eMailbag: Titans O-Line vs. Jets D-Line
Alon S. wrote with some interesting thoughts about the Titans and how the Jets match them up.
Q: As I’m sure you guys have noticed the Titans have only let up 6 total sacks (1 of them was Vince Young) this season which is obviously ridiculously insane… Well in a discussion with my friend, I was starting to notice that the Titans haven’t really played any team with a pass rush NEARLY as good as ours has been this season. Check it out, these are the teams they’ve played in order and their sack rankings: Jags-18, Cinci-31, Houston-23, Minnesota-8, Baltimore-14, KC-32, Colts-28, Packers-23, Bears-23, Jags-18
Letting up no sacks against Minnesota and then Baltimore back to back is fairly impressive but just to put it in perspective, Baltimore is tied at 14th with the Bucs, Rams and Broncos and the Vikings at 8th still have eight sacks less than we do. Another point is that from week 1 through week 8 Kerry Collins had only been sacked one time. In the last three weeks 4 times … I think my boy Calvin Pace although he only has 4 sacks, puts on the most [consistent] pressure out of everybody game in and game out.
A: Pace has been a big help, to be sure, and he’s definitely getting the most consistent pressure among the season starting linebackers. But Pace’s QB hits (three) since the bye have paled in comparison to Shaun Ellis, Kris Jenkins and sub-package player turned starter David Bowens (all tied at seven QB hits) ability to create pressure up front. Those three are getting the most consistent pressure over the last month and a half, but I understand it’s not an apples to apples comparison. I think it’s more a function of who’s going after the quarterback and who’s dropping into coverage … Pace is clearly better in coverage, than say, Kris Jenkins.
In terms of playing against teams with high sack efficiency, the Titans staredown of Minnesota Week 4 was actually very impressive. The Vikes are a team which ranks second in terms of opponents’ pass plays to overall sack percentage. The Titans haven’t had many tough opponents to sharpen their pass protection teeth on other than the Vikings and Ravens, it’s true, but the converse is just as true — if not more so — for the Jets.
The best protecting offensive line the Jets have faced so far this season is the Chargers’ line, which ranks only 10th in terms of sack percentage rank. As the average percentages attest (in red below), the Jets have faced teams who, overall this season, have proven to be worse when it comes to protecting their QB than the pressure that the Titans opponents have provided on them. When you get down to it, the Jets pressure has been impressive, but it’s come against lesser teams.
For the Jets to get the better of the Titans in terms of pressure, they are going to have to do something that they hate (for what reason I have no idea) doing … pressuring the QB with more than four rushers consistently.
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I really think the JEts need to be more aggressive. Do they have a lot of sacks? SUre but their ranked #26 against the pass. Their run D simoly gives them a ton of chances. They need to send more people after the QB. Hopefully Law can help in coverage and allow Mangini to gamble more
i dont understand why the jets dont like to stay agressive on defense either…it kills me everytime i watch them play…im getting sick of it…it seems like they have to make every game go to the end of time…and my fingers hurt from biting the hell out of them…anyway,these are ust my thoughts…
Awesome post, thanks for responding. Where do you get the “QB Hits” stat? Another minor thing to add on is that the Pats’ 10.6 sack percentage which ranks them 30th is a little deceptive b/c Cassel has grown much, much more comfortable in the pocket then he was to start the season. In his first 6 starts he got sacked 26 times, but in the last three starts he was sacked only 4 times (Jets had 3 last week).
I think when you are so tough against the run, like we are with 77 in the middle, that the numbers get skewed. Our run Defense is so good that everyone throws on us all day long. This is a GOOD formula and why we are winning games. No need to panic.
Got to agree with u guys. Got to bring the pressure more consistantly forcing the QB to get rid of the ball. I can only imagine how many sacks we would have if our def. coord. was as agressive as the giants with their blitzing schemes. The lack of blitzing is keeping the other teams in the game when they turn to throwing the ball. We just made Cassell look like a pro bowler and everyone on here says how great our secondary is, which with law there, i now agree. but even the best corners cant cover forever. The stats show our weekness is in the passing game, that due to the lack of pressure on the QB!
Are the Giants really that aggressive with blitzes? Seems to me they often get great pressure out of their base four lineman. Pittsburgh is a more relevant comparison as far as I’m concerned. They play a 3-4 and bring it from everywhere, often.
bent made a great point elsewhere that maybe you just pressure with three or four since they won’t be cowed and play nickel as the base package until they switch it up.
my fear though is that they would gash the jets on the ground in that case.
I think we may see the same attacking D that got to Trent Edwards and Kurt Warner so well.
The Jets can not afford let Collins sit in the pocket and pass. Collins is easliy the least mobile QB we will face this season…..attack him!
Go Jets
Rhodes come on man step up!!! Now is the time Rhodes step up!! Come on!!! Lets go I know the contract you got this past offseason feels good but now you have to go to work!! Come on now you are not showing how you played last year come on!! You are the leader in the secondary, and some captain status right?!!! Lets go this is the game to step up. We paid you for this much erase the doubters’ minds and have a big game. Dont let me down now.
Lets get it overwith…….Screw the game, lets meet in the Parking Lot.
Fonz(ie):
The comment about Rhodes was a bit random, but I thought I had to address it. I think he already has picked up his level of play.
First 6 games: 5.2 tackles per game, 1 pass defensed
Last 4 games (the winning streak): 4 tackles per game, 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 passes defensed (one of which led to an interception for Poteat), 2 fumble recoveries and about 100 yards of return yardage.
The only thing that’s down is the tackle numbers and that’s because (a) teams are abandoning the run, (b) when they do run it rarely gets to the second level and (c) when they pass it’s rarely been at a guy Rhodes is helping to cover (usually in front of a CB or LB). Even without the impact plays I still thought he was very good in the early part of the season, especially the Miami game, but he is now putting it all together…again.
Appreciate the encouraging tone though. Keep it up (and lift it to another level if you can), Kerry.