What determines a sack?

They kept saying TJ didn't record a sack, but I distinctly remember him burying Fields on a fake. Is it because he never got into a passing position that they just called it a tackle for loss?

QBs always pull a fake handoff and roll out for a pass completion.

 

I was wondering this.

It seems a sack only officially counts within the pocket or “without clear intent”, or if the QB goes out of bounds behind the los.

 

He should have had the record against Tyler Huntley and the Ravens. The Ravens were clearly in a passing situation when Huntley bobbled the low snap and was tackled for a loss by TJ.

 

If it’s the play I am thinking of, he did bury Fields, but he had handed the ball off.

 

See page 16

I was unable to cut and paste

https://www.nflgsis.com/gsis/documentation/stadiumguides/guide_for_statisticians.pdf

 

He handed off the ball before he was hit. It was such a quick play I thought it was a clean sack

https://www.steelers.com/video/highlight-watt-slams-fields

 

If your last name is Garrett, it's a sack. If it's Watt, just a tackle for a loss. Gotta pad the stats to get DPOY.

 

Another words, when they want to call it one.

 

He actually had a different one. That wasn't called a sack.
It was called a tackle for a loss. It wouldn't have been called a tackle for a loss if he didn't have the ball.

 

They must have decided he was a runner.

I think players have some opportunity to appeal.

Remember when TJ broke the sack record, but it was on an aborted play so it didn't count as a sack?

Yet somehow Favre giving one to Strahan is OK.