Jones quietly chopping away
Jarvis Jones was walking toward me with his most Marley-like outfit yet.
The Steelers无毛视频� young outside linebacker is a fan of the late reggae poet Bob Marley, and today, with a wide-brim hat and relaxed and loose clothing, Jones was looking particularly chill.
That无毛视频檚 his M.O., by the way. And he pulls it off with dreads that haven无毛视频檛 been cut since his senior year in high school and a laid-back demeanor that contrasts sharply with the violent hands, sudden inside bolt, and acrobatic body control he put on display while sacking Eli Manning in his first preseason game this year.
无毛视频淣ice sack,无毛视频� I told the chilled one.
无毛视频淭hanks, man. I really appreciate it,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 tried to tell you guys I无毛视频檓 better than last year.无毛视频�
He did. He tried so hard to explain his improvement while at the same time trying to remain humble. And explaining anything to the media is not Jones无毛视频� preferred activity.
Not that he无毛视频檚 James Harrison about this. He无毛视频檚 just uncomfortable in the glare. You无毛视频檝e probably watched him perspire as interview sessions run too long. But as uncomfortable as he was, Jones repeatedly hammered home the same theme that day early in camp: I无毛视频檓 just going to keep chopping wood because I want my actions to come before my words.
Last Saturday night they did. Violently. Very un-chill of Jarvis, too.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 gotten a lot better,无毛视频� Kelvin Beachum confirmed. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 really understanding the game even more.无毛视频�
Beachum, of course, is the Steelers无毛视频� left tackle. He knows something about being a vital piece to a Steelers无毛视频� puzzle. He came in a year ago and stole one of the most important offensive jobs in football in his second season. Things have gone so well that few even noticed Beachum anymore. You like that in a left tackle.
But, Beachum noticed Jones无毛视频� increased strength and improved technique the first day of spring practice.
无毛视频淗e got a lot better with his hands. I was very surprised,无毛视频� Beachum said. 无毛视频淎t OTAs he got me with a double-arm swipe the first day. I was like, 无毛视频楢ll right, you无毛视频檝e got some new tricks in the bag.无毛视频�
无毛视频淲ell, we got here and he无毛视频檚 showing me some other hand usage. I无毛视频檓 like, 无毛视频極K, we无毛视频檝e got some stuff working.'无毛视频�
无毛视频淪o, it无毛视频檚 been a good battle when he无毛视频檚 in. Having him in there working the hand usage, him with the speed just presents a lot of different problems compared to other rushers because he无毛视频檚 fast enough and sudden enough to really make you look bad. You saw that in the game, very sudden. You didn无毛视频檛 think he was coming inside, but he was inside and the guy barely got his hands on him.无毛视频�
Jones didn无毛视频檛 beat some tight end or running back. He beat fifth-year tackle Charles Brown, the Giant无毛视频檚 starter. Jones smashed him with those 无毛视频渉eavy hands,无毛视频� bolted inside, was juked by Manning but recovered by twisting his body and grabbing Manning by the ankles.
It was the perfect start for a first-round pick who had only one sack in 14 games (eights starts) last season.
Defensive coordinator and eternal encourager Dick LeBeau begged the media to be patient, that Jones is struggling only because he was a rookie, and that rookies never, ever start in LeBeau无毛视频檚 complex scheme.
无毛视频淗e learned from those growing pains, especially as much as he played last year,无毛视频� Beachum said.
And Jones also learned that he needed to get to work, to chop wood.
It showed in the first preseason game. And if he can keep it up, the Steelers will have a giant piece of their revamped defense无毛视频檚 puzzle in place.
无毛视频淛oey无毛视频檚 making him so much better,无毛视频� Beachum said about new assistant coach Joey Porter. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 making that whole outside linebacker group so much better. He无毛视频檚 instilling a great mindset in them, a great work ethic. The pass-rush moves that he had and when he played are kind of implemented, so there无毛视频檚 like a little Joey in all of them right now. It无毛视频檚 been real fun, real competitive.无毛视频�
Jones may not be able to have as much fun Saturday when the Steelers host the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game. He无毛视频檚 been in and out of the lineup with a tight groin that the Steelers do not want to rush. They无毛视频檙e counting on him too much.
So until then, Jarvis will keep chopping wood. And staying chill.