Link: It’s All About Calvin
Calvin Pace was fresh off a four-game suspension when the Jets headed into Miami for what would ultimately become a thoroughly disappointing and deflating Monday Night loss to the divisional-rival Dolphins. Pace was jacked — maybe a little too much — and rusty. He was nearly invisible except for some glaring mistakes and was on the field for much of the Dolphins’ game-winning drive. Afterward, Pace was emotional and loquacious, calling a wildcat offense that just shredded Pace’s D “nonsense” and a 2nd-year QB who looked near-perfect a “clown”.
Fast forward to Week 7 and Pace had his breakout game of the ‘09 season with 3 sacks and 2 fumbles against Oakland. Now, Pace is ready to live up to his words and make the impact in Week 8 that he didn’t a few weeks ago.
“I said some things, meant them, but normally I keep that stuff to myself,” Pace said. “I’m not much of a talker. You guys ask me questions and I say what I think. The fact remains that they beat us and they did what they wanted to do at will. I can’t lie about that and I’ve got to respect that.”
…
“That can happen, especially after a tough loss like that,” defensive end Mike DeVito said. “It’s hard to come into the locker room right after and not be frustrated and say some things. Calvin knows what he said and he sticks behind it, and I stick behind him.”
…
“He’s a beast, really,” defensive end Shaun Ellis said. “He just makes plays for us.”
As we said on the TJB Radio Show this week, Pace is the turning key in the back of this defense. After his words clearly fired up the Dolphins and Ronnie Brown, he’s going to have to turn them into a prophecy and stop the nonsense from being successful this week and turn Henne into a real clown. I think he absolutely has the ability to single-handedly change the outcome of this game — he’s that good.
Filed under: Links
I agree. A lot of people thought from that first game back, he would be instrumental in sealing off the edges. Now with Jenkins gone, the dolphins will probably focus on the inside with power plays. Hopefully the Jets are better prepared for it this time.
I like Pace a lot but that comment about the Wing-T – Option the Phins run pissed me off. Its a very old offense played for a loooooong time at all levels of football. The Dolphins took it out of NFL retirement and are executing it very well. It went ’swimmingly’ for them last time they played the JETS.
Is it a ‘gimmick’ when high school and college teams like West Virginia and maybe Michigan (when Rich Rod’s system fully takes a hold), etc., dominate games using it as their primary offensive scheme?
Its a perfectly legitimate offense and if you can’t stop it, they’re not beating you with smoke and mirrors. Its a CLASSIC football offense.
[...] thejetsblog.com. Please read the complete article and let us know what you think [...]
You ARE DSmizzle!
Absolutely. Welcome to Evolution, NFL-style, Calvin. Adapt, or go home.
I love how these guys walk into this game that they’ve had success in, and simply expect opponents to allow them to continue to have that success. Everyone’s looking for that angle that will let them beat the other guy’s brains in. In today’s game, it’s not how good you are (everyone’s good), but how quickly and thoroughly you can adjust to what the other guy is doing to stop him and force your system down HIS throat.
Wait until Calvin sees the basic T-formation. He’ll really freak.
Just because it’s from 1947, that doesn’t mean that you can stop it. Man up, adjust and stop it. THEN talk.
Pace is one of the last guys I would’ve expected to make comments like that. He is usually pretty reserved. Im all about showing emotion and getting fired up, but that wasnt his finest moment.
The Wildcat is not a gimmick offense but in no way can an NFL team run it as their base offense. You have to have special personnel to run it with any kind of success consistently in the league. The Phins are the only team that has that. It can be a great change of pace or cause of confusion against a defense. But you cant run it 50 times a game in the NFL, no way, no chance. But make no mistake about it, you have to be smart, read your keys, and wrap up when you face it or it will be a LOOOOONNNGG day…
Pace had one good game vs. a horrible excuse for an NFL offense and now he is a “beast” according to Sean Ellis?
Where was the beast in the prior two losses and dont give the the adjustment crap, he played all preseason and players have been returning from injury and performing as long as the NFL has been in existence.
If he really needed to adjust then someone needs to question wtf he was doing during the four weeks he spent in AZ during his self caused suspension. U suspect Cotchery will not need to “adjust” today.
Guess training with the ultimate fighting team or whatever he was doing is not going to become the latest craze in NFL training.
Wise Old,
First NFL guys struggle there first game back all the time-most notable- Peyton freakin Manning last year opener vs the Bears.
And before you kill Pace for the Miami and Buffalo game, which he and Harris teamed up for the teams only sack, it wasnt until last week that Pettine switced BT and Calvins role on 3rd down. Calvin never had his hand on the ground in pass situations. Watch the game, you’ll see. The first time he came off the edge was last game, and you saw what happened