Okay, so I was catching up on some football stuff from the past season the other night. You know how it is, scrolling through highlights, mostly seeing touchdowns and big throws. It got me thinking, though, about the other side of the ball. Who was really out there snagging the ball from the offense most often in 2023? It feels like those guys don’t always get the same spotlight unless it’s a pick-six.
So, I decided to look it up. Simple question, right? Figured it’d take two seconds. Fired up the computer, went to my usual search spot. Typed in something like “who had the most interceptions NFL 2023”.
Well, it wasn’t quite that instant. You get a flood of stuff back. Fantasy football sites, betting odds, articles talking about potential leaders from halfway through the season. It’s like trying to find a specific tool in a messy garage – you know it’s in there, but you gotta move some stuff around first. Honestly, sometimes I miss just looking at the back of the newspaper sports section.
Digging into the Stats
My process was pretty straightforward, nothing fancy. I usually start broad and then narrow it down.
- First, I checked a couple of the big sports network sites. They usually have stat leaderboards pretty prominent. Found some lists, navigated to the defensive stats section.
- Then, just to be sure, I went over to the official league website. That’s generally the most accurate place, even if you have to click around a bit more.
- Found the player stats area.
- Made sure I had the filter set correctly for the 2023 regular season. That’s key, sometimes it defaults to postseason or career stats.
- Looked for the column labeled ‘INT’ – that’s the one for interceptions.
- Sorted that column from highest to lowest.
It’s interesting how obsessed we get with numbers like these. Back when I first started watching ball, it felt more about watching the player, how they moved, how they anticipated. Now everything is broken down into stats. Not saying it’s bad, just different. Sometimes a guy might only have a few picks but completely changes how an offense attacks. Still, leading the league in takeaways is a big deal, no doubt.
Finding the Leaders
After sorting through the noise, the answer finally popped up clear as day. It wasn’t just one guy running away with it this past season.
Turns out, we had a tie at the top. Two players finished the 2023 season with the most interceptions.
DaRon Bland, the cornerback for Dallas, had himself a year. He finished with 9 interceptions. And man, he wasn’t just catching them, he was taking a bunch back for touchdowns. Hard to ignore that.
And sharing that top spot, also with 9 interceptions, was Geno Stone, the safety for Baltimore. Really stepped up for them, always seemed to be around the ball.
So, there it is. Bland and Stone. Took a few minutes of digging past the headlines and the fantasy chatter, but got the answer. Always good to give those defensive playmakers their credit.
