Through 11 weeks, only Myles Garrett had recorded more sacks than Brian Burns. Fast forward a month later, and the New York Giants' star pass-rusher remains at 13 sacks on the year while Garrett is amid a sack streak that has him in striking distance of breaking the NFL's single-season sack record.
It doesn't help that the Giants are amid an eight-game losing streak after losing to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, but it hurts to see Burns be stifled after approaching an All-Pro trajectory. He hasn't recorded a sack in three games, which saw Bleacher Report name him the biggest loser of the gutting defeat.
Rookie Abdul Carter's breakout game certainly overshadowed the struggles of the 27-year-old, but it's been frustrating to see this defensive line never operating at full capacity. Because once the defensive line has both star EDGE rushers playing at their best, it's wraps for the rest of the league.
Brian Burns is in a massive sack drought after a strong start to the year
To make matters worse, the Florida State product was the one talking about keeping this team united and fighting despite having nothing to play for the rest of the season. And that sort of message would typically be incredibly encouraging, but Burns hasn't been leading by example with his performance.
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Where's that level of resilience been in Burns? Since the team has been eliminated from playoff contention, he has been nowhere to be found on the box score, with his fourth-quarter fumble recovery being the only thing of note he accomplished in the 29-21 Week 15 loss at MetLife Stadium.
Carter looked like a man on a mission on Sunday, yet Burns has certainly started to check out over the last few weeks. It doesn't change the fact he's still one of the most dangerous pass-rushers in the NFL, but you can't be talking the talk about playing with fight if you're not gonna walk the walk.
Burns very well could have finished this season having surpassed Jason Pierre-Paul's 16.5 sacks recorded back in 2011, which would have been by a Giant since then. And while there's still a chance this could still come to fruition, it definitely won't if his actions continue to fail to line up with his words.
On paper, the Giants should have one of the best defensive lines in football, but knowing that their best defender is starting to tail off while their prized first-round pick is finally starting to ascend is a testament to just how clear the disconnect in the locker room is.