What Happened to Jason Worilds

[squidkid]

tomlin throwing another 1 under the bus..............he's c racking under pressure and unraveling

[papillon]

Next year- Move Shazier to OLB? Could he be worse? Does having Spence play make the D worse?

In my opinion, getting some impact from a NT makes a huge difference to this team. Until the DL can dominate, I wouldn't be expecting our LB's to dominate either- no matter how much you throw at them. I think Jones was producing good pressure until his injury. Shazier is a different beast- a speed guy, but there is no reason it can't work. And Shazier's run defense is no worse (probably a better tackler with much better recovery speed) than Worilds to play OLB. Spence has done some good, and Williams is better than some want to give credit for. Would be interesting to see the development of Howard Jones next Camp.

I think Shazier would be fine at OLB if they never ran at him and he was chasing down plays from the backside. Unfortunately, most OCs would realize that he's a little light in the britches and run directly at him and I just don't see how he would be able to set the edge at his weight and strength. His impact will be inside running sideline to sideline and covering TEs, otherwise, he'll be another pick that didn't pan out, IMO

Pappy

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers' Worilds is forced to cover, not rush

October 16, 2014
By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Like any good pass rusher, linebacker Jason Worilds wants the opportunity to rush the quarterback. He just does not think he’s getting the chance as often this season because he said the Steelers have him covering receivers instead.

He acknowledges his forte is rushing the quarterback.

“I would think they understand that,” Worilds said Wednesday after practice. “I would hope that they know that I rush the passer, so if they put me out of position, they do it knowing that they’re taking me out of position to make plays.”

Worilds was not particularly complaining about it, just stating facts as he sees them.

“Some of the things that we’re doing, some of the positions that they’re playing [us] is kind of to help the defense, more so than from, I guess, a schematic standpoint with me individually rushing.

“If it helps the defense … I’m going to do that for my team.”

The Steelers are paying Worilds $9,754,000 this season after making him their transition player so he could not leave as a free agent after the 2013 season. He blossomed in the second half the season when he settled in as their starting left outside linebacker and had seven of his team-leading eight sacks over the final nine games.

They released LaMarr Woodley to make room for Worilds at outside linebacker and under their salary cap. But through six games, he has just two sacks, one behind defensive end Cam Heyward and tied with Jarvis Jones, who is injured and has played only three games. The Steelers have nine sacks as a team, on pace for 24 for the season. That would be their fewest by far since they had 19 in the 5-11 season of 1988.

Coach Mike Tomlin offered a mixed review Tuesday when asked how Worilds has played this season.

“He’s had some good games and performance in pockets of games, and he’s had some games where he’s been less impactful. We’re compensating him to be consistently impactful, and that’s what we’re searching for.”

Worilds said he was unaware of Tomlin’s comments.

“I didn’t hear that but I guess it’s more so just me trying to execute in those coverages, I guess making more plays in those coverages,” he said. “If you’re not getting the opportunity to rush, then you got to make some plays somewhere else. So I need to get with the DBs I guess.”

He said he believes Tomlin knows what Worilds is being asked to do in the schemes defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau runs.

“He’s the head coach, he knows,” Worilds said. “I think it’s more or less I guess a form of motivation” why he said what he did.

Pro Football Focus, which charts every play of every team, rates Worilds as the Steelers best pass rusher this season. They have him playing more than any other defender with 385 play counts, including penalties. Of those, they count him rushing the passer 128 times and covering receivers 96 times, along with playing the run 156 times.

LeBeau’s 3-4 defensive scheme is heavy on the zone blitz or “fire zones,” which are used to confuse offenses by rushing players who might not be expected to rush the quarterback at times and dropping those expected to rush into pass coverage.

The two outside linebackers are still considered their main pass rushers, but Worilds is not the first to mention that he drops into pass coverage a lot more than he wishes he would. Woodley said it as well.

“As a rusher, absolutely, you want to get after the quarterback every play,” Worilds said. “We’re already in a defense in which we don’t do that compared to other defenses. But, if you get 10 rushes, you have to take advantage of those 10 rushes you get.”

Worilds believes he’s doing a good job in coverage but is surprised they don’t let him rush the quarterback more.

“I mean, yeah, as a rusher, but the coaches think I’m versatile enough to take away some of the offensive threats man-to-man, so …”

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/10/16/Worilds-is-forced-to-cover-not-rush/stories/201410160212?ClearCache=1[/URL]

[Slapstick]

So, if that stat is correct, then Worilds is getting a sack 1 time out of 64 QB rushes. Yeah...

[Shoe]

He acknowledges his forte is rushing the quarterback.

“I would think they understand that,” Worilds said Wednesday after practice. “I would hope that they know that I rush the passer, so if they put me out of position, they do it knowing that they’re taking me out of position to make plays.”

Worilds was not particularly complaining about it, just stating facts as he sees them.

What an annoying sound bite from this guy... passive-aggressive, IMMATURE, blame-shifting. Accept the fact that, whatever they are doing with you--YOU AREN'T PLAYING UP TO SNUFF. You are being paid $10m, if they want you to cover 100% of the time, you still have to produce!

Worilds is what he is... i.e. not a bell-cow. NOT a guy you can hang your hat on. He is a guy when, the going is good or there is no pressure on him to produce, can do fine. Even then, he isn't a game-changing guy. But when the chips are down and you need someone to make a statement, he is not that. He is part of the reason a statement needs to be made.

[NorthCoast]

I read it as a case where the opponent's offense is dictating what/how the Steelers defense must play. Whatever happened to "imposing your will"? If Worilds wants to rush more he should get more results the times he IS allowed to rush.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers Not Rushing QB as Often

By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jason Worilds has a point – if you want to judge him and PAY HIM based on his sacks and pressures, he should get more opportunities to rush the quarterback.

As I point out in my PG story today, Worilds has not had the kind of chances to rush the quarterback you might thing for a pass-rushing outside linebacker. We will use Pro Football Focus stats here because those are the only ones available to us and they break down every play for every player.

In passing situations only, they have Worilds rushing the quarterback 128 times and covering passes 96 times. So, he rushes 57.1 percent of the time when the opponent passes. The three right outside linebackers combined rushed 135 times and covered 89 times or 60.2 percent of the times.

Those percentages of rushing the passer are down considerably over past seasons. Consider that in 2013, Worilds rushed the passer 378 times and covered on 100 plays, according to PFF. That meant he rushed 79 percent of the time last season. In 2012, LaMarr Woodley rushed 64.5 percent and James Harrison rushed 62.1 percent.

The breakdown on the rushes by the three right outside linebackers this season go like this, according to PFF: Jarvis Jones 39 rushes, 47 covers for 45.3 percent rushes; Arthur Moats 67-29 for 69.8 percent; James Harrison 29-13 for 69 percent.

[URL]http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2014/10/16/Steelers-Not-Rushing-QB-as-Often/stories/201410160001[/URL]

[Shoe]

Steelers Not Rushing QB as Often

By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jason Worilds has a point – if you want to judge him and PAY HIM based on his sacks and pressures, he should get more opportunities to rush the quarterback.

As I point out in my PG story today, Worilds has not had the kind of chances to rush the quarterback you might thing for a pass-rushing outside linebacker. We will use Pro Football Focus stats here because those are the only ones available to us and they break down every play for every player.

In passing situations only, they have Worilds rushing the quarterback 128 times and covering passes 96 times. So, he rushes 57.1 percent of the time when the opponent passes. The three right outside linebackers combined rushed 135 times and covered 89 times or 60.2 percent of the times.

Those percentages of rushing the passer are down considerably over past seasons. Consider that in 2013, Worilds rushed the passer 378 times and covered on 100 plays, according to PFF. That meant he rushed 79 percent of the time last season. In 2012, LaMarr Woodley rushed 64.5 percent and James Harrison rushed 62.1 percent.

The breakdown on the rushes by the three right outside linebackers this season go like this, according to PFF: Jarvis Jones 39 rushes, 47 covers for 45.3 percent rushes; Arthur Moats 67-29 for 69.8 percent; James Harrison 29-13 for 69 percent.

[URL]http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2014/10/16/Steelers-Not-Rushing-QB-as-Often/stories/201410160001[/URL]

Those stats can be taken a couple of ways though. You could say that he doesn't get enough chances, to accumulate sacks. BUT--you could also say that, since the OL doesn't know if he is coming or not, he (all the front 7) should be beneficiaries of the surprise (confusion) factor.

But we all know that's not true.

[feltdizz]

Steelers Not Rushing QB as Often

By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jason Worilds has a point – if you want to judge him and PAY HIM based on his sacks and pressures, he should get more opportunities to rush the quarterback.

As I point out in my PG story today, Worilds has not had the kind of chances to rush the quarterback you might thing for a pass-rushing outside linebacker. We will use Pro Football Focus stats here because those are the only ones available to us and they break down every play for every player.

In passing situations only, they have Worilds rushing the quarterback 128 times and covering passes 96 times. So, he rushes 57.1 percent of the time when the opponent passes. The three right outside linebackers combined rushed 135 times and covered 89 times or 60.2 percent of the times.

Those percentages of rushing the passer are down considerably over past seasons. Consider that in 2013, Worilds rushed the passer 378 times and covered on 100 plays, according to PFF. That meant he rushed 79 percent of the time last season. In 2012, LaMarr Woodley rushed 64.5 percent and James Harrison rushed 62.1 percent.

The breakdown on the rushes by the three right outside linebackers this season go like this, according to PFF: Jarvis Jones 39 rushes, 47 covers for 45.3 percent rushes; Arthur Moats 67-29 for 69.8 percent; James Harrison 29-13 for 69 percent.

[URL]http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2014/10/16/Steelers-Not-Rushing-QB-as-Often/stories/201410160001[/URL]

I agree with Worilds as well. Only problem I have with him is his rush defense, we paid him for that part of his game as well

[Slapstick]

So, based on those stats, Worilds is rushing the QB about 2 rushes per game less, on average....

That's really going to make a difference in the way he's playing...

[birtikidis]

So, based on those stats, Worilds is rushing the QB about 2 rushes per game less, on average....

That's really going to make a difference in the way he's playing...

I think you read the stat wrong. He's rushed 128 or 21 rush attempts per game. and he's dropped in coverage 96 times or 16 times per game.
teams have attempted 196 passes on our defense and completed 119 for 60.7 percent completion. I'm sure that Worilds hasn't rushed a total of 12 times over 196 attempted passes.
long story short. HE GETS HIS RUSHES HE JUST DOESN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THEM.
my biggest gripe is that he has 10! 10! tackles. Where is his run support? They run right at him afterall.

[hawaiiansteel]

Stats on Worilds don't lie

Jason Worilds said this week that he is not getting as many chances to rush the passer because his coaches have him covering receivers more often.

In fact, his chances to rush the quarterback have been reduced considerably. Pro Football Focus breaks down every play for every player and lists whether a defender rushes the quarterback, covers a receiver or plays the run on every play.

In passing situations only, they have Worilds rushing the quarterback 128 times and covering passes 96 times through six games. That means he rushes 57.1 percent of the time when the opponent passes. The three outside linebackers who have played on the right side this season for the Steelers have rushed the quarterback 135 times and covered 89 times or 60.2 percent of the times.

Those percentages of rushing the passer are way down. Consider that in 2013, Worilds rushed the passer 378 times and covered on 100 plays, according to PFF. That meant he rushed 79 percent of the time last season. In 2012, LaMarr Woodley rushed 64.5 percent and James Harrison rushed 62.1 percent.

The breakdown on the rushes by the three right outside linebackers this season go like this, according to PFF: Jarvis Jones 39 rushes, 47 covers for 45.3 percent rushes; Arthur Moats 67-29 for 69.8 percent; and James Harrison 29-13 for 69 percent.

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/10/19/On-the-Steelers-For-Le-Veon-Bell-there-will-be-no-getting-around-two-game-suspension/stories/201410190169[/URL]

[Slapstick]

I think you read the stat wrong. He's rushed 128 or 21 rush attempts per game. and he's dropped in coverage 96 times or 16 times per game.
teams have attempted 196 passes on our defense and completed 119 for 60.7 percent completion. I'm sure that Worilds hasn't rushed a total of 12 times over 196 attempted passes.
long story short. HE GETS HIS RUSHES HE JUST DOESN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THEM.
my biggest gripe is that he has 10! 10! tackles. Where is his run support? They run right at him afterall.

2014: 128 attempts or 21 rushes per game.

2013: 378 attempts or 23.6 rushes per game.

I didn't break it down by percentages or even verify if Worilds played all 16 games last year. Just some quick arithmetic.

[Oviedo]

Stats on Worilds don't lie

Jason Worilds said this week that he is not getting as many chances to rush the passer because his coaches have him covering receivers more often.

In fact, his chances to rush the quarterback have been reduced considerably. Pro Football Focus breaks down every play for every player and lists whether a defender rushes the quarterback, covers a receiver or plays the run on every play.

In passing situations only, they have Worilds rushing the quarterback 128 times and covering passes 96 times through six games. That means he rushes 57.1 percent of the time when the opponent passes. The three outside linebackers who have played on the right side this season for the Steelers have rushed the quarterback 135 times and covered 89 times or 60.2 percent of the times.

Those percentages of rushing the passer are way down. Consider that in 2013, Worilds rushed the passer 378 times and covered on 100 plays, according to PFF. That meant he rushed 79 percent of the time last season. In 2012, LaMarr Woodley rushed 64.5 percent and James Harrison rushed 62.1 percent.

The breakdown on the rushes by the three right outside linebackers this season go like this, according to PFF: Jarvis Jones 39 rushes, 47 covers for 45.3 percent rushes; Arthur Moats 67-29 for 69.8 percent; and James Harrison 29-13 for 69 percent.

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/10/19/On-the-Steelers-For-Le-Veon-Bell-there-will-be-no-getting-around-two-game-suspension/stories/201410190169[/URL]

Sounds to me that teams have figured out LeBeau's scheme and know how to lessen the pressure on their QB by forcing the OLBs to drop into coverage. When that happens, the three man defensive line is overmatched by five pass blockers. Pretty sure way to make sure that the "legendary" defense designed to pressure the QB can't do that. End result is our secondary giving 8-10 yard cushions is exposed.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Sounds to me that teams have figured out LeBeau's scheme and know how to lessen the pressure on their QB by forcing the OLBs to drop into coverage. When that happens, the three man defensive line is overmatched by five pass blockers. Pretty sure way to make sure that the "legendary" defense designed to pressure the QB can't do that. End result is our secondary giving 8-10 yard cushions is exposed.

And end result of that, way too often, is FAIL.