Harrison is having fun playing in the middle of the line flanked by second-year pro Dalvin Tomlinson and third-round draft pick B.J. Hill.
While there are fewer linemen in the formation, players say the defense is much more aggressive than the old 4-3 scheme. The linemen have gone from playing a two-gap responsibility to attacking one-gap.
"It just takes me back to my first years in the league," the 29-year-old Harrison said Wednesday before practice. "It's kind of like a Rex Ryan-type defense. It's a lot of attacking, it's not sitting around waiting, trying to read and see the other guys on the offense are doing - it's playing defense with an offensive mentality."
In the formation, Harrison tends to shade on either side of the center, while Tomlinson and Hill pick a gap between the guard and tackle.
What also makes James Bettcher's defense interesting is the linemen also can rotate, so are not going up against the same opponent each play.
When the linebackers and defensive backs join the rush, it adds to the confusion.
While the Giants (3-13) struggled last season, Harrison was again outstanding. He has started every game for five straights seasons, including the last two with the Giants. He finished with 76 tackles, second on the team, and he is clearly one of the leaders on defense, even though he shies away from calling himself a leader.
Besides learning a new defense, Harrison said he is learning about a new coaching staff and a lot of new players, led by linebackers Kareem Martin Ben Bishop Jersey , Alec Ogletree and Connor Barwin along with Hill and veteran tackle A.J. Francis.
"It's a few holdovers, but other than that, it's new faces," said Harrison, who is entering his seventh season after starting with the Jets. "Everybody's trying to learn everybody, to figure out what makes that person tick, what makes them go. It's kind of refreshing. I told you in the past, I'm not a guy who likes change, so it's a real difficult time for me."
Tomlinson, who also started every game last season, said he and Harrison talk about the new defense constantly. They don't hesitate to point out mistakes to each other.
"It's different, but it is pretty similar for the most part," Tomlinson said of the schemes. "For the interior guys, we pretty much have the same job. Stop the run and be aggressive."
Tomlinson said the linemen can flip-flop positions on any play, depending on what the offense shows and the defensive alignment.
"We try to disguise everything to almost look the same," Tomlinson said. "When everything looks the same http://www.officialhockeyrangersshop.co ... aal-jersey , you don't know what you are getting from us and what to expect. We can bring someone from anywhere and surprise them every time."
The new defense also has quick forced Harrison to change his style and his look a bit, a hint he might be dropping weight from his 355-pound frame.
"You go to change the body type to be able to do Coach Bettcher is asking of the defensive line, which is to get up the field and attack, and anybody who knows me and likes me, that's not something that's been a strong point in my game," Harrison said. "I can do it. I like to kind of use it as a change up every now."
NOTES: The Giants returned to practice after having a day off. ... S Landon Collins intercepted Eli Manning's pass that seemed to be tipped by linebacker B.J. Goodson in a two-minute drill. ... Third-year pro Kalif Raymond, who had one catch in six games with the Giants last season, has been showing flashes in training camp, including a couple Wednesday.
The week started with a little trash talk from the underdog . The rest of it was dominated by speculation about a certain 40-year-old quarterback’s injured throwing hand .
Plenty of intrigue for when the Jaguars and Patriots meet in Sunday’s AFC championship game?
New England (14-3), the defending Super Bowl champion, is favored heading into its seventh straight conference title game. But the polished veneer it normally displays at this time of year is showing flecks of imperfection after Tom Brady injured his right hand during practice.
The injury kept Brady limited in workouts to begin the week and caused him to sit out practice entirely on Thursday.
Brady has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career that includes four Super Bowl MPV honors. He said a bit contentiously only ”We’ll see” on Friday when asked if he would play Sunday.
He wore red gloves and responded to other questions about the hand’s status by saying ”I’m not talking about that.”
The Patriots’ top-ranked offense will need another signature performance from Brady against the Jaguars’ second-ranked defense .
Jacksonville (12-6), trying to earn a trip to its first Super Bowl, has scored eight defensive touchdowns this season, three more than any other team. That’s the most defensive touchdowns in a season by one team since the 2012 Bears.
Brady has faced a top-2 scoring defense in the playoffs three times, going 3-0 with a passer rating of 100-plus in each game.
Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell said their respect for Brady is high. Then he dismissed the notion that anyone in Jacksonville felt like the Jags were simply playing with ”house money” after surprising Pittsburgh in the divisional round.
”We have earned the right to be here,” he said. ”We have put a lot of time and effort in TJ Brodie Jersey , so this is an opportunity we feel like we deserve and we have prepared for. I can honestly say I expected to be here.”
Jacksonville also will be up against history: The Patriots have won the past seven meetings with the Jaguars and two straight in the postseason. Since Jacksonville entered the NFL in 1995, it is 1-10 against the Patriots, including playoff games.
”We are going to go out and there do everything possible to stay alive and earn the right to be in the Super Bowl,” Campbell said. ”They say you have to beat the best to be the best, so I can’t wait to get out there and try.”
Quarterback Blake Bortles, who has been the subject of criticism at times during his career , said Sunday isn’t about trying to prove anyone wrong.
”I don’t think so. Personally, I do not care,” he said.
Here are some things to watch for:
FOURNETTE’S HEALTH: Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette said he is feeling “good” after he was rear-ended in what authorities say was a minor three-car crash early in the week.
Fournette ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns against the Steelers despite reinjuring his right ankle in the first half. It was his most productive game in three months.
”I feel good in spite of the ankle and stuff,” Fournette said. ”Just taking care of my body, but overall I feel good.”
BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL? All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey caused a stir when he told thousands of fans awaiting the team’s return after their win over the Steelers that the Jaguars ”are going to the Super Bowl and we are going to win that (expletive).”
Asked about Ramsey’s comment, Patriots special teams captain Matt Slater said Ramsey has reason to show confidence.
”He should be confident, because he is very, very good,” Slater said. ”The good Lord made that guy, and he said Gordie Howe Jersey , `Let there be corner.’ And there he is. I’d be confident if I were him as well.”
CONTAINING GRONK: Coach Doug Marrone has seen plenty of Rob Gronkowski dating back to his stint as Buffalo’s head coach. His approach to trying to slow down a tight end he calls a ”nightmare” of a matchup hasn’t changed much.
”Hope they do not throw him the football. Hope he drops it,” Marrone said. ”There is no secret formula. I’d like to watch a game where someone has been able to do it. He is going to make his plays and you hope those plays don’t end up killing you.”
In his past six postseason games, Gronk has 512 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He is looking for his seventh playoff game in a row with a TD catch.
SIZING THEM UP: Brandin Cooks is used to being underestimated because of his size. So the 5-foot-10 Patriots receiver isn’t worried about matching up against the taller players in Jacksonville’s secondary.
Both Jaguars starting cornerbacks, Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, are listed at 6-foot-1 and 6-0 respectively.
”I mean, you go and play,” Cooks said. ”We’re not talking measurements at this point in the season, you know?”
Cooks said Bouye he’s gotten better since he faced him during joint practices this summer.
”At the end of the day, they’re physical. And that’s how they play,” Cooks said. ”And they use that to their strength. So we gotta be ready to be able to match that physicality.”
—
AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to his report.
—
Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys
While there are fewer linemen in the formation, players say the defense is much more aggressive than the old 4-3 scheme. The linemen have gone from playing a two-gap responsibility to attacking one-gap.
"It just takes me back to my first years in the league," the 29-year-old Harrison said Wednesday before practice. "It's kind of like a Rex Ryan-type defense. It's a lot of attacking, it's not sitting around waiting, trying to read and see the other guys on the offense are doing - it's playing defense with an offensive mentality."
In the formation, Harrison tends to shade on either side of the center, while Tomlinson and Hill pick a gap between the guard and tackle.
What also makes James Bettcher's defense interesting is the linemen also can rotate, so are not going up against the same opponent each play.
When the linebackers and defensive backs join the rush, it adds to the confusion.
While the Giants (3-13) struggled last season, Harrison was again outstanding. He has started every game for five straights seasons, including the last two with the Giants. He finished with 76 tackles, second on the team, and he is clearly one of the leaders on defense, even though he shies away from calling himself a leader.
Besides learning a new defense, Harrison said he is learning about a new coaching staff and a lot of new players, led by linebackers Kareem Martin Ben Bishop Jersey , Alec Ogletree and Connor Barwin along with Hill and veteran tackle A.J. Francis.
"It's a few holdovers, but other than that, it's new faces," said Harrison, who is entering his seventh season after starting with the Jets. "Everybody's trying to learn everybody, to figure out what makes that person tick, what makes them go. It's kind of refreshing. I told you in the past, I'm not a guy who likes change, so it's a real difficult time for me."
Tomlinson, who also started every game last season, said he and Harrison talk about the new defense constantly. They don't hesitate to point out mistakes to each other.
"It's different, but it is pretty similar for the most part," Tomlinson said of the schemes. "For the interior guys, we pretty much have the same job. Stop the run and be aggressive."
Tomlinson said the linemen can flip-flop positions on any play, depending on what the offense shows and the defensive alignment.
"We try to disguise everything to almost look the same," Tomlinson said. "When everything looks the same http://www.officialhockeyrangersshop.co ... aal-jersey , you don't know what you are getting from us and what to expect. We can bring someone from anywhere and surprise them every time."
The new defense also has quick forced Harrison to change his style and his look a bit, a hint he might be dropping weight from his 355-pound frame.
"You go to change the body type to be able to do Coach Bettcher is asking of the defensive line, which is to get up the field and attack, and anybody who knows me and likes me, that's not something that's been a strong point in my game," Harrison said. "I can do it. I like to kind of use it as a change up every now."
NOTES: The Giants returned to practice after having a day off. ... S Landon Collins intercepted Eli Manning's pass that seemed to be tipped by linebacker B.J. Goodson in a two-minute drill. ... Third-year pro Kalif Raymond, who had one catch in six games with the Giants last season, has been showing flashes in training camp, including a couple Wednesday.
The week started with a little trash talk from the underdog . The rest of it was dominated by speculation about a certain 40-year-old quarterback’s injured throwing hand .
Plenty of intrigue for when the Jaguars and Patriots meet in Sunday’s AFC championship game?
New England (14-3), the defending Super Bowl champion, is favored heading into its seventh straight conference title game. But the polished veneer it normally displays at this time of year is showing flecks of imperfection after Tom Brady injured his right hand during practice.
The injury kept Brady limited in workouts to begin the week and caused him to sit out practice entirely on Thursday.
Brady has never missed a playoff start during his 18-year career that includes four Super Bowl MPV honors. He said a bit contentiously only ”We’ll see” on Friday when asked if he would play Sunday.
He wore red gloves and responded to other questions about the hand’s status by saying ”I’m not talking about that.”
The Patriots’ top-ranked offense will need another signature performance from Brady against the Jaguars’ second-ranked defense .
Jacksonville (12-6), trying to earn a trip to its first Super Bowl, has scored eight defensive touchdowns this season, three more than any other team. That’s the most defensive touchdowns in a season by one team since the 2012 Bears.
Brady has faced a top-2 scoring defense in the playoffs three times, going 3-0 with a passer rating of 100-plus in each game.
Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell said their respect for Brady is high. Then he dismissed the notion that anyone in Jacksonville felt like the Jags were simply playing with ”house money” after surprising Pittsburgh in the divisional round.
”We have earned the right to be here,” he said. ”We have put a lot of time and effort in TJ Brodie Jersey , so this is an opportunity we feel like we deserve and we have prepared for. I can honestly say I expected to be here.”
Jacksonville also will be up against history: The Patriots have won the past seven meetings with the Jaguars and two straight in the postseason. Since Jacksonville entered the NFL in 1995, it is 1-10 against the Patriots, including playoff games.
”We are going to go out and there do everything possible to stay alive and earn the right to be in the Super Bowl,” Campbell said. ”They say you have to beat the best to be the best, so I can’t wait to get out there and try.”
Quarterback Blake Bortles, who has been the subject of criticism at times during his career , said Sunday isn’t about trying to prove anyone wrong.
”I don’t think so. Personally, I do not care,” he said.
Here are some things to watch for:
FOURNETTE’S HEALTH: Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette said he is feeling “good” after he was rear-ended in what authorities say was a minor three-car crash early in the week.
Fournette ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns against the Steelers despite reinjuring his right ankle in the first half. It was his most productive game in three months.
”I feel good in spite of the ankle and stuff,” Fournette said. ”Just taking care of my body, but overall I feel good.”
BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL? All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey caused a stir when he told thousands of fans awaiting the team’s return after their win over the Steelers that the Jaguars ”are going to the Super Bowl and we are going to win that (expletive).”
Asked about Ramsey’s comment, Patriots special teams captain Matt Slater said Ramsey has reason to show confidence.
”He should be confident, because he is very, very good,” Slater said. ”The good Lord made that guy, and he said Gordie Howe Jersey , `Let there be corner.’ And there he is. I’d be confident if I were him as well.”
CONTAINING GRONK: Coach Doug Marrone has seen plenty of Rob Gronkowski dating back to his stint as Buffalo’s head coach. His approach to trying to slow down a tight end he calls a ”nightmare” of a matchup hasn’t changed much.
”Hope they do not throw him the football. Hope he drops it,” Marrone said. ”There is no secret formula. I’d like to watch a game where someone has been able to do it. He is going to make his plays and you hope those plays don’t end up killing you.”
In his past six postseason games, Gronk has 512 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He is looking for his seventh playoff game in a row with a TD catch.
SIZING THEM UP: Brandin Cooks is used to being underestimated because of his size. So the 5-foot-10 Patriots receiver isn’t worried about matching up against the taller players in Jacksonville’s secondary.
Both Jaguars starting cornerbacks, Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, are listed at 6-foot-1 and 6-0 respectively.
”I mean, you go and play,” Cooks said. ”We’re not talking measurements at this point in the season, you know?”
Cooks said Bouye he’s gotten better since he faced him during joint practices this summer.
”At the end of the day, they’re physical. And that’s how they play,” Cooks said. ”And they use that to their strength. So we gotta be ready to be able to match that physicality.”
—
AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to his report.
—
Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys
