Defensive Line All-Stars: A look back at Week 5's standout defenders

It was another fruitful week filled with sacks, stuffs, quarterback hits, and reverse pancakes for those of us addicted to defensive-line play.

There were a ton of impressive performances to choose from, but a few stood out from the crowd. Here's a look at the standout defensive linemen from Week 5 in the NFL.

Defensive Lineman of the Week: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

While this distinction would have gone to Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins or Arizona Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones almost any other week, it was impossible to not give Steelers OLB Watt the honor.

Finishing with three sacks, five tackles, and seven stops, per Pro Football Focus, Watt was an absolute terror against the Atlanta Falcons. The second-year pro generated a ton of pressure while providing great run defense as well.

Whether it was against the run or pass, the Falcons had no answer for Watt's speed off the edge, as the former first-round pick used his upfield burst and impressive flexibility to routinely win off the edge. This play is a great illustration of Watt using his speed against the run:

Here, Watt is lined up on the outside edge of Falcons right tackle Ryan Schraeder. Once the ball is snapped, Watt explodes upfield out of stance, forcing Schraeder to adjust his block on the zone concept. The adjustment didn't matter, as Watt executed a perfectly-timed dip to reduce his blockable surface area and avoid Schraeder's block. This allows Watt to get into the backfield and make the tackle for loss before the play really gets started.

When Watt was forced to rush the passer, the Falcons still had issues with his speed off the edge:

On this play, Watt is once again aligned on Schraeder's outside edge. Even though Watt false steps out of his stance, he is able to stress Schraeder's set by attacking from a wide angle, which forces the tackle to turn his shoulder perpendicular to the line of scrimmage prematurely.

From there, Watt uses a crafty head fake to give himself the necessary space to utilize his dip-and-rip move. Because of the timing of the move, Schraeder is unable to latch onto Watt's pads and prevent him from flattening to the quarterback for the sack. This results in a sack and forced fumble, and L.J. Fort recovers the loose ball in the end zone.

For the Steelers' defense to be effective, it needs to be able to generate pressure on opposing passers. The team lacks the talent and scheme to hold up in coverage without an effective pass rush up front. It's not a coincidence that Pittsburgh held one of the most potent offenses in football to just 17 points in a game during which the pass rush finally held up its end of the bargain.

If Watt can continue to play at this kind of level, the Steelers' defense will look a whole lot better moving forward.

Pass Rush of the Week: Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals

To anyone who has been paying attention, Atkins has been one of the best defenders in football through five weeks. He has routinely battered and bludgeoned opposing offensive lines with his well-placed and timed hands, raw strength, and underrated footwork.

His fourth-quarter sack against the Miami Dolphins was a great example of how he's been so effective and productive this season:

Here, Atkins is aligned on the outside edge of Dolphins left guard Ted Larsen. After the ball is snapped, Atkins feints an outside rush with his feet while looking to latch with his hands. But after his second step, he starts to cross Larsen's face while latching onto his inside shoulder with his left hand.

Atkins uses a perfectly-executed arm-over move to beat Larsen inside and does an excellent job maintaining his balance and getting his hips turned toward the quarterback, which allows him to pursue and sack Ryan Tannehill.

Atkins has been dominant thus far this season, and there may not be an offensive lineman in the NFL who can stop him consistently.

Run Defender of the Week: Jurrell Casey, Tennessee Titans

This might as well be renamed the "Jurrell Casey Award," as the Titans defender was once again a monster against the run this week, finishing with six total tackles and five stops, per Pro Football Focus.

The Titans lost to the lowly Buffalo Bills thanks to a poor outing from the offense, but Casey played one of his best games in recent memory. While his strength and ability to eat double teams is usually what allows him to be effective, his quickness put him in position to make a few plays against Buffalo. Here's an example:

On this play, Casey is aligned to the left guard's outside shade. After the ball is snapped, Casey reads his "pressure key" and quickly identifies the combination block between the left tackle and left guard coming his way.

After stepping down as if he is going to engage the double team, Casey quickly expands to the outside while employing a violent club-rip technique - tossing the tackle to the ground - to take advantage of his opponent's momentum moving inside. This frees Casey to pursue and tackle the running back behind the line of scrimmage.

A man that size isn't supposed to be able to react and move that quickly, yet Casey makes it look easy here. When you combine his surprising athleticism with his inhuman strength, you get one of the best run defenders in football.

In the Spotlight: Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles

Despite finishing near the top in total pressures throughout the last handful of seasons, Eagles defensive end Graham is still somehow mostly underrated.

This week, Graham put together a memorable performance in a losing effort against the Minnesota Vikings, finishing with seven total pressures, two quarterback hits, two tackles, and a sack, per Pro Football Focus.

Playing alongside perhaps the best defensive line in football, Graham is the most talented and effective of the bunch outside of Fletcher Cox, who is a top-three interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 252 lbs, Graham isn't the biggest edge defender, but he uses his natural leverage advantage to be effective against the run while his blazing speed does the trick against the pass.

Graham's sack was a great example of his speed and violent hands when rushing the passer:

Here, Graham is aligned with an outside shade over the tight end. Once the ball is snapped, he attacks vertically while getting his hips slightly turned toward the quarterback. This exposes his chest to Minnesota right tackle Rashod Hill - but it's a trap!

Once the right tackle looks to make contact, Graham employs a quick and effective two-hand swipe to defeat Hill's hands and shorten the edge. From there, Graham's hip, knee, and ankle flexibility allow him to wrap around the corner with minimal steps and flatten to the quarterback for the sack.

He's yet to have a double-digit sack season in his career, but Graham is truly one of the best edge defenders in the NFL, as he routinely generates pressure on the quarterback while providing solid run defense.

It's time for the 30-year-old to get the recognition he truly deserves.

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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