Toward the end of last week's preseason game with the Bengals, Jets coach Rex Ryan was talking to defensive coordinator Mike Pettine on the headset.
"Man, Pet, if we don't get a sack today, that's all we're going to hear about," Ryan said.
Moments later, Aaron Maybin sacked Dan LeFevour and Ryan's concerns were wiped out. But this underscores how much the issue of the Jets' pass rush or the perceived lack of a pass rush irritates Ryan and the Jets defense.
The Jets finished tied for eighth in sacks last year, yet the public perception seems to be their pass rush is softer than a pillow fight. Last season, the Jets' most memorable sack may have come in the preseason against the Giants when Eli Manning was left bloodied.
GET HIM! Calvin Pace and the Jets' defense are hoping to improve their pass rush and sack total this season, despite finishing last season tied for eighth in sacks last year.
On Monday, the Jets will face the Giants again and would love nothing more than to put Manning to the turf a few times and quiet the pass rush critics.
"We have a bunch of schemes that we run and we get to the quarterback, man," cornerback Darrelle Revis said yesterday in Bryant Park where the Jets and Giants celebrated the newly named MetLife Stadium. "We get a bunch of pressures every game."
Part of the perception problem for the Jets is they create pressure by mixing up their defensive looks. Unlike the Giants, who pressure with their front four consistently, the Jets bring pressure from all over the defense. Last year, they had five players with at least four sacks.
The Jets had 40 sacks last season, just eight behind the league-leading Steelers. That is why the issue burns Ryan. When asked if he was concerned about the pass rush this week he turned sarcastic and pointed out the 1984 Bears defense, led by his father Buddy, set the record for sacks in a season with 72.
The player most often criticized for not having more sacks is outside linebacker Calvin Pace. Early in training camp he got frustrated at hearing about the pass rush.
"Every year it's the same thing -- pass rush, pass rush, pass rush," Pace said. "But I think people need to understand that we pressure the quarterback a different way. If you go just down the road to the Giants, they pressure with four. They bring blitzes every now and then. We spread the wealth around. Would I love to have 15 sacks? Yes, but they ask me to do more things than just line up and rush."
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez gets to see the defense more than any other quarterback every day in practice. Earlier this month, he compared the defense with the 1985 Bears, a comparison even Ryan shot down. Sanchez explained he just feels like Richard Dent and Mike Singletary are often after him.
"I was just trying to convey how much pressure I was under at practice every day," Sanchez said. "Obviously, I'm not taking anything away from that defense, but if this defense can be half of what that defense it would be pretty strong and Rex would be excited."
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