Breaking Down Sheldon Richardson's Dominant Performance vs. Minnesota Vikings
Burdened with the weight of a 2-11 record with inevitable firings on the horizon, there are few catalysts of positive vibes surrounding the New York Jets.
They can, however, take some solace in knowing that they have a budding superstar in defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, whose dominant performance against the Minnesota Vikings reminded everyone of just how much potential he had coming into this season.
Somewhat overshadowed by his more established linemate, Muhammad Wilkerson, the argument can be made that Richardson is Wilkerson's equal on the field. If Sunday's performance is any indication, he may be close to surpassing last year's team MVP.
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His incredible stat line, highlighted by three sacks, does not even do his performance justice.
Sheldon has already established himself as one of the top defensive linemen in football after winning last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. However, with Wilkerson out of the lineup dealing with an injury, Richardson's outstanding play can no longer be outshined by the superstars around him.
More so than anything else, it was Richardson's play that kept the game in check following Geno Smith's pick-six on the first snap of the game—and he nearly made the game-saving tackle the rest of the Jets secondary failed to make.
Edge Explosiveness and Flexibility
Richardson has earned a reputation for being a terror interior rusher, but he made one of his biggest plays of the season with an edge rush generated from a stunt move that most 300-pound humans would not dream of performing.
Richardson starts the play on the interior, but he and Jason Babin are set to run a stunt that sends Babin inside, giving Richardson a one-on-one matchup with the left tackle.
This one-on-one battle, however, never actually takes place—Richardson blows by the tackle, covering up several yards of turf before the tackle begins to realize what is going on.
Teddy Bridgewater never has a chance, as Richardson closes in on the safety to change the course of the game, giving the Jets two points, possession and loads of momentum.
What is most impressive about this play is the flexibility and bend Richardson shows coming around the edge. At his weight, it is incredible that he is able to bend at such a sharp angle without losing his balance, getting maximum leverage around the tackle to make the play.
Here, Richardson executes a move that is typically reserved for much lighter 4-3 defensive tackles. In fact, there are plenty of defensive ends and linebackers without the flexibility and explosiveness shown from Richardson. With his rare athleticism, Richardson is able to move in a way that gives him virtually unlimited versatility to fit in whatever defensive scheme the Jets bring in next year.
Stack and Shed
Richardson makes his "almighty dollar" from his athletic pass-rushing moves, but that does not mean he is any less effective in basic run techniques that allow him to stay on the field for all three downs. After all, Richardson is the fifth-best run defender at this position, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the same spot he was at as a rookie in 2013.
Interior linemen technique is hardly highlighted during a live broadcast, but there was one instance during Sunday's game in which Richardson's excellence in this area was spotlighted for all to see.
On a key goal-to-go situation, the Vikings call a draw play for Bridgewater—he never had any intention of passing out of an empty backfield.
Anticipating a pass, the Jets are exposed to the draw with each lineman locked up in blocks, including Richardson. However, just as Bridgewater appears set to waltz into the end zone, Richardson is able to "stack" Vladimir Ducasse by extending his arms before "shedding" him (disengaging from the block) to make the tackle in time.
Getting away from Vladimir Ducasse is hardly enough to make anyone a superstar, but what is most impressive here is how quickly Richardson was able to recognize the situation and get out of his block in fractions of a second.
Remember, Richardson has time to "shed" properly, getting Bridgewater as soon as he gets by—if he was too early, Bridgewater would have found another route to the end zone far away from Richardson.
Intangibles
The NFL has seen plenty of athletic freaks pass through its revolving doors, but the ones who stick around for the long term have the proper blend of skill and tenacity.
Richardson has found the perfect blend between the two.
The only man in pursuit on Jarius Wright's game-winning catch-and-run? Richardson. Outrunning the entire Jets defense in faint hopes of stopping the inevitable, Richardson actually was going stride-for-stride with a wide receiver in case there was the need for any more proof of his inhuman athletic ability.
After the play was over, Richardson was the only man to show real emotion after the loss. Watching him, you could not tell if the Jets were just eliminated from a wild card or dropped to 2-11.
Sunday was hardly the first time Richardson showed emotion after a loss. He appeared disturbed after the recent loss to the Buffalo Bills—the only player in the locker room to recognize their embarrassing record and appear visibly distraught over the on-field results.
This emotional edge has a tangible presence on the field. Richardson is willing and able to run down plays and shift into an extra gear that most players simply are not willing to. He may be gifted, but he squeezes every ounce of talent that he has out of himself.
Through his play and attitude on and off the field, Richardson has more than earned the respect of his teammates, who recognize just how dominant he is.
As abysmal of a season as this has been for the Jets, Richardson's underappreciated play has been a lone bright spot. The Jets have a lot of work to do before they are able to right the ship once and for all, but they have at least one cornerstone player in place in Richardson.
Advanced statistics provided by ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required).
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