TEMPE, Ariz. -- When Cardinals Calais Campbell and Alex Okafor line up on the same side of the defensive front, the competition can be fierce. Their competition may learn to hate it.
"We both take pride in rushing the passer well," the veteran defensive end Campbell said. "He's really good at it. And I like to compete with him, because it makes me play better."
The play is the thing, and both have been making plays lately.
With Campbell and Okafor pushing each other in pursuit of opposing quarterbacks, the 9-2 Cardinals racked up 17 sacks the past three games, almost twice as many as they had in their first eight games.
The pressure gives the Cardinals another weapon with which to squeeze offenses, adding a dimension to a defense that has stuffed the running game all year long.
Campbell had a career-high three sacks, all in the second quarter, and Okafor had one last week.
The two feed off each other, often providing a modern defensive version of Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside when they line up together.
"Calais is a big, strong guy, and he is doing to get in the backfield almost every down," Okafor said of the 6-foot-8 and 300-pound Campbell. "Whenever you have somebody like that playing right next to you, it definitely makes my job a lot easier. You know the quarterback is going to get flushed out my way quite a few times. I definitely take advantage of that. I've got a couple of trash sacks because of that. A couple of easy ones. Some gimmes."
Trashy or not, they all count. Campbell and Okafor have six sacks apiece this season, both ranking among the top 25 in the league. Only five other teams have two players in the top 25. More impressive, Okafor has played in only seven games, and Campbell missed two games after suffering a knee injury.
"It depends on the play, but we are on the same side lot," Campbell said. "We work games off each other. We help each other get sacks. It's kind of cool."
Okafor, a 6-4, 261-pound linebacker from Texas, has hit his stride this season after an injury-marred first two years following his selection as a fourth-round draft pick in 2013. Full practice participation has enabled him to become more comfortable in the defensive scheme and helped him understand his teammates' style.
"A lot of it is, we are starting to learn each other's pass tendencies," Okafor said. "We know what kind of pass rusher each guy is. We can kind of play off each other coming off the ball, and the chemistry is picking up on that. I missed a whole year last year, so I'm still learning every day."
Okafor made first career start against Washington on Oct. 12, after an injury to Matt Shaughnessy created a next-man-up need, and had his first two career sacks against quarterback Kirk Cousins that day. He had two more sacks against Detroit two weeks ago, and Campbell said he has seen Okafor's confidence growing almost daily.
"Confidence is amazing," Campbell said. "Once you get that confidence, you start realizing, 'OK, this is just like college, this is just like high school. Guys try to block me but the same moves work.' Eventually you start playing great. Alex is playing great right now."
Okafor has shown he can bull rush defensive linemen and also finesse them, the sign of a good pass rusher.
"He has good length and power," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. "Any time a guy can develop a bull rush and a counter move off of it, he is going to be fairly effective. As he continues to work on his tool box, he is going to get better and better."
Campbell has become the standard of excellence for Cardinals' pass rushers. With his big game in Seattle, Campbell passed defensive end Bertrand Berry and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett in career sacks. He has 42.5, sixth in franchise history. Defensive lineman Eric Swann (45.5) and linebacker Ken Harvey (47.5) are next.
Campbell has been remarkably consistent since moving into the starting lineup in the Cardinals' Super Bowl season. He has seven, six, eight and 6.5 sacks before his career-high nine last year, when he was a Pro Bowl alternate. He is the only defensive lineman in franchise history with at least six sacks in six different seasons.
"I don't think he ever gets the credit he really deserves," Arians said. "I think he has to be up there at the top eight or nine" defensive linemen in the league. "He is playing at an extremely high level right now, very disruptive."
As sexy as sacks can be, Campbell keeps them in perspective.
"They sound nice and look good, but for the most part, for me, it's wins and losses. That's number one," Campbell said. "The game is much bigger than sacks. You want to get tackles for loss, batted balls, pressure on the quarterback, sacks. Whatever you can do to affect the game as a defensive lineman."
Both Campbell and Okafor agree that sacks can be scheme-created but are more often man-made. The Cardinals' secondary also plays a big role.
"I think most pass rush is desire. You have your technique and the different moves you work, but for the most part it comes down to want to," Campbell said. "My sacks last week were coverage sacks. I give all that to the 'DB's. If the guy holds the ball for four seconds, you should be able to get there plenty of times."
Okafor: "Pass rush is just a feel. You have to feel the guy out and you have to be able to counter what he does best. That's just what I try to do. A lot of film study, and the coaches break it down for us, too. We have a great coaching staff. They always put us in a position to succeed."
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