The Most Productive and Efficient Pass Rushers in the NFL

Great post. No points for guys drawing double teams, false starts, or holdings on pass plays though?

 

Tipped passes as well, that is probably the most overlooked aspect of pressure on a Qb, when a rusher can defense the ball at the LoS it creates opportunites for turnovers.

That is probably the one overlooked aspect of Taylor's game, he was adept at knocking passes down.

 

That's a pretty cool look at it. Very encouraging. You're right, the loss of Roth probably still overshadows the goodness of Misi. We'll get to see him in about six weeks.

I'll nominate another variable to the pass rush mix. How about forced fumbles?

This is one thing that made JT great. He mastered the strip/sack to the point where we automatically anticipated it the moment you saw him get around a tackle.

I would submit that forcing a fumble is a rather large cherry on top of a sack, since it gives you the opportunity to create a turnover or -- (usually) at the very least -- additional negative yardage.

What say you Chris?

 

They were going to trade out of the #12 regardless Ck, they wanted to recapture a #2 pick and the contract dollars given to Brandon Marshall.

As for Roth, well, the way I see it he was forever nicked up, and if they could make him into a productive OLB, given time they could find someone to do as good, if not better job than he is doing.

That skill, identifying OLB's, is one that I will not doubt Ireland has in spades he has found a handful of dominant type OLB's and nothing Misi, or Wake has done says any differently.

That is why I think highly of Ikaika Francis, he is not there by accident, they chose him, groomed him physically, and coached him up, they clearly like his game.

 

Tackles for Loss as well, every good defense run blitzes or their DE's play the run on the way to the Qb, Dwight Freeney is famous for doing so.

Great list though, to think Paterno had Hali and Wake at PSU.

 

I've been really impress with Misi so far this season, coming out of college with only 9 sacks really concerned me but he's starting to ease that concern each week. But he still needs to learn some other techniques, you can't only depend on the bull rush.

 

ck, i think just forced fumbles should suffice ....

great work though .... my only knock on Misi from what i've seen is that he isn't adept at beating or getting by his lineman -- he just pushes them back slowly to collapse the pocket, nicely though .... albeit, Roth was never going to beat his guy .... equally, Misi is playing the weak side - whilst Roth plays the strong side (so more acceptable)

 

We could've had a Top 5 pass rusher at WOLB and a Top 5 run defender strong side. On 2nd thought, it might be better if I don't think about it .

 

my question is who do you think has the higher ceiling, Roth or Misi?

Roth is better right now, but if this is his ceiling, I can see Misi eventually passing him and being the better of the two LBs, especially if he has Wake on the other side.

 

I don't mind the Matt Roth release so much because of the two rotational players on that side as well as we aren't a Matt Roth away from a Super Bowl.

 

I do think Misi has a higher ceiling, however I believe CK was talking more of an opportunity cost. Is Misi worth more than getting another player while still keeping Roth?

 

Again, it is not the Roth part, it is the part where Miami could have gotten another player to get closer to the Super Bowl.

 

I haven't seen alot of Matt Roth this year, but given what he did here and last year in Cleveland those numbers are kind of misleading. Most of his career sacks as an OLB at least were a function of getting isolated on a TE or RB and being able to run them over in a base 3-4. I don't think he's much of a threat in a Nickel package where he's more likely to go against a Tackle.

Looks like Marcus Bernard with 4.5 sacks comes in for him in normal passing situations still.

 

that is irrelevant. It is not like Matt Roth is the only OLB to be isolated on a TE or a RB. Doesn't skew his numbers at all.

 

Matt Roth will be a FA in after this season, but I doubt he comes back here. He did spend the offseason working out down here with Odrick and Langford.

 

I made it a point to try and watch him play last season and what stood out to me was his bullrush was powerful enough to take on Tackles and Centers on Stunts, he was unblockable late in the yr vs Pittsburgh.

Tackle, Center, Te, if you do not have a sound base, he would just bull them over or out of the way.

 

So Chad Henne can't rush the passer either? What a loser.

 

Yes, it absolutely does. Anthony Spencer, LaMarr Woodley, hell, even Koa Misi doesn't draw backs as often as Roth does.

There's a very good reason why despite Matt Roth being pretty productive snap wise he'll get rotated out on passing downs.

 

I love how everyone who rides Roth's jock keeps glossing over the fact that Roth has a constant groin injury that will flare up again at some point. Sure he's been alright since coming back, but how long before he's missing games or going into the tank again cause of that groin?

It'd be like when we had Smiley here, always wondering just how long it was going to be before Smiley was hurt again.

 

Misi is not a good pass rusher. He has one pass rush move. The bull rush...he has great motor, but as of today, he's not a good pass rusher

 

Do you have actual proof of this?

 

His production and pressures seem to suggest otherwise?

 

Besides actually, you know, watching and being aware of the history of how he is used? Not really. Maybe I'm lying to impress you?

 

Misi is leading all rookies in sacks with 3, and is tied for the NFL lead in fumbles recovered with 2, and he has only 5 fewer Qb pressures than Cam Wake (15 to 10), and Misi is rotated out of games more often than Wake is.

Misi also stepped into Bobby Carpenter's Nickel ILB role.

 

Yea and two of his three sacks are coverage sacks. The other I can think of off the top of my head. I didn't say he was a bad pass rusher, I just simply said not good. He's not good at pass rushing yet...

Misi is good in coverage, he has a good bull rush, no other pass rush moves, great motor, and good in coverage.

 

I can't say I recall any plays where Misi gets to the QB quickly. I think his best pass rushing attributes may be his tenacity and relentlessness. I know I saw some explosiveness in Misi's college rush, but I haven't seen him jump of the screen as a pass rusher in the pros. Even in college when he did flash, he seemed to just miss the sack.

 

Are you saying I do not watch football?

There are a lot of linebackers who are 1-on-1 against a runningback. Roth is still putting up better stats then them.

 

That's pretty definitive.

 

I can't say I've focused on Misi, so you may be right, but I can say he hasn't jumped out at me.

 

Misi mentioned in a previous article a few weeks back that he has 3 strong moves, which he has worked on all TC and has continued to use into the regular season. As Disgustipate stated, his production suggests otherwise. I have seen more than just a bull rush when I have watched him, albeit sparingly, but he needs to refine a few things.

 

Koa has been getting some press recently:

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/20711/koa-misi-making-his-mark-for-dolphins

 

Uh. No production doesn't state otherwise, because he got 2 coverage sacks his production shows?
Were not talking about good coverage and then a sack, bit those sacks were great coverage and QB not knowing what to do, then Misi got to him. Now had Misi not had the great motor he does he wouldn't of gotten there. But proof is in the pudding...watch the guy rush the passer, he's not there just yet...