Expectations, hope and Jason Peters

We've seen and read all about it, with the acquisition of the great Jason Peters, most analysts are quick to label the Iggles OLine the best unit in the League... Well, he isn't the only factor, but really, the LT gets most of the ink... But, how good Peters really is, is an interesting question. So, what do we know of him?

2007

Pass protection: 6 sacks allowed, 1 holding and 5 false starts.

Run blocking: Left End carries 2.73 ALY (29th) and Left Tackle carries 3.89 ALY (23rd).

2008

Pass protection: 11.5 sacks allowed, 2 holding and 4 false starts.

Run blocking: Left End carries 5.68 ALY (2nd) and Left Tackle carries 4.16 ALY (15th).

What are we supposed to make from this numbers? The story that people likes to throw at us, especially Iggle fans and their imaginative hope, is that Peters missed his team Offseason and as such wasn't in a rythm for the whole season... Well, what about his numbers run blocking? What about his numbers as a run blocker in 2007? He sucked in 2007 when he was well trained and in synch and played brilliant blocking football in 2008 while overweight and unsynchronized? I can sense a funny smell.

Interesting numbers, but we can't make much from this numbers, he had a really good season in pass protection and a great one run blocking, that he was cold in the other area while hot in the previously mentioned ones is a small yellow flag because he already proved to be capable of being above really good in both... He only needs to whatever it takes to be above really good in both and he may live up to the hype.

There's another thing that we know, and really well due to first hand experience, in 2007 the Cowboys visited the Bills.

But, before going through the numbers of that game, let's walk back in time and let's see the kind of pass rushers that Peters faced at that point in time.

2007 Bills schedule:

Week 1 - Sep 9 Denver ------------- Dumervil 12 sacks (played great against average and poor OTs)
Week 2 - Sep 16 at Pittsburgh ---- Harrison 8 sacks
Week 3 - Sep 23 at New England - Thomas 6 sacks
Week 4 - Sep 30 N.Y. Jets ---------- Hobson 2 sacks
Week 5 - Oct 8 Dallas ---------------- Ware 14 sacks
Week 7 - Oct 21 Baltimore --------- Suggs 5 sacks
Week 8 - Oct 28 at N.Y. Jets ------- Hobson
Week 9 - Nov 4 Cincinnati ---------- J. Smith 2 sacks
Week 10 - Nov 11 at Miami --------- Taylor 11 sacks
Week 11 - Nov 18 New England --- Thomas
Week 12 - Nov 25 at Jacksonville  Hayward 4 sacks
Week 13 - Dec 2 at Washington -- Carter 10 sacks
Week 14 - Dec 9 Miami -------------- Taylor
Week 15 - Dec 16 at Cleveland ---- Wimbley 5 sacks
Week 16 - Dec 23 N.Y. Giants ------ Umenyiora 13 sacks
Week 17 - Dec 30 at Philadelphia - Cole 12 sacks

Average: 7.7 sacks.

2008 Bills schedule:

Week 1 - Sun, Sep 7 Seattle -------------- Jackson 2 sacks
Week 2 - Sun, Sep 14 at Jacksonville -- Hayward 4 sacks
Week 3 - Sun, Sep 21 Oakland ----------- Burgess 3.5 sacks
Week 4 - Sun, Sep 28 at St. Louis ------- Long 4 sacks
Week 5 - Sun, Oct 5 at Arizona ----------- LaBoy 4 sacks
Week 7 - Sun, Oct 19 San Diego ---------- Phillips 7.5 sacks
Week 8 - Sun, Oct 26 at Miami ------------ Porter 18 sacks
Week 9 - Sun, Nov 2 NY Jets -------------- Pace 7 sacks
Week 10 - Sun, Nov 9 at New England -- Thomas 5 sacks
Week 11 - Mon, Nov 17 Cleveland ------- Wimbley 4 sacks
Week 12 - Sun, Nov 23 at Kansas City -- Hali 3 sacks
Week 13 - Sun, Nov 30 San Francisco -- Lawson 3 sacks
Week 14 - Sun, Dec 7 Miami -------------- Porter
Week 15 - Sun, Dec 14 at NY Jets -------- Pace

Average: 6.9 sacks.

Mmmmh... His sacks allowed went up with lower level competition... Guess what? His competition in 2009, health related, seems thougher than his 2007 competition.

So, let's look at the numbers of the 2007 game against Dallas.

I focused on Peters matchups and how he fared against it. I also focused on the amount of time that it took the QB to get rid of the ball. A pressure means that the rusher was within one yard of Trent Edwards (he finished on the ground more than once). And I also had my eye for his success as a run blocker.

• 35 passing plays.
• 27 attempts were thrown under 4 seconds.
• 16 attempts were under the shotgun formation.
• Peters allowed half a sack (Ware) and 5 pressures (James, Ware x3 and Bowen).
• Peters also missed a CB blitz while he double teamed Canty, Reeves had another pressure.
• Peters was a complete non-factor run blocking. Often pulling and blocking air while failing to pick up targets (against Burnett, 230 pounds, and Newman, 190 for losses or no gain).

The Bills showed that they didn't trusted very much their pass protection with all of their short attempts, shotgun formations and the amount of pressure that the Cowboys generated, in Ware's half a sack for example, Spencer reached Edwards within 3 seconds but only pushed him towards Ware, Ware came close to bringing him down, couldn't but held him in place, Ratliff took him down, the whole play took close to 6 seconds.

Is this an indication of future performance? No, Peters may be a better, or much better, player if he lives up to his potential, but the thing is that it would be better for him to live up to his potential as Ware and James had much better years as pass rushers in 2008 and they showed that they could beat Peters in his best pass protection form.