Third-and-Lang: Impact vs. Stat Line for FSU DEs Jared Verse, Patrick Payton
Checking the stat line for two standouts on the FSU defensive line, one could understandably feel like John Travolta’s classic character from Pulp Fiction, Vincent Vega.
“So about those stats for Jared Verse and Patrick Payton … where are they?”
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It’s a valid question. Through two games, both players have logged (by Pro Football Focus’ count) 66 snaps apiece for the FSU defense. Verse and Payton have combined for:
Seven tackles0.5 tackles for loss0.5 sacksOne batted passTwo quarterback hits
That’s a six-sack pace for the season — not great on the surface. But we will stress “on the surface” in this week’s Third-and-Lang, as a deeper dive into game clips reveals two players that are definitely impacting the game.
We’ll start this week with FSU’s presumed first-round pick in Verse.
Jared Verse
To be clear, some of the following is rooted in raw tape and some is purely my take on Verse’s performances. We’ll start with the latter.
Against LSU, PFF logged Verse on the field for 45 snaps. At first glance, I thought that number was high. The Tigers ran 64 plays total, and it felt like Verse was on the sidelines for more than just 19 of them.
To me, Verse looked the part of someone who was still getting up to game speed after his reps were managed — as many FSU veterans were, according to head coach Mike Norvell — in fall camp.
But to be clear, Verse showed vintage explosiveness at times. And he was absolutely a part of LSU’s game plan; chips and double-teams were deployed against Verse frequently throughout the night. By itself, that extra attention has a significant impact on the game.
Let’s look at some tape.
Here, Verse runs a two-man game with defensive tackle Braden Fiske to get a hit on quarterback Jayden Daniels just a tick after he fires an incompletion toward the end zone.
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Next, the near strip-sack late in the first half. This play was ruled incomplete after a replay review.
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Notice above how Verse actually got a false jump off the snap, which caused him to gather himself, and he still got home to hit the quarterback. Impressive.
Next, another nifty stunt that helps Fiske wash away three blockers.
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Verse was bearing down right in Daniels’ eye-line. This forced a quick throw and an easy cleanup for the FSU secondary.
Next, the power is on display. I’ve thought from early in camp that Verse has forged strength as a big weapon in 2023. Here is a great example as he drives LSU’s left tackle back into Daniels:
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The pressure means Daniels has to take off. And Verse pursues for a tackle.
Game 2: Southern Miss
Though he logged just 21 snaps against Southern Miss on Saturday, I thought that was enough to show where Verse’s explosiveness went from solid to jump-off-the-page good.
Verse works against the left tackle in all three of these clips.
Note Payton’s exceptional jump on the bottom too. via GIPHY
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Speed rushes won’t always work, but that’s not the purpose of the above trio. It’s simply to show that, despite a dearth of numbers, Verse’s explosiveness is there. It will soon show itself on the FSU stat sheet.
Next, let’s look at Payton.
Patrick Payton
Speaking frankly, I thought Payton was the more impactful defensive end in the LSU game. Perhaps it’s a function of double-teams aimed at Verse and/or Fiske, but it really didn’t matter. FSU’s defense was better for some of the big plays Payton made.
Here in one of LSU’s fourth-down bids, Payton makes matadors proud as he sidesteps the Tigers’ right tackle on the way to plugging up a lane.
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Had the ball been handed off up the middle, Payton would have made the stop. And he still was in on bringing Daniels to the ground. Outstanding work.
Next is a great effort to stay engaged on the goal line (Payton works against the right guard/tackle):
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Effort like this is why FSU made so many stops in short-yardage. Though a cut-block clogged up his path to make an initial play on the running back, Payton battled his way across the line of scrimmage to stifle a second-effort touchdown run.
Here, Payton makes a nifty move to get inside and bat a quick throw into the air:
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Had Daniels waited in the pocket longer, Payton draws a hold. But he still makes the play.
Finally, a quick pass-rush move that forces Daniels to alter his delivery ever-so-slightly.
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Payton has not been perfect. He has taken an offsides penalty, a (bogus) roughing-the-passer penalty and gotten his hand caught in the cookie jar a few times. But there’s no doubt that through two games, he’s been consistently making impact plays — and selfless plays in support of the run game.
In short, FSU is in good shape to see significant numbers from Payton and Verse as the season goes along.
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Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.
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