Has Chandler Jones arrived? A statistical look at the 1st two weeks

AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt

Chandler Jones was probably the MVP in last weeks 30-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings, blocking a field goal attempt and returning it for a touchdown, which was probably the big play of the game, as it gave the Patriots a 24-7 lead instead of a 17-10 lead. But, more than that, he was vastly improved from Week 1 to Week 2 and the stats back it up.

In Week 1, his overall rating was a -5.3. Yes, he was so bad in Week 1 against Miami that he was rated negatively. The reason? His run defense was rated at -2.8 and his pass rush was rated at -0.7. He only had 2 tackles against Miami, had 2 penalties (for a rating of -1.8), had 1 missed tackle and had 2 stops. That was good for 50th (dead last) among 3-4 defensive ends in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus.

Week 2 was a much different story. He was ranked #1 by PFF among 3-4 outside linebackers with a rating of 8.9. In Week 2 against the Vikings, his run defense was rated at 3.6 while his pass rush was rated at 5.1, and that included 2 sacks and 5 QB hurries. He also generated 5 tackles, 2 assists and 5 stops last week playing on the outside.

It looks like moving Jones to the outside in the 3-4 defense was a big step forward for the Pats, at least from what the stats say. I echo Mark Daniels sentiments (tweet below) to keep him out there going forward, as it seems to have worked.

I had Chandler Jones getting 7/8 tackles (&both sacks) while playing on the edge Sunday. He had one tackle playing inside. Keep him outside!
— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) September 16, 2014

All stats from Pro Football Focus.

Thoughts? Let me know on Twitter (@C_Frederick1016) or leave a comment.