Ocotber 17, 2007 from "Crisis for Eric" by Mark Cannizzaro NY Post There have been ongoing questions about the defensive scheme, wondering why the Jets are playing a 3-4 alignment when linebacker Jonathan Vilma and nose tackle Dewayne Robertson were such successful players in the 4-3 scheme employed here before Mangini arrived here. When exactly was Dewayne successful in the 4-3? The man had 8 career sacks in three playing the three technique which is supposed to be the pass rushing DT and had the most tackles in one season (62) when playing in the 3-4. Unless the numbers are really misleading it looks like he's just inadequate regardless of the scheme. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy's heart trying to play NT when he's clearly not fit for it, but wtf is Cannizzaro using one of our most dissappointing first rounders of the past seven six years to make this point?
He was becoming very good in his second year in the 4-3. He is a tackle, not an end so why do you use sacks as a barometer? It's nice when they get them but it's not their focus. As far as tackles are concerned he damn well better be making more at NT then DT as everything is pretty much coming his way. The stat that isn't shown is the number of tackles he didn't make. It's also not necessarily bad not to have a lot of tackles playing DT in a 4-3. It could mean teams are running the ball to the other side to avoid you. Those are the kind of things that can't be flushed out from stats.
If we had stuck with the 4-3, he would have developed into a very good DT. But as a NT he gets overpowered, although he does make a few plays a game. But like the entire Jets team, there is no consistency whatsoever.
Yes, Robertson was developing into a player, perhaps, worthy of the #4 pick (although not all we traded to get to that spot).... In our 2004 playoff season, several coaches and offensive linemen, including Bill Cowher, said that he was the most disrupting DT they had played against all year... He was getting better and better at pushing the pocket, producing sacks for the DEs and blitzers in the 4-3, and he was getting penetration on running plays.... Jason Ferguson's breakout season before he left here, was a direct result of a) contract year and b) playing beside a guy who commanded double teams constantly..
Remember though that for a lot of the time that D-Rob was playing 3-technique, he has Ellis and Abraham getting a lot of sacks....we don't know if maybe his assignments had been changed because of the effectiveness of our ends, but I would think that having 3 D-linemen going for the QB all the time would have made us very susceptible to screens and draws
Ferguson was a very good NT in the Parcell's-Belichik-Groh 3-4's. Not elite but very good. It took him a couple of seasons after the switch to the 4-3 to begin to recapture that form. Remember that he was drafted to play a straight 3-4 NT and not the 4-3 NT which is a somewhat different position.
Abraham was the pure pass rusher, Ellis was the anchor DE who played well against the run and the pass and wasn't always rushing the passer.
True, I guess what I meant is that the one season Abe and Ellis each had alot of sacks. The one thing about D-Rob is that he has had some pretty serious knee problems for the last 3 or 4 seasons, so that has to be affecting his play. I agree that he was more effective in the 4-3, but you have to look at what the NTs job is in the 3-4. Is he commanding a double-team? If not, then he is failing his job...if so, he is doing it. Most NTs in the NFL won't rack up tackles, they will take up blockers to the LBs can make tackles. The better guys will sometimes beat the double-team and make it into the backfield. From what I see when I watched him (and during most games I don't watch him specifically). He doesn't get pushed backwards, he holds his ground. Imagine what that must be doing to the knees..... Anyways, if the LBs can't get to the ball-carrier, that's not D-Rob's fault when he is doing his job on the line of scrimmage.
DRob played like sh*t the year after Ferg bounced. Ironically enough, Ferg is the perfect 3-4 NT we've been seeking for the past two years.
Good point, and Dallas does seem to be missing him this year... But that year, as Robertson's play improved, Ferguson, and even some of our scrub DTs in the rotation made a lot of noise....
