I guess this stat only counts for Lbers that actually at times get a pass rush because if not then its mind boggling that Michael Boley and Clint Sintim are not on the list.
Bottom line is the Jets need to add a pass rusher. I don't know whether that's the number one need for the team, but if you said it is, I wouldn't argue with you.
It doesnt help that you have 3 interior guys that put no pressure at all on the qb or need any double teaming. Take away the 1 great game Ellis had in the playoffs (which he was injured in and followed that up with a nothing performance) its tough to blame this all on Pace. From what I saw...whether it was Harris blitzing, Pace, Scott..or whoever..they were met at the line by a lineman and rarely got through. While I do love the heart of the Devitos in the middle, its a lot easier to stop the run when you are there already. They are never out of place because they never penetrate the line anyway.
Does this take into consideration the situation and the pay call? You have to assume play call is not included in formulating the stats because the guys doign the analysis don't have that info. I am not saying that I think he is dogin a wonderful job, but this information is almost worthless. Our defense, and many others in the league, have different purposes at different times. Pace's first priority on every rush may nt be to sack the QB. If we are sending 2 LBs, or a DB, or any other combo, he may be assigned to draw a tackle up the field or inside.... It's no different than on a run play when a DL or LB is focused more on influencing the direction of the play than making the tackle. The fact that our D was one of the worst on third downs, particularly third down pass plays, should be enough information. You could isolate statistics and make up a ranking for any position on D and say they ranked poorly, because as a unit, the D had trouble getting off the field.
Another problem I felt is that our blitzing were not working at all. Whenever we would blitz we still didn't get much pressure. Rex i'm sure is going to the drawing board all offseason and creating new blitz packages.
are people really arguing that Pace wasn't completely terrible this season? He was a beast against the Bills second stringers and did nothing the rest of the year.
In 3-4, DLs make and break the LBs. That's a fact. That Bart was almost always consumed eating up a blocker to set Harris free means Jets need some serious upgrade at NT (which has been my main contention for some time) I seriously don't think Rex wants to run the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4, leaving both OGs unattended at every snap. He has never done that, and I don't see why he should all of a sudden. Jets DL never had a two-gap responsibility like those at Pats do, and still cannot eat up a double team. It's a damn shame. (Pouha is usually playing right A gap, meaning HE MUST EAT UP C AND RG BY HIMSELF. De Vito plays left B gap - so LT and LG are his responsibility - and he occasionally 'breaks through' them to disrupt running plays, but does he 'command double team'? NO.) Now, because DLs do not engage into double teams with any sort of consistency, when you throw in the blitzing LBs and safeties, you get a gigantic clusterfuck at the line, with the QB intact. If you have to blame ALL THAT on Pace, I'd say 'wake the fuck up.' There is a reason Rex went to the other extreme during the playoff runs, daring Brady and Manning to run at the the small line. He had to cover the ground and hope for coverage sack, because the DL couldn't deliver if it wasn't given enough time (say, UNGODLY amount of time, if I have to add.) P.S. Actually, if Jets D can shore up the DL, they may turn to 3-3-5 stack with similar (if not better) defensive performance. True, Jets have fringe DBs that suck at covering WRs for an elongated time, but if they are used within 3-3-5, anybody can become that light OLB, and Pace should serve well enough there.
This. Pace did nothing last year. I get that he was hurt and that probably had an impact, but he was our worst linebacker last year. Big year for him. If he doesn't have a bounceback year, maybe we can cut him after the year and try to get an upgrade. I love people trashing this stat. Of course it doesn't mean everything, but how else do you measure a pass rush? You look at sacks, then you look at pressures and hits. This measures all of that to show how many times guys get to the QB. And Pace didn't get to the QB. I didn't need a stat to tell me that, I could see that with my eyes last year, but this helps quantify it more.
Pace is solid, albeit slightly overpaid, but he's a good pass rusher. If he's healthy next year, I expect a big season from him.
