Jamaal Westerman had been one of the disappointments of the young season. The Jets let Jason Taylor go because they seemed to feel Westerman was ready to take over as the designated pass rusher. He reportedly lit up training camp. Things did not translate to the games, though. Billed as the guy who could finally give the Jets a bona fide pass rusher, Westerman had his moments but was not a consistent factor. The team twice signing Aaron Maybin was likely a tacit admission the third year player from Rutgers had not met expectations as a pass rusher.
Bryan Thomas' injury made Westerman an every down player. In his first game in Thomas' place, Westerman broke out. He had a pair of sacks, registered a hit, and drew a holding penalty as a pass rusher. You seldom hear stats about defenders drawing holding calls, but they are often the result of a defender winning a matchup that puts the blocker out of position.
Perhaps Westerman has more of a comfort level now that he is seeing the field full time. Perhaps it was just a one game thing. Either way, Westerman gets my game ball.
Who gets yours?