Can Wayne Hunter Repeat Miraculous Performance Against Cameron Wake?

Some things happen on the football field that do not make a ton of sense on paper. Take Week 6 of this year's NFL season. Cameron Wake did not get near Mark Sanchez once when lined up against Wayne Hunter. Make no mistake. Wake's sack numbers are down from last year's monster campaign, but he is having an excellent year generating pressure. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, only Chris Long has created more disruptions as a pass rusher with either pressure, a hit, or a sack. On the other hand, that site also says no offensive lineman has been responsible for more hits on his quarterback than Hunter.

I could not explain how Hunter stonewalled Wake. He did not get much help in the first game. As a result, I would not expect the Jets to change things up this time. It worked well then.

Wake provides Hunter with some pretty big problems. He is very quick off the snap and has a variety of pass rushing moves. A guy with slow feet like Hunter might have problems gaining leverage. Wake dominated Hunter in the Meadowlands a year ago. If Hunter cannot repeat his brilliance of earlier this year, and Mark Sanchez takes hits and loses confidence, this game could turn into a microcosm of the season.