Stop me if you’ve heard that defense wins championships in the NFL. That phrase has been the old adage for winning Super Bowls for decades. This is especially true when referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
From Chuck Noll to Bill Cowher, the Steelers have had quality defenses that have made big plays in big moments that have lead to championships. The Mike Tomlin era has been no different. You may remember when he released the emotional leader of the defense, Joey Porter, going into his 2007 season for a little known linebacker named James Harrison, who had been cut by the Steelers previously in his career. James Harrison (AKA “Deebo”) made the most of his opportunity with a 98 tackle, 8.5 sack season in 2007 followed by a Defensive MVP year in 2008. Injuries, a high cap number, and an unwillingness to take less money lead to Harrison’s release.
The replacement for James Harrison is Jason Worilds, a 2nd round pick in the 2010 Draft, but the Steelers needed more pass rush help. They ranked 15th in the league in sacks in the 2012 season and 17th in sacks in the 2011 season – clearly not acceptable for Steeler Football. Outside help needed to happen, and they got some help through the 2013 NFL draft.
A 4.9 forty yard dash and a spinal stenosis scare dropped Jarvis Jones to the 17th pick in the draft after he had been slotted to go much sooner by many prognosticators. The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t sprint fast enough to the podium to draft the SEC sack leader. So how does Jarvis stack up against the Steelers edge rushers?
Jarvis Jones came into training camp to compete with Jason Worilds for the Right Outside Linebacker spot. Worilds led all OLBs with 5 sacks. Worilds is young, sat behind Harrison for three seasons, and knows the system. So what can Jarvis Jones do that the Steelers can use? More importantly, what can he do that Jason Worilds can’t do?
The first and probably most important thing regarding Jones is that came from a system that showcased him at ROLB, not a converted DE like Worilds or Lamarr Woodley, the Steelers Left Outside Linebacker. Jones understands reading coverages already out of college, which helps to speed up the Dick LeBeau rookie learning curve. Jones also has shown a knack for creating turnovers this preseason, which is something that the Steelers need to replace with the release of James Harrison. He has already recovered a fumble against the Giants and forced a fumble against the Redskins. He seems to just find the ball and take it away from the offense in many ways, something Jason Worilds has yet to show in his career on a consistent basis. Along with competing with Jason Worilds, Jarvis will try to succeed the man who cemented the ROLB spot for 6 seasons, accumulating 64 sacks in the process.
So how does he stack against James Harrison? What makes him as good and what will he have to work on?
James Harrison is a known gym rat and is an intimidating presence on the field even to his own teammates. He is incredibly strong, and uses great leverage when rushing the passer and setting the edge against the run. Jarvis will probably never be as strong as James Harrison but still is able to use leverage to his advantage using his heavy hands. He has been able to hold stout against the run during the preseason, an aspect of his game I was admittedly concerned about when he was drafted. During the 2nd preseason game against the Redskins, he successfully set of the edge on run plays toward his direction. He forced the runners toward the middle of the field where his teammates would make the tackle soon after. That is text book run defense for an OLB. Harrison made a living in Pittsburgh for years with plays like that.
Another aspect of Jones’s game shown in Georgia that I’m sure reminded the Steelers of Harrison was his relentless pursuit to the QB. Jones, like Harrison, can not only get to the QB but create “splash plays” when he gets there. He made himself a household name in offensive backfields in the 2011 and 2012 season notching 28 sacks within two starting seasons. If the Steelers are going to get back to pass rushing dominance, they’re going to need Jarvis Jones to make those splash plays he made at Georgia.
The Steelers have a strong history of defense from the 70s Steel Curtain Defense to now. The past two seasons, they have allowed the fewest yards of any defense but the dominance especially late in games has been missing. The Steelers need that closer on the blindside that was held down by James Harrison, Joey Porter, and Greg Lloyd. Can Jarvis Jones be next? His journey begins September 8, 2013.
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