New York Giants edge rusher Brian Burns achieved a significant milestone on Sunday by sacking Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first quarter.
This sack marked Burns’ eighth of the season, solidifying his place among the elite. He became just the eighth player in NFL history to record 7.5 or more sacks in each of their first six seasons to start their career.
However, this achievement came at a cost. Burns was almost taken out shortly after by the Ravens’ massive offensive tackle Daniel Faalele with a blindside hit.
Brian Burns got absolutely destroyed by Daniel Faalele on that field-reversing scrambled. Looks like he’s OK on the sideline but he never saw that block coming from a 6-8, 380-pounder.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 15, 2024
Despite feeling “beat up a bit” after the game, Burns toughed it out and returned to finish the game. The Pro Bowler admitted that he definitely felt the impact of the hit.
“Yeah, he lined me up. I was focused on Lamar as he was trying to get outside. And yeah, he kind of just blindsided me,” Burns told reporters.
“I feel like if he wanted to probably hit me harder because I wasn’t looking. But still felt it. Yeah. Football.”
The Giants suffered another blow, losing their ninth consecutive game. Burns, who previously played for the Carolina Panthers, understands the feeling of defeat all too well.
During his time with the Panthers, they never reached more than seven wins in a season and experienced double-digit losses every year.
“I don’t know,” Burns responded when asked about the mood in the locker room after the Giants’ 35-14 loss to Baltimore. “It really wasn’t too much talking after this game. Probably get a better feel on Monday.”
Now that Monday has arrived, the outlook doesn’t seem much brighter.
