Ex-Cal Star Cameron Jordan Keeps NFL Starting Streak Alive on Monday
Former Cal star Cameron Jordan did not have as much impact as expected Monday night, but his mere presence in the game was noteworthy.
The New Orleans Saints defensive end made his 131st consecutive regular-season start in Monday's 34-24 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, and that is the third-longest active streak among non-specialists. Only Philip Rivers and Ndamukong Suh have longer runs of consecutive starts.
Furthermore, Jordan, now in his 10th pro season, has never missed a game in his NFL career. That's a streak 146 straight regular-season games played (he did not start the next-to-last game of his rookie season, but played in that game), and that is the second-longest active streak, behind only Rivers. Add his nine playoff games and that's 155 consecutive games played.
But Jordan probably was not thinking about his streaks following Monday's loss in Las Vegas, because he did not have his typical impact on the game.
The standards are high for Jordan, considered one of the game's top pass-rushers. He has a chance to get to the Hall of Fame if he can put together a few more seasons like the last couple. Jordan has been named to the Pro Bowl five times, including each of the past three seasons. And his career-high 15.5 sacks in 2019 gave him 87 for his career, which ranks 10th among active players. And four of the nine players ahead of him have not played this season so it's questionable whether they are actually active players.
But Jordan did not have a sack on Monday despite facing a backup offensive tackle. In fact, he has not had a sack in either of the Saints' first two games. He did not have a tackle for loss either on Monday, failing to add to his 115 career TFL total.
Jordan, who plays left defensive end, did have five tackles against the Raiders, but was also called for a horse-collar-tackle penalty and got pinned inside when Jalen Richard ran around right end on a 20-yard touchdown run that gave the Raiders a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders surprisingly neutralized Jordan with Denzelle Good, a backup guard and third-string tackle who was pressed into a starting assignment at right tackle because of injuries to the Raiders' first-string and second-string right tackles.
The 31-year-old Jordan has had 12 sacks or more each of the past three season, so I am guessing Jordan's sack-less streak will end soon. It could end next Sunday when the Saints face Green Bay and former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
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