By Matthew Marczi
As has pretty much always been the case with Jason Worilds, the fourth-year outside linebacker sprinkled in both some good and some bad during his fill-in starting performance for Jarvis Jones against the Baltimore Ravens. At times, he displayed veteran awareness of his surroundings, and at others, he looked confused. For the sake of order, it is probably easiest to isolate the good from the bad. This would be the good.
Early in the game, the Ravens’ first possession is ended thanks in part to Worilds generating pressure up the middle and disrupting the timing of Joe Flacco.
Lined up in the B Gap on the defensive right side, Worilds is positioned non-traditionally, which is something that I have noticed Dick LeBeau doing frequently this season. Lawrence Timmons is lined up on the opposite side, and at the snap, crosses with Worilds, which gets the outside linebacker on the right shoulder of the center. He then beats said center with a spin move that allows him to get the quarterback moving and forces a bad throw and a punt.
LaMarr Woodley may have been the only one to come down with a sack, but Worilds helped him get it. With Woodley schemed to go up the middle, Worilds collapses the right side of the pocket with Troy Polamalu, funneling Flacco into Woodley’s grasp to force yet another punt.
Worilds may have had his own sack, however, had Polamalu not jumped offsides on an early third quarter third and short play.
Jason Worilds ended up with a sack at the end of that play—or a half-sack split with Timmons depending on one’s take—after coming off the block of left tackle Eugene Monroe. Of course it could easily be argued, and accurately, that Flacco did not settle for an easier check down pass that could have resulted in a first down anyway because he knew he had a free play, but it is still a play worth noting.
This last play, however, may be my favorite of Worilds of the day, this despite the fact that it resulted in a completed pass and a first down for the Ravens.
Before the snap, Worilds is again lined up non-traditionally—in this case at inside linebacker. He bluffs pressure before dropping into coverage. After the receiver exits his zone of responsibility in coverage, he comes after Flacco. Unfortunately, Jacoby Jones gets away from Cortez Allen before Worilds can get home, and Flacco makes a great play to get the ball to his receiver for the first down.
