Jets looking to Calvin Pace for Improved pass rush

[Kentucky Jet]

Calvin Pace often feels like outsiders don’t understand the Jets defense, don’t get his role in a scheme that morphs and shifts and uses its players in unorthodox ways.

They see that Pace, an outside linebacker in the prime of his career, had 5.5 sacks last season. And they ask him why he didn’t have more.

“It does bother me,” Pace said. “As much as people want me to be a pass rusher, I don’t really view myself as a pass rusher. I do everything. I probably do more than any outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, and I’m cool with that. I like that.

“But don’t pigeonhole me with (Giants defensive end) Osi (Umenyiora), who is a great pass rusher, but he’s a great pass rusher because that’s all he does. It’s like hitting home runs; if you get enough at-bats, you’ll hit a home run.”

In the Jets’ ‘spread the wealth’ system, pressure can come from anywhere on the field, which explains why defensive backs contributed 11 of the team’s 40 sacks last year. Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has presented the concept to his unit like this: Would you rather have one player batting .400 and everyone else at .200, or the whole team hitting .300?

But keeping with the baseball analogy, one of the Jets’ goals this year is to raise their average. During the NFL lockout, the coaching staff studied, analyzed and brought in defensive line guru Rex Norris to answer a fundamental question: “How can we put more pressure on the quarterback?”

As they transfer that work onto the field in training camp, the Jets are relying on Pace to be their leader — especially as they move on without veteran pass rushers Shaun Ellis, Jason Taylor and Trevor Pryce. The team has made an offer to Ellis, but he also visited the Patriots and is mulling his options as a free agent.

“Calvin’s our guy, there’s no question about it,” outside linebackers coach Jeff Weeks said. “He can change a game on a single rush. We know he has that ability, and we’re just trying to get everything out of him. We want to get him going early.”

A fast start isn’t something Pace, now in his ninth season, has had a chance to do under coach Rex Ryan. In 2009, he served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Last year, he missed the first four games after breaking a bone in his foot during the preseason, mandating surgery to insert a screw along his pinky toe. By season’s end, the bone was only 20 percent healed, Ryan revealed last week.

Pace said he is now 100 percent healthy, and when he reported to Florham Park for camp, Ryan and Weeks talked about sparking him early. They told Pace he may be given more chances to purely rush the passer and go for those home runs. That would not cancel out Pace’s other duties, though, which include dropping into coverage or eating up blockers on some downs.

Ryan simply wants to maximize Pace’s “10-sacks potential.” The Jets have not had a player with a double-digit sack total during the coach’s tenure — nor since John Abraham in 2005.

“It wasn’t a big sit-down, but we talked,” Pace said. “They said, ‘We’re trying to get a chance to do some different things, give you a little more opportunities.’ It’s not something I asked for.”

Along with Pace, the Jets will lean on veteran outside linebacker Bryan Thomas, who had a team-high six sacks last season, and third-year player Jamaal Westerman, whom they have tagged as a “designated pass rusher.”

The team used its first two draft picks on defensive linemen, Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis, adding youth to the front seven. Wilkerson, who is expected to contribute right away, has been studying a DVD the coaches made with cut-ups of Pryce, whom he mimics in size and style.

Weeks and defensive line coach Mark Carrier spent hours in the film room this offseason, part of that time devoted to a pass rush cut-up reel. They watched their own players, categorizing the plays by defensive call and charting the outcomes. They broke down every one of the nearly 1,200 sacks recorded in the NFL last year, marking down the circumstance (i.e. blown assignment) and the movement used (i.e. line stunts).

More coverage:

• Complete Jets coverage on NJ.com

• Jets videos

• Jets photos

“We’ve added things; we’ve put more emphasis in our game plan and in our practice plans,” Carrier said. “Doing things to get movement with our front, studying film with our guys while we have the time. I’m trying to take more of an aggressive approach at the beginning of our training camp. Let’s get it in our mindset now.”

The coaches have added more pass rush drills to the meat of the padded practice, Carrier said, a welcome byproduct of the new practice schedule under the recently ratified collective bargaining agreement.

One focus for these drills, gleaned from the offseason film review, is working with their defensive front on converting from a run stance to a pass stance more quickly, Weeks said. When the defenders can tell the opponent is going to throw, they need to go at the edge of the offensive linemen’s bodies instead of straight ahead, allowing them to use their pass rush moves more effectively and create inside pressure.

Another observation that stood out to the coaches on tape was the full impact of Pace’s foot injury. Sick of sitting in the training room, he jumped back in as soon as doctors told him he could not make the injury worse. But the pain persisted until at least November, a dulling sensation that rose from the flat of his right foot.

In his first games back, Pace said his foot felt as though it had been “turned off,” like a light switch, sometimes forcing him to limp as he took a step. He struggled to plant or push off and didn’t have enough strength to hold opponents up with pressure on that leg. He found himself compensating by shifting weight forward or to the left side of his body, a dangerous gamble.

Discussing the Jets wide receivers, leadership in the locker room, and TomlinsonStar-Ledger reporters Conor Orr and Jenny Vrentas discuss the Jets wide receiver situation, the leadership in the locker room and the third down role of LaDainian Tomlinson. Video by John Munson/The Star-LedgerWatch video

In his first few games back, against Minnesota and Denver, Pace said he took himself out toward the end, recognizing he would hurt the team by staying in. He felt better each week, though he noted the firm artificial turf at New Meadowlands Stadium was a challenge to his recovery.

Fast forward to a brand-new season, and time has since mended the bone completely. Pace never has and never will measure himself by his sack total, but he also understands that this season, the spread-the-wealth defense may be asking him to cash in more.

“I really am pushing to have more sacks and kind of alleviate some of the pressure on the outside guys, (Darrelle) Revis and (Antonio) Cromartie,” Pace said. “It is our job to make it easier on them, so they’re not covering all day. When I get my chance, I’ve got to make it count.”

For more Jets coverage, follow Jenny Vrentas on Twitter at twitter.com/Jennyvrentas

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

[KSJets]

One focus for these drills, gleaned from the offseason film review, is working with their defensive front on converting from a run stance to a pass stance more quickly, Weeks said. When the defenders can tell the opponent is going to throw, they need to go at the edge of the offensive linemen’s bodies instead of straight ahead, allowing them to use their pass rush moves more effectively and create inside pressure.

Well, no sh*t. I've been wondering for years why our defensive players seem to always try to go through their blockers by hitting them straight on.

[gangreenman]

Damn. After years of incompetence, it really is nice to have a real coaching staff on the Jets.

[T0mShane]

Well, no sh*t. I've been wondering for years why our defensive players seem to always try to go through their blockers by hitting them straight on.

I think Rex would rather see someone try to complete a 30 yard pass on his defense than give up a 9-yard run up the middle because his DL got out of position and sealed off.

[Bergen Jet]

I think Rex would rather see someone try to complete a 30 yard pass on his defense than give up a 9-yard run up the middle because his DL got out of position and sealed off.

Hence the desire to add Nnamdi and the ultimate resigning of Cro to play opposite the Island.

[KSJets]

I think Rex would rather see someone try to complete a 30 yard pass on his defense than give up a 9-yard run up the middle because his DL got out of position and sealed off.

That's why I quoted the part where they indicated they were working on getting from their run stance to their pass stance more quickly. Even when it's ridiculously apparent the QB is going to pass the ball, our DL and LB's are always engaged with their blockers straight up instead of trying to get around them somehow.