Mehta: New York Sack Exchange Weighs In on Defensive Line

Falco21 · Sep 28, 2013

This is really really cool man!!!

Check this out:

The wild sack-dancing machine inside 56-year-old Mark Gastineau springs to life when he thinks about a group of young strangers playing for his old team.

Three decades after Gastineau was the poster boy of the famed New York Sack Exchange, the guy who now spends Sunday afternoons singing in his church choir with his wife realizes that something special is happening again with the Jets’ defensive line.

“The hand speed that they got!” the former Jets great says. “Pound somebody! That fires me up! I’ll tell you what: The hand speed is the key. The hand speed is so important. Their takeoffs are great! They just have the makeup to be a great, great defensive line. It reminds me a lot of ours.”

If you didn’t see it, you’d think the Sack Exchange was a Sidd Finch hoax, too cartoonish to be true.

Gastineau teamed with Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam to form one of the most dominant defensive lines in NFL history. They paved the way for a franchise-record 66 sacks in 1981 and rang the ceremonial opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the toast of the town that ended a 12-year playoff drought.

The scariest men on the field back then see the same promise in Mo Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Quinton Coples, Damon Harrison and Kenrick Ellis now. They are the anchors to Rex Ryan’s defense, pass-rushing and run-stuffing 20-somethings who have helped the Jets open plenty of eyes around the league entering Sunday’s game against the Titans.

“They have a lot of upside,” Klecko says. “They can be dominant.”

The numbers produced in 1981 likely won’t be duplicated any time soon. Klecko had a team-high 20½ sacks. Gastineau had 20.

“It got to the point that you were playing with such confidence that it wasn’t whether you were going to get to the quarterback every Sunday,” says Lyons, who is a radio analyst for the team. “It was how many times you were going to get to there.”

Gastineau and Klecko, the two most prolific pass rushers in franchise history, see plenty of similarities between the two lines. Wilkerson is Gastineau without the wild hair and fur coats. Klecko, the blue-collar grinder, likens himself to Richardson.

“I was more a student of the technique,” Klecko says. “That’s how I see him. As he starts to learn and concentrate more on his trade, he could be a force.”

Although Harrison, the lone undrafted piece of the puzzle, believes his group “has the potential to be great,” none of them is ready to put it in the same stratosphere as Gastineau & Co.

“We got a ways to go before we’re the Sack Exchange 2.0,” Richardson says.

* * *

A three-word message rests on the walls of the defensive line meeting room, a reminder from position coach Karl Dunbar to his pupils: Sign your work.

Dunbar is rooted in pragmatism. “Potential” really just means that you haven’t proved anything yet. He grew up watching the Steel Curtain of Pittsburgh, the Purple People Eaters of Minnesota and Dallas’ Doomsday Defense in the ’70s.

He’s wise enough to realize that three games, no matter how impressive, hardly make a season … or warrant a nickname. So, he points to those three words to make sure his players don’t lose perspective.

“The film you put out there is your walking, talking, breathing resume,” Dunbar says. “So what people see on tape is who you are, whether you play bad or you play well. Whatever you put on tape, that’s your signature. No matter what you think, what we see on tape is how people will perceive you to be. The work you do tells people who you are.”

Each week, Dunbar gives the defensive line a game-plan specific booklet. Inside, he includes a quote designed to keep his guys on the right path. He picked up this week’s message from his mechanic, Walter: Pigs get fed. Hogs gets slaughtered.

“All offseason, all training camp, people talked bad about us,” Dunbar says. “We were garbage. We were nothing. All of a sudden, we do some good things and now they’re trying to fatten you up for the slaughter. ... So, don’t believe the hype. Keep grinding. Don’t become so enamored with yourself that you stop working.”

The defensive line has been the engine of the Jets’ third-ranked defense. Ryan’s team ranks in the Top 7 in scoring defense, pass defense and run defense. The Jets are second in third-down efficiency (26.9%) and tied for third in sacks (12).

Dunbar’s unit has given up only two runs of more than 10 yards in 74 rush attempts. In the other 72, the Jets are allowing only 2.3 yards per carry. Richardson is second among 3-4 defensive ends in run-stop percentage, according to Pro Football Focus. Harrison is eighth among all defensive tackles.

Seven of the Jets’ eight sacks against the Bills last week resulted from a four-man rush. Ryan didn’t need to dial up exotic blitzes thanks to his young and athletic linemen.

The possibilities for a young core comprised of two third-year players (Wilkerson and Ellis), two second-year players (Coples and Harrison) and a rookie (Richardson) make it tempting to wonder whether they can ultimately become the best defensive front in team history.

“The more you get familiar with everyone’s athletic ability and what they’re good at over time,” Lyons says, “the more you’re going to be able to complement one another. They can’t look at it as if they’re competing with the Sack Exchange. Just let it happen and enjoy the moment.”

* * *

Klecko doesn’t believe that he ever intimidated anyone on the field even though “sometimes you know they got the feeling like, ‘Uh oh. We’re in trouble.’ ”

The Jets legend, who is now an analyst on SNY’s Jets Post Game Live, believes that may not be the case with the new leader of the defensive line.

“Wilkerson can go bear hunting with a switch,” Klecko says. “He’s a big human being. … Everybody fed off what Mark and I did. I think that’s what’s happening to this defensive line. They don’t want to be left behind. It all starts with the catalyst. And that’s Wilkerson.”

Wilkerson is in the Top 5 in quarterback hurries and quarterback pressures among 3-4 defensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s in the Top 10 among 3-4 defensive ends in run-stop percentage.

“I feed off other people’s energy as well,” Wilkerson says. “When I see Snacks (Harrison) making tackles for losses, that gets me going. That gets me hyped … and I want to make the next play. We’re a family. We’re brothers. D-Line Pride. We just feed off each other.”

The organization has made a commitment to the front line by selecting three first-round linemen in the past three seasons with Wilkerson, Coples and Richardson.

Lyons was the only first-rounder on the Sack Exchange. Gastineau was taken in the second round in the same 1979 draft. Klecko, a sixth-round pick in 1977, and Salaam, a seventh-round pick in 1976, completed the formidable quartet that played in a true 4-3 scheme.

Ryan’s hybrid defense also uses Ellis and free agent Leger Douzable as part of a six-man rotation. Ellis’ injury and conditioning issues provided an opportunity for Harrison, who has played in nearly half of the snaps through the first three weeks.

“I’m just a guy,” Harrison says.”I’m just an undrafted guy surrounded by first-rounders. I prefer to play in the background. To be honest with you, I don’t want that attention.”

It may be unavoidable if the first month is an indication of what’s to come.

* * *

Gastineau may have seemed like a lone wolf, but he still had plenty of fun with the rest of the Sack Exchange. The Jets led the league in sacks — which didn’t become an official stat until 1982 — in 1983 and 1984.

Sixty-six in 1981 may never be eclipsed by any Jets team. The franchise has reached the 40-sack plateau only twice since 2000. Ryan’s teams have done it once with 40 in 2010.

This young group isn’t overly concerned about the records books.

“I just say, ‘Hey, I’ll meet y’all at the quarterback. I bet I get there first,’ ” Richardson says. “We’re going to ride this thing out as long as we can. I’m loving every minute of it.”

Wilkerson, fast becoming one of the elite linemen in the league, has a more measured and sensible mindset. There will never be another Sack Exchange.

“We’re not as good as those guys were,” Wilkerson says. “We’re all young, so we feel like we can make our own name for ourselves. I definitely know the dominance that those guys had back in the day, but we can never compare ourselves to them. They were a very talented group… and we’re just getting started.”

Klecko and Lyons, who watch every play of every game, are hopeful Wilkerson & Co. will break every record they set all those years ago.

“Let me tell you something,” Gastineau says. “Things are going to happen with this team that you won’t believe.”

The Jets’ all-time sacks king doesn’t get to watch his old team as often as he’d like.

Sundays are reserved for three church services. He sings in the choir at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., making sweet music.

He hopes the young Jets defensive line is doing the same.
Click to expand...

dwalsh · Sep 28, 2013

as much as I generally dislike giving Manish Mehta's articles the clicks, here's the link

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...k-exchange-sees-jets-d-line-article-1.1470542

Falco21 · Sep 28, 2013

dwalsh said: ↑

as much as I generally dislike giving Manish Mehta's articles the clicks, here's the link

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...k-exchange-sees-jets-d-line-article-1.1470542
Click to expand...

That's why I quoted it here. I don't want him to get the clicks.

allan1 · Sep 28, 2013

That's just an insane number to wrap your mind around. Klecko and Gastineau combines for 40.5 sacks alone in 1981. The team had 66 sacks in a season.

66!

They averaged a sack EVERY QUARTER OF EVERY GAME.

Pluvrr · Sep 29, 2013

I called this before Mehta, so FU Mehta:

http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=78694

b.reyes16 · Sep 29, 2013

The snack exchange!!!!!

joe · Sep 29, 2013

Falco21 said: ↑

That's why I quoted it here. I don't want him to get the clicks.
Click to expand...

Every little bit counts - good going Falco.

stinkyB · Sep 29, 2013

nice article but

Wilkerson is Gastineau without the wild hair and fur coats.
Click to expand...

I don't think their styles were at all alike........

my favorite part was:

“I’m just a guy,” Harrison says.”I’m just an undrafted guy surrounded by first-rounders. I prefer to play in the background. To be honest with you, I don’t want that attention.”

It may be unavoidable if the first month is an indication of what’s to come.
Click to expand...

Finding good players beyond the early draft picks can really turn a franchise around :grin:

slimjasi · Sep 29, 2013

How did that team not win a fucking superbowl . . . damn.

allan1 · Sep 29, 2013

slimjasi said: ↑

How did that team not win a fucking superbowl . . . damn.
Click to expand...

god hates the jets

NJJ_Jersey_Jets · Sep 29, 2013

slimjasi said: ↑

How did that team not win a fucking superbowl . . . damn.
Click to expand...

Dan Marino

MenOverGod · Sep 29, 2013

How can we not be excited about this season after reading something like this!?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

BomberJet · Sep 29, 2013

allan1 said: ↑

That's just an insane number to wrap your mind around. Klecko and Gastineau combines for 40.5 sacks alone in 1981. The team had 66 sacks in a season.

66!

They averaged a sack EVERY QUARTER OF EVERY GAME.
Click to expand...

It was a 14 game schedule, I believe, back then...a little more than a sack a quarter :up:

BomberJet · Sep 29, 2013

NJJ_Jersey_Jets said: ↑

Dan Marino
Click to expand...

Nope, the Buffalo Bills beat them in the playoffs....that was a game when Donald Dykes made some bone head plays
called for rushing the pass kicker , twice, if i recall.

Mehta: New York Sack Exchange Weighs In on Defensive Line

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Mehta: New York Sack Exchange Weighs In on Defensive Line

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