DL Dante Stills continues to play in Cardinals defense.

With six games remaining in the Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 season, it might be a surprise to find out who the team’s leader in sacks is.

That would be sophomore defensive end Dante Stills, who has 4.5 on 31.5 yards loss, half a sack ahead of edge rusher Zaven Collins, who has 4.0.

The Cardinals have 29 players on the team, and despite persistent rumors that the team has the worst pass-rushing group in the NFL, the reality is that they rank 14th in the league in sacks per pass.

A sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft, Stills continues to show growth and make his presence felt whenever he’s on the field. In the D-line rotation, Stills played at least 53 percent of the snaps in seven of the 10 games he played. He hasn’t been below 53 since the Week 5 game against the 49ers, when he was 42 percent.

Stills also collected 30 tackles, 13 solo and four to go, along with five quarterback hits, one forced fumble and a pass breakup.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis used the word “consistent” several times when talking about Stills this week.

“He makes a lot of plays and wins a lot of one-on-one matches,” Gannon said. “He took a step forward in his consistency of doing the right things and playing with the right technique, and it was that consistency that allowed his physical skills to come to life. If your first step is wrong, the first line player usually wins the down. When your first step is right, its explosiveness, its power and its strength can now emerge.

“If you let this guy hit you first, now you’re going to have to counterattack. He hits people first, so I think it’s the consistency of the right moves and his technique that allows him to play and win some one-on-one matches. His game has really improved from when he got here last year, through the offseason, to now. He’s a guy who’s constantly improving, so that’s good. He’s a good player. He makes plays for us.”

Stills said, “The first year I was new to it. Game speed, scenario. But I prepare a lot better, watch films, textbooks and all that.”

Rallis said Stills’ success in attacking the passer comes from preparation, aided by line coach Derrick LeBlanc and outside linebackers coach Rob Rodriguez.

“He has a plan in his head that is about preparing each week, who am I up against?” – Rallis said. “What do I think my skill set will do for my opponent? Rob and Derrick are great at handling urgent meetings in terms of what they do. This is their staff. And here are some tools you can use to combat this. But ultimately, I don’t want to force guys to rush a certain way. So Dante is really good at knowing what his plan is going to be in the game and putting it into action.”

Rallis said the magic C word when asked how his overall progress has happened: “Consistency. That’s what I’ve been telling him since he got here because he’s going to have some really good games from day one. he just played at a higher level and more consistently.”

Returning to the importance of “preparing during the week,” Rallis added, “Whether it’s the times we structure time, meetings and practice, you see a very intentional focus on what he’s trying to do. In fact, the entire room is D-line. But it’s actually the work he does outside of structured time, so you know that preparation will lead to better results.”

Stills likes the guidance he receives from Rallis and his coaches.

“Every day he talks to me about my tablet level, consistency, just to get me focused every day. Hard coaching. I’m very hard on myself, probably more than anyone else in the building, because I know what kind of player I can be. I definitely appreciate the coaches taking the time to help me.”

Finally, Rallis explained why it can be difficult for players to maintain consistency in every game since there are professionals on the other side of the ball and there will simply be times when the opponent will win the battle.

“This is football,” he said. “But there are many factors that go into this, starting with the brain, your ability to concentrate, to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the process. This is your endurance. When you get tired, technique, task and focus seem to disappear. There are several factors that play into this over the course of a long game and then over the course of a long NFL season.

“But I think the guys are taking really good care of their five buckets, like JG says. As you take care of your health and maximize your recovery, fuel your body properly; you get enough sleep and continue to learn the scheme, improve your technique, and you will see more consistent play.”

Stills concluded by saying, “My first year I thought I was probably screwing up too much, but now it’s always a next game mentality.”

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