Getty Sebastian Joseph-Day pummels David Montgomery during the Rams' season opening victory on September 12.
Sebastian Joseph-Day has dished out punishment in the trenches through five games, bashing on opposing centers and racking up the tackles from his nose tackle spot for the Los Angeles Rams.
For his efforts, he is a current league leader in two stats.
According to ESPN Stats, he’s the only interior defensive lineman with 30 combined tackles as of Week 5 — making him the league leader in the tackles category among nose tackles and defensive tackles.
He’s the NFL leader in one more category: Solo stops. “Bash” sits at 19 there which makes him tops among defenders at his position.
Not only is he the leading nose tackle through five games in tackles, but he’s also on pace for a career year — especially during a contract year.
Joseph-Day’s Current Deal
In 2018, the former Rutgers Scarlet Knight signed a four-year deal. Per Over the Cap, the sixth-rounder (No. 195 overall) was set to have a base salary of $480,000.
His numbers have gone up…so has his contract value.
As of Week 5, Joseph has snatched 8-9 total tackles in three of the first five games. He’s also produced 2.0 sacks, matching his career-best mark from 2019. Lastly, he’s one quarterback hit away from matching his season-best from the ’19 season (five) and he’s already averaging more solo stops (3.8) than the 2.18 he averaged in 16 games last season.
“Bash” is putting together these numbers before being listed as an unrestricted free agent in 2022, with Spotrac revealing he has a base salary of $2,183,000.
What ‘Bash’ is on Pace Toward
One year ago, Joseph-Day didn’t have a single game of tallying up eight tackles or higher. Same with the 2019 season.
Now, his current statistical trajectory has him on pace for the following numbers:
- Tackles: With Joseph-Day averaging six per game, he’ll reach 102 total tackles and 64 solo stops at this trend. All as a nose tackle.
- Stops For Loss: “Bash,” in a 17-game schedule, is capable of reaching six TFL’s by season’s end, another career-high.
- Sacks: Joseph-Day can reach 6.0 sacks by 2021’s end, the last career-best mark during this current pace.
Joseph-Day has been on the field on 244 defensive plays according to Pro Football Focus. He’s manned the “A” and “B” gaps the most — lining up on 97 and 107 plays there respectively.
‘Bash’ on Film Shows Line of Scrimmage Dominance
For a natural nose tackle to have tackle numbers that high, it’s simply never done on accident.
It’s accomplished by bringing four quarters of aggression and upper body violence.
Here against Super Bowl-winning center Ryan Jensen, Joseph-Day engages with an extension from both arms inside Jensen’s shoulders. Joseph-Day is briefly driven back, but “Bash” responds by ripping away from Jensen’s uniform and tussles down Leonard Fournette:
Sebastian Joseph-Day is playing excellent football this year
@SJD_51
watch him in zero tech fight off center’s block and make tackle with authority
Another sample: Joseph-Day is aligned to the right of the Arizona Cardinals’ offense between the center and guard, better known as the “A” gap. Joseph-Day draws the double team momentarily. But Aaron Donald makes this stop happen off of his trench pressure. Donald’s penetration forces Kyler Murray to take off running up the middle.
However, SJD sheds past the right guard Max Garcia and gets the double whammy on the Cards’ QB:
#FFIDP From Week 4
One of the advantages of playing alongside Aaron Donald…Sebastian Joseph-Day gets the sack due to the pressure caused by AD…SJD was waiting in the wings…
One more example: Aligned to the left side of the Chicago Bears’ “A” gap, Joseph-Day goes with the flow of the play moving to the Bears’ left. Joseph-Day fires off with both hands first.
But what makes this play happen?
Joseph-Day is strong enough to keep 6-foot-2, 332-pound center Sam Mustipher away from him by using just a left-arm extension. He then uses an arm-over maneuver (or swim move) to break off from his grip and plow into Chicago running back David Montgomery.
Sebastian Joseph-Day is such a useful player for how the Rams like to play up front.
Finally, in the huge first quarter 4th down stop against Seattle on Thursday, October 7, Joseph-Day takes on the right guard Gabe Jackson — who is another with a 330-plus pound frame — and is powerful enough to squeeze this running lane by pushing the Seahawk toward the ball carrier Alex Collins:
Aaron Donald will get props for fighting pressure with pressure but Sebastian Joseph-Day worked the center
Joseph-Day has brought a field version of “Dine-N-Bash” to the Rams’ defensive line in 2021. He could be a Pro Bowler, a rich man by March 2022, or both.