SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When I visited with Minnesota's Jared Allen last month, he said the NFL's single-season sack record was vulnerable and listed three guys who could break it -- Denver's Von Miller, the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware and Aldon Smith of San Francisco.
But Miller faces a possible four-game suspension, and Ware is playing a new position in a new defense. That leaves Aldon Smith, and he's not only optimistic Michael Strahan's mark of 22.5 sacks in one season will be broken; he'd like to nominate someone to do it.
"Me," he said Sunday morning.
That doesn't mean he discounts Miller or Ware or even Allen. As he said, "any of us could do it." But Smith had 19.5 sacks last year in his first 13 starts before hitting the wall -- with none the rest of the way -- and that was despite playing with a torn labrum the last two months.
"I think that had to play a part in (my tailing off)," he said.
So the question becomes: If Smith is healthy how many sacks can he produce in one year? He has 33.5 in 32 regular-season games, and you have to wonder how high that number could climb if he isn't damaged this season.
"Hopefully," he said, "the record gets broken. It's something I want to do before I'm done playing."
"And do you think that happens?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
While Smith is confident Strahan's mark will be eclipsed, he isn't sure when that happens ("I just think you can do it.") Allen was confident, too, but he said he thought 25 was the ceiling. Not Smith.
"I think it's higher than 25," he said. "Once you get past the record it's time to see how far you can go."
And how far is that?
"Thirty," he said. "It's all about consistency and keeping that 'feel' the whole season. And once you get close to it not letting the hype mess you up."
The hype didn't mess up Smith last year; injuries did. There was his bum shoulder, and then there was a triceps injury to teammate Justin Smith that seemed to have an impact on his partner. Neither produced a sack the last five games, including three in the playoffs. Both are healthy now, one reason Aldon Smith is optimistic he makes headlines again.
"I can rush from any place on the field," he said. "I don't give up when I'm rushing. I don't think too much when I'm rushing. And I let it come to me."
Sounds like a plan.