Why Daniel Sorensen’s latest pick-six has people buzzing – Deseret News
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Daniel Sorensen high-stepped into the highlight reel Sunday night.
The former BYU star and eight-year Kansas City safety provided one of the game’s top plays in the Chiefs’ 22-9 win over the Denver Broncos when he intercepted a deflected pass and ran 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Daniel Sorensen TO THE HOUSE. 75-yard Pick-6! #ChiefsKingdom
: #DENvsKC on NBC
: https://t.co/uJbgLU8JP7 pic.twitter.com/q1ghcQNmCn
It hasn’t been the smoothest ride for Sorensen this season: per Pro Football Focus, Sorensen had allowed an opponent passer rating of 144.0 through the first 12 weeks of the year, third-worst among NFL safeties who had played at least 50% of their team’s snaps.
As such, the veteran who’s made several clutch plays in his career has endured plenty of criticism for his play.
“He was taking a lot of heat so it was good to see him make big plays like I knew, like our team knew (he could),” fellow Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said, per ESPN. “We rely on him to do a lot. In our eyes, he’s a special player, a very smart player, a player who can do a lot of different things.
“Nothing has changed about him. He still does the same thing each and every day as far as routine. He’s somebody we can really count on.”
Sorensen’s pick-six Sunday was his fourth since 2016. That’s tied for second-most among NFL players during that span.
Every Daniel Sorensen Pick 6! #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/AFTntOPuUx
He also had two solo tackles and a pass deflection in helping Kansas City win its fifth straight game, as the Chiefs’ defense has led a resurgence after the team started the year 3-4.
Sorensen’s celebration at the end — high-stepping into the end zone with the ball held high — went viral on social media.
Daniel Sorensen high steps into the end zone for his fourth career pick-six pic.twitter.com/IQB1bJbhn0
letting daniel Sorensen get off like this is hilarious pic.twitter.com/EUSMryW7nP
When you’re getting taunted by Daniel Sorensen pic.twitter.com/LMTUUsJHFP
I think Teddy Bridgewater gave Daniel Sorensen a turbo boost with that shoulder bump. https://t.co/ZRo52JRQ5i
When you get trucked by Daniel Sorensen on his way to the end zone with an interception you just tossed him…it’s probably not gonna be your night.
If you get high stepped on by Daniel Sorensen you have to quit football I don’t make the rules
“There’s a certain trust that you build up with a player along with his knowledge and toughness,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Sorensen, per ESPN. “He’s a good player and so he has a role on that defense. Everything’s not going to go (perfectly). We understand that. … You’ve got to push through those things. He’s wired that way. You just knew he would power through it. You always hope they come out the other end and so we trusted that.
“Guys can hang their head when things aren’t going right, especially when things are as big as that was becoming. He didn’t do that. He trusted himself. He trusted the coaches. He trusted the scheme and the guys around him.”
Sorensen — who’s seen improvement in his game during the winning streak, including an interception against Las Vegas in Week 10 — told reporters after the game he’s not focused on outside voices, but rather on his teammates and making the team better.
“I don’t care what people say, good or bad. I don’t get on social media, I don’t read articles. I don’t care, frankly,” he said. “The only people that I care about are the people in that locker room — coaches and players. We’re a family, we stick together, and we have each other’s backs. Good or bad, I could care less. I’m more focused on the next task.”
Chiefs Safety Daniel Sorensen doesn’t care about the rhetoric, harsh or heroic. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/KUVIhcgMEj
Several Utah ties made a significant impact during Week 13 of the NFL season. Here’s a look at how local ties performed:
Dallas
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Arizona
Chicago
Los Angeles
What concentration by Michael Davis on the INT! #BoltUp
: #LACvsCIN on CBS
: NFL app pic.twitter.com/0CNsDR3Xpt
Cincinnati
Detroit
Minnesota
Indianapolis
Houston
Miami
New York
Eagles 33, Jets 18
Philadelphia
New York
Los Angeles
Jacksonville
Washington
Las Vegas
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Seattle
“What in the world is going on here?!”
Too easy for @Bwagz. #ProBowlVote
#SFvsSEA on CBS pic.twitter.com/gl0GExjQ3K
San Francisco
Kansas City
Daniel Sorensen TO THE HOUSE
pic.twitter.com/I23LEPr3ZX
Denver
New England
Buffalo
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