. He can do it all. He plays the run well. He obviously plays the pass well. He's had numerous sacks over the course of his career. He's productive and that's what it comes down to."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com