Jets plan to Gang up on Eli
THANKSGIVING HAS come and gone, but the Jets’ talented defensive front could feast again Sunday when it faces the beat-up Giants offensive line at MetLife Stadium.
While Big Blue may get back a couple of key pieces in the trenches this weekend between guard Justin Pugh and center Weston Richburg, right tackle Marshall Newhouse didn’t practice Thursday, meaning rookie Bobby Hart, a seventh-round pick, could start in his place. Meanwhile, right guard Geoff Schwartz is out for the season with a fractured leg he suffered last week against Washington.
All signs point to a breakout game for a Jet unit that surprisingly ranks in the middle of the league this season with 25 combined sacks — that is if they can get to Eli Manning before he gets rid of the ball.
“We have to try and get him on the ground,” Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said of Manning. “We’re going to try to disrupt him as much as we can.”
The problem is Manning — like many other top quarterbacks in the NFL — focuses on releasing his passes quickly, giving defensive lines little time to create any pressure off the pass rush. Even if a defender beats his man, it doesn’t guarantee a sack or even a productive play.
“It’s very difficult,” Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson said of facing quick-release quarterbacks. “Like Tom Brady, you can be killing his offensive line, and he’ll make your pass rush irrelevant because of how fast he gets the ball out.”
That emphasis from Manning has translated into a relatively low sack total for a Giants offensive line that has battled injuries all season. Manning’s only been sacked 18 times in 11 games, a number that surprised Rodgers when he was researching his opponent this week.
“By any stretch, that’s pretty good,” Rodgers said. “So what they’re doing, they’re keeping him upright. And he’s getting rid of the ball fast.”
The key to slowing Manning down, according to Jets defensive players and coaches, is making him feel uncomfortable.
“He steps in the pocket. He’s pocket savvy. He’s a veteran. He knows how to maneuver in the pocket,” defensive tackle Damon Harrison said. “It’s my job and a couple other guys’ job to make that uneasy for him and not give him that chance to step up in the pocket.”
Before any pass-rushing opportunities arise Sunday, though, the Jets must first stop the run, something teams have done successfully against Big Blue this season.
The Giants rank 28th in the league in rushing yards per game, and if they abandon the run early – as the Dolphins did in a loss to the Jets last weekend, compiling just 12 on nine carries — that could mean more pass rushing opportunities for Richardson and Co. up front.
“Every game, the No. 1 thing is stopping the run,” Harrison said. “And when you’re able to make a team one-dimensional, have them abandon it altogether, it’s a good feeling.”
If the Jets can repeat last week’s performance against the run, that could mean a big day for the defensive line — whether it’s sacks or just pressure.
Richardson agreed that the Jets haven’t produced the staggering sack totals many expected this season, but on film they’re consistently getting to the quarterback.
“As long as guys are just disruptive, it’s the same as a sack to us,” he said.
Rodgers, though, wants to see tangible results Sunday against a battered Giants unit.
“People who say sacks don’t matter usually ain’t getting them,” Rodgers said. “We love the sack.”