Defensive Line All-Stars: A look back at Week 3's standout defenders

It was a strange week in the NFL, but despite the surprising outcomes, the games were filled with superb defensive-line play.

Some made their presence felt defending the pass, others shut down the run, and a select few were able to make a discernable impact against both.

Below, we'll highlight the most impressive defensive linemen from Week 3:

Defensive Lineman of the Week: J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

We tried to tell you Watt was ripe to return to his old form against the New York Giants, and that's exactly what he did to the tune of three sacks, four quarterback hits, four tackles, and a fumble forced.

Aligning across from Giants right tackle Chad Wheeler, who replaced a benched Ereck Flowers, Watt was able to do whatever he wanted. Wheeler had no answer for the speed and powerful hands around the edge as the hulking defensive end made a living in the Giants' backfield all night.

As a pass-rusher, Watt's get-off, lower-body pliability, well-timed hands, and closing speed are a lot to handle for even the best offensive linemen; Wheeler stood no chance:

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 lbs, Watt's movement looks like an optical illusion - people that big aren't supposed to be that fast.

Rushing off the left edge against Wheeler, Watt looks like he's shot out of a cannon as he times the snap count well. Within three steps, he has already beaten Wheeler to the edge, forcing the right tackle to turn and try to run Watt beyond the quarterback. Watt uses one of his favorite moves, the speed-rip, to defeat Wheeler's hands on his way to Eli Manning for the sack.

Against the run, Watt was able to win cleanly and knife his way into the backfield on multiple occasions. This play is a great illustration:

Here, Watt uses a quick arm-over move to take advantage of Wheeler trying to cross his face on the zone. As Wheeler steps to reach Watt, the Wisconsin product uses his opponent's lateral momentum against him, giving himself the ability to backdoor the block and sprint into the backfield for the tackle.

What's the best remedy for a guy without a sack since Week 2 of the 2016 season? Play against the Giants' offensive line, of course.

It wasn't against the highest level of competition and it may have been in a losing effort, but it was great to see Watt show he's still got a lot in the tank after multiple recent injuries.

Pass Rush of the Week: Dee Ford/Justin Houston/Allen Bailey, Kansas City Chiefs

This week's Pass Rush of the Week has a trio of Chiefs defenders meeting at the quarterback for a sack:

It's a good old-fashioned race to the quarterback in Kansas City, as Ford and Bailey split the sack an instant before Houston also arrives.

Starting with Ford, the Auburn product is aligned on the outside edge of Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley. Ford times the snap perfectly, which, when combined with his electric get-off, allows him to beat Staley around the edge in four steps. As Staley works feverishly to recover, Ford subtly reduces his blockable surface area by slightly dipping his inside shoulder right as they make contact, allowing Ford to absorb the contact without diverting his path to the quarterback.

From there, Ford's physical gifts take over as he continues wrapping around the edge for the (half) sack.

Bailey is aligned over the 49ers' right guard, and the Miami product uses pure power to walk the guard back into the quarterback's lap. When the ball is snapped, Bailey fires out low with perfect pad level and inside hands, allowing him to maximize his power output on the right guard. Once he has the guard on skates, Bailey does well to churn his feet and get his eyes on the quarterback.

While most defensive tackles would choose to shed the block to get in on the sack, Bailey decides to just bully the guard into 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Even though he doesn't get credit for the sack, Houston employs a beautiful stutter-step to outside-arm-over move to quickly defeat the 49ers' right tackle's block.

Defenses often have a hard time getting just one player to generate pressure on the quarterback, but on this play, the Chiefs had three. It was an excellent display of speed, power, and technique from the Chiefs' trio of pass-rushers.

Run Defender of the Week: Larry Ogunjobi, Cleveland Browns

It's been a long time coming for Ogunjobi, who has made a discernible impact in every game this season for the Browns.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 lbs, Ogunjobi is a well-built defensive tackle who plays with good pad level, active hands, and surprising lateral quickness. Against the New York Jets, Ogunjobi was at his best, finishing Thursday's game with eight combined tackles, three stops, and two hurries.

While Ogunjobi made an impact rushing the passer, he made the most noise when defending the run, against which he showed off his impressive strength and awareness. This play is an excellent example:

Ogunjobi is shaded between the center and right guard as the nose tackle. With the Jets running an inside-zone concept, Ogunjobi has to initially eat a double-team. He does well to dig in his feet and hold his ground at the point-of-attack against the double-team, using leverage and impressive lower-body strength.

Once the right guard leaves him to block a second-level defender, Ogunjobi does an excellent job of using his length to create the necessary space he needs to shed the block. Once he has the blocker on his heels, Ogunjobi quickly tosses him aside and makes the diving tackle at the line of scrimmage.

Playing on a defensive line with Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah (when healthy), Ogunjobi has stood out, leading the team in stops (10), per Pro Football Focus.

Through the first three weeks of the season, the Browns' defense has been one of the better units in the entire NFL, which just so happens to coincide with Ogunjobi's emergence.

Coincidence? Not likely.

In The Spotlight: Jonathan Allen, Washington Redskins

It's not often a former first-round pick gets overlooked, but that's exactly what's happened to Allen, who missed most of last season with a Lisfranc injury.

Now healthy, and better than ever, Allen has been a monster for Washington up front, using well-timed hands and immense strength to bully and bludgeon opposing offensive linemen.

Against the Green Bay Packers, Allen was a thorn in Aaron Rodgers' side, accumulating two sacks, three quarterback hits, and three tackles.

While he's not the most athletically gifted defensive lineman in the league, Allen does possess uncanny timing and a deep repertoire of moves to pull from to defeat the block. This play demonstrates that:

Here, Allen is shaded between the Packers' left guard and tackle. After the ball is snapped, Allen reads the pass set of the left guard to determine the play is a pass despite Rodgers' play-action fake. Once he identifies the pass, Allen bursts upfield toward the midline of the right guard before executing an inside jab and expanding his rush toward the left guard's outside edge.

As the right guard punches, Allen performs a perfectly timed club-rip move to defeat the punch and begin his path to the quarterback. Free of the block, Allen does an excellent job of staying disciplined by tracking Rodgers' inside hip, which allows him to easily adjust to the quarterback's path as he steps up in the pocket, resulting in a sack.

He's not going to wow fans with impressive feats of athleticism or raw power, but he can embarrass blockers with impeccable timing and technique. Underrated but playing like an All-Pro, Allen will almost certainly receive his first Pro Bowl invite if he continues to play as he has through these first three weeks.

John Owning is a football writer at theScore. He has written for Bleacher Report and Football Insiders. He was also the lead NFL content editor at FanRag Sports. John provides analysis on the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and edits for The Quant Edge. Find him on Twitter @JohnOwning.

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