Outside Linebacker Approval Rating

by John B on Nov 2, 2011 10:38 AM EDT

I think the outside linebackers are playing better for the Jets than most would be willing to admit. Calvin Pace is having a strong year. He has been excellent against the run. New York's rushing defense has struggled, but Pace has set the edge well.

Aaron Maybin has done good work as a situational player. He has registered 3 sacks and forced 3 fumbles. He is clearly a limited player, but he has added an element the team lacked. His motor has let him get to the quarterback after initial coverage held instead of the quarterback having all day as has happened frequently with the Jets the last few years.

I still think it is tough to fully approve of the outside linebackers. That is because of what the Jets have not gotten from the other starting position. Bryan Thomas got a lot of good press. I thought his play was never that great on a good day. He was never that good of a pass rusher. I also felt like his play against the run was overrated. The primary job of a guy at his position is to rush the passer. He has never been great doing so. The way the Jets talked about his run defense always seemed to me like baseball where a catcher who is a bad thrower gets praised for calling a good game. It is impossible to fully quantify so people kind of use it as a crutch to explain away a critical weakness.

In any event, I thought his play was subpar this year before his injury. He was inconsistent setting the edge. He also struggled as a pass rusher. Aside from a great day against the Patriots for Jamaal Westerman, he and Josh Mauga have been just as ineffective.

Pace is a good run stopper who would be an excellent second pass rusher from the outside linebacker spot. Maybin is a good situational guy. What the Jets need is a primary pass rusher, a player strong enough against the run to play on first and second downs who can also win a one on one and generate some pressure. Until they find that guy, it will be tough to fully approve of the outside linebackers.

Do you agree?

Poll

Do you approve of the job New York Jets outside linebackers are doing?

Yes

168 votes

No

156 votes

324 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Spot on.

Pace is a good run stopper who would be an excellent second pass rusher from the outside linebacker spot.

by Crackback on Nov 2, 2011 10:59 AM EDT reply actions

I feel like there’s a contradiction here.

There’s the analogy of complementing an OLB’s ability against the run to a catcher who calls a good game and yet the only real complement for Pace here is his ability against the run. I never looked at BT like he was our primary pass rusher. That’s what I thought we brought Pace in for. With this in mine, I’ve actually thought BT played well last year and during the beginning of this year. So to conclude that it’s hard to approve of the OLB’s due to a lack of a pass rush, in my mind dictates a more even distribution of the blame than this article implies. However, in saying this, I think blaming the OLB’s for a lack of pass rush is somewhat unfair. If anyone has listened to Pace at all over the last year or so he’ll tell you that lining up as a pure pass rusher is not what he is asked to do. This isn’t the Giants’ 4-3 where ends line up just to get to the quarterback. I think people get off track because when they think of Rex they think of an aggressive pass rush and he also had Suggs in Baltimore. But from what I’ve seen, I understand what Calvin is saying and his statements appear to be valid. Rex expects his OLB’s to be in position to stop the run, which I think is atop his list of priorities for the defense. The expense of this for someone in Pace’s position, is a lack of sacks. This why when people are calling for a guy like Jerry Hughes in the draft, the Jets are actually talking to a guy like Greg Hardy. Undersized pure pass rushers are just not going to happen on this team unless it’s situational like Maybin.

by DL2086 on Nov 2, 2011 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

Wow, I found that comment very enlightening.

by Clarke W. Griswald on Nov 2, 2011 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions

um BT is great against the run

and is a great overall LB in this league he is one of those guys who are good at everything but great at nothing, he is one of my fav players so i know and if u still have doubts just ask our DC

by Emmanuel Agu on Nov 2, 2011 1:22 PM EDT reply actions

I don't really like the idea of "approve" or "don't approve"

It’s tough for me to define something that should probably stated in degrees. Am I happy with the outside linebackers? Meh. They are no studs. I wouldn’t hesitate to drop a 1st rounder on one. We need another pass rusher, preferably one that can win one on one match ups and collapse the pocket within 3 seconds. Are they going to be the downfall of the team? No, they aren’t that bad.

by J-Nasty on Nov 2, 2011 2:47 PM EDT reply actions