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The Jets linebackers got off to a rough start, but did improve as the game progressed. Let’s start our breakdown.
On the Redskins third offensive play of the game, the Redskins threw a screen to Roy Helu that gained eight yards. Aaron Maybin missed a tackle on his play.
On the next play, Fred Davis snuck behind the Jets linebackers, and went for a gain of 42 on the left side. It’s hard to annoint blame on this play because nobody was near him. He did get behind David Harris, but it’s hard to say if it was David’s fault. But remember, Mike Shanahan, has always had brilliant plans on opening drives, and this game was no different.
Then on the next play, Helu ran for nine yards to the right side. He broke a tackle by Calvin Pace early in the run.
On the Redskins second possession, Pace made a terrific play on a Helu run to the left side, and he stopped the rookie for no gain.
Bart Scott had a few stops for losses. On the Redskins second possession, Scott combined with Kyle Wilson to stop a pass on the short left side, to Santana Moss, for a loss of one. Scott also stopped a Helu screen for a loss of four in the fourth quarter.
Maybin did a nice job of mixing up his edge rushes by going inside more in this game. In the second quarter, he rushed inside, and hit Grossman as he threw, and the errant pass was picked off by Brodney Pool. The interception was negated by a Donald Strickland holding call.
Harris sniffed out a pass to the short left side to Fred Davis, late in the first half, and stopped the tight end for a loss of one. Also late in the first half, Harris tipped a pass over the middle that was intended for Moss.
On the Redskins first possession of the second half, Jamaal Westerman stopped Helu for a loss of four on a sweep to the left side. A Maybin pressure forced an incompletion to end this drive.
On the first play of a mid-third quarter drive, Westerman beat TE Logan “Pat” Paulsen for a sack.
On the first play of another third quarter Redskins possession, Harris had a near pick over the middle on a pass to Moss.
A late third quarter possession ended with a Pace pressure that led to a Scott PD on a pass on the short left side to Jabar Gaffney.
An early fourth quarter possession ended when Maybin and Harris both got in Grossman’s face, forcing him to throw the pass away.
Maybin had two more big plays as a pass rusher late in the game.
With the Jets only up 20-16, on a third-and-10, Maybin beat Redskin RT Jamaal Brown for a sack and fumble that was recovered by Pace.
Then on the first play of the Redskins next possession, he beat LT Trent Williams for a QB pressure.
The Jets linebacker had issues with Helu early, but then got used to his unusual size-speed ratio, and did a better job on the Nebraska-product as the game progressed.
