Defensive Line All-Stars: A look back at Week 9's standouts

After a Week 9 filled with sacks, stops, and stuffs, let's review the standout defensive linemen around the league:

Defensive Lineman of the Week: Danielle Hunter, Vikings

After a couple of years on the precipice of stardom, defensive end Danielle Hunter's broken through this season with 10.5 sacks through nine games. He's now an elite pass-rusher and produced his best performance to date against the Detroit Lions in Week 9, accumulating nine tackles, four quarterback hits, and 3.5 sacks.

Hunter was always a physical and athletic pass-rusher who leaned on his violent power and explosiveness to produce at a high level. Now, the LSU product has developed into a technician on the edge, setting up his pass-rush moves with varied and effective footwork. His first sack against Detroit is a great example:

Here, Hunter's aligned well outside the Lions' right tackle. After the ball is snapped, he explodes upfield, immediately stressing the tackle's pass set. And once he's within range, Hunter squares up his opponent while making it seem like he's going to use a two-hand swipe to win around the edge. But instead, Hunter sticks his foot in the ground and darts inside of the tackle with a well-timed club/arm-over move that clears contact on his way to quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Hunter's third sack of the day was just as impressive. In the clip below, he leverages active hands and precise footwork to bring down Stafford yet again:

On this play, Hunter's aligned just outside the Lions' right tackle. Once the ball is snapped, he takes his initial steps as if he's expecting a double-team from the tackle and tight end. But when the latter leaves the formation to run a route, Hunter immediately squares up the tackle and executes a masterful swipe to win the edge.

From there, Hunter does well to execute a powerful rip move that clears contact as he bends around the corner and flattens to Stafford for the sack. Notice how Hunter uses the momentum from the rip move to drop his pad level so he can turn around the edge at a more acute angle.

Hunter's firmly cemented himself as one of the very best pass-rushers in the NFL, fulfilling the potential he's flashed since being drafted in 2015.

Pass Rush of the Week: Trey Flowers, Patriots

Despite being overshadowed by Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Bill Belichick, Trey Flowers has quietly been one of the Patriots' best players this season. The sacks haven’t been there, but Flowers has generated consistent pressure while being a monster versus the run.

And against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, in a one-score game, Flowers came up clutch with a third-down sack that forced a key punt:

While he typically lines up at defensive end, Flowers is aligned as a defensive tackle here with an outside shade over the left guard. Once the ball is snapped, he explodes upfield and establishes initial contact with the guard by using a strong stab from his inside hand. That allows Flowers to manage the distance between them, so he can effectively place his outside hand on the guard's outside wrist and utilize a forklift move to clear contact.

Once that happens, Flowers does an excellent job of throwing on the breaks, dropping his pad level, and taking a tight turn toward Aaron Rodgers for the sack.

When the Patriots' defense needs a big play, Flowers is often the guy who steps up. Pay the man, New England. Before it's too late.

Run Defender of the Week: Eddie Goldman, Bears

Akiem Hicks has been a regular in this series, but he's not the only talented player in the middle of the Chicago Bears' defensive line.

Former second-round pick Eddie Goldman isn't as effective as Hicks on a snap-to-snap basis, but he's an impactful interior defender in his own right. His abilities were on full display throughout Sunday's game against the Bills, as Goldman finished with five tackles and four stops. Here's an example against the run:

Here, Goldman's aligned in the A-gap between the center and the left guard. Once the ball is snapped, he fires out low and anchors his outside foot to the ground while turning his inside hip, reducing his blockable surface area and holding his position against Buffalo's initial double-team. From there, Goldman sees the running back, sheds his block, and makes the tackle.

Not only does Goldman show off his immense play strength to strain and hold his ground at the point of attack, but he also demonstrates a mastery of the fundamentals needed to beat the double-team while maintaining the eye discipline to identify the running back's path.

Even on a defense with Hicks and Khalil Mack, don’t forget about Goldman when the Bears' front seven is mauling offensive lines.

In the Spotlight: Mario Addison, Panthers

To the surprise of many, Carolina Panthers defensive end Mario Addison is ranked ninth in the NFL with 7.5 sacks following his dominant three-sack performance against Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Addison was only a competent pass-rusher earlier in his career, but the 31-year-old is now thriving. He's improved his sack total for three straight years (six in 2015, 9.5 in 2016, 11 in 2017) and looks primed to do so once again this season.

He isn’t super athletic or powerful, but Addison's a technically sound and precise defensive end who can take advantage of mistakes by offensive tackles. Here's an example:

Here, Addison's aligned wide of the left tackle. Once the ball is snapped, he comes out of his stance with a stutter step before expanding to the edge of the tackle, where he uses a short forklift move to clear contact and gain a free path to the quarterback.

The key is the initial stutter step, which freezes the left tackle and allows Addison to get outside of him. If a pass-rusher doesn’t have the speed to blow by a blocker or the strength to power through one, he must master the ability to manipulate the space between them, which Addison showcases on this sack.

Carolina's established itself as a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the NFC, and even though he doesn’t receive a ton of credit, Addison's played a key role through Week 9.

John Owning is a football writer at theScore. He has written for Bleacher Report and Football Insiders. He was also the lead NFL content editor at FanRag Sports. John provides analysis on the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and edits for The Quant Edge. Find him on Twitter @JohnOwning.