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In Part Three of “Looking at the Films,” Dan looks at the Front Seven, and wonders why they couldn’t take more advantage of the Cowboys young offensive line . . .
Ropati Pitoitua continues to do good things.
He platooned with Mo Wilkerson. Wilkerson started. As soon as Ropati came in for Mo, for the first time, on the first series, he made some noice. He and Mike DeVito stopped Felix Jones around the line, and then on the next play, he beat rookie guard Bill Nagy into the backfield for a QB pressure, forcing Tony Romo to throw the ball out of the end zone.
Wilkerson was kind of quiet. His only tackle was nice stop around the line on Jones in the fourth.
Marcus Dixon stopped Tashard Choice on the line on the Cowboys second series.
And as you all know, Mike DeVito had perhaps the play the game when he tackled Romo on the one, causing a fumble, recovered by Sione Pouha.
Pouha finished the game with just one tackle. You have to wonder if his knee had something to do with that.
In summation, aside from a few decent plays, the defensive line was pedestrian against Dallas, especially when you consider the Cowboys had three first-time starters on the offensive line.
And this review also applies to the linebackers.
I know Tyron Smith was very highly-rated coming out of USC, and was obviously Dallas’ first round pick this year, but how do you essentially do no damage against a rookie, who was hurt (knee), playing his first NFL game; especially, a junior (came out of school early).
No, Calvin Pace didn’t beat him for a sack. Yes, Pace had a second quarter sack, but what happened on the play was Romo was feeling pressure elsewhere, and moved way up in the pocket. Smith wasn’t aware of the quarterback changing the pocket (this is common), and Pace just moved to his right and tackled the quarterback who was essentially right next to him.
Did a Jets OLB, at any point in this game, flat-out beat an OT, and get to the quarterback, like DeMarcus Ware did all night? I understand that Ware is a rare talent, but when are facing a rookie OT making his first start, how does nobody teach him a lesson at any point?
The closest thing we saw like this was Pace disrupting a screen to Jones, in the third quarter, and it fell incomplete. Pace got in Romo’s sightline.
The Jets had OLB’s Chris Wilson (Redskins) and Tully Banta-Cain (Patriots) in for tryouts this week. They know they need to get better here.
Aside from the Pace sack, the Jets had three other sacks. The DeVito tackle on Romo that caused the fumble, a Bart Scott blitz and Eric Smith touching Romo who went to the ground to end a play.
Aside from the sack, Scott also had a QB pressure on a blitz up the middle. You get the sense the Jets are going to allow Scott to rush the passer this year. He’s very good at it.
Scott also stopped Jones for a loss of three in the middle of the second quarter.
Bryan Thomas did some good things, like when he stopped Jones for a loss of 12 on a sweep to the left side in the fourth quarter. Thomas stopped a screen to Jones after just a gain of two on the right side early in the third.
David Harris has played better.
Late in the third quarter, on the play after Scott missed a tackle on TE John Phillips, on a first down catch, Harris missed a tackle opportunity on a screen to Jones that gained 19 yards. Witten beat Harris for a gain of 12 on the right side in the second quarter.
Nick Bellore made the tackle on the opening kickoff and his helmet flew off.
