Pro Football Focus: Rob Ninkovich - Secret Superstar

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Secret Superstar: Rob Ninkovich, LB, New England Patriots | ProFootballFocus.com

Didn't see this posted before,so if it was, excuse the oversight.

I was not keen on Rob when he first arrived on the scene but he has really been quite a pleasant surprise at a position that was in need of a playmaker.

I think Rob has improved to a point of being a very important cog in this defense and if he continues to improve,I could see him being a captain on the defense within a few years.

If there is one underrated player on defense,it's Rob.

 

[randomk1]

Agreed.

10

 

[jlu52]

Ninkovich is a prime illustration of the Patriots' mantra, "Do Your Job". He provides an all out effort, all of the time, providing consistent and sometimes, outstanding results. He has responded very well to being coached up the Patriot way.

 

[drew4008]

I'd be hard pressed to call Ninkovich much more than serviceable. I tend to watch him quite a bit out there, and I'm pulling for him, but he's definitely not a superstar.

I think he's earned a starting spot on the roster, although I'm hoping for some competition.

 

[363839]

Great article. Fun read.
Ninks done a pretty good job for us despite his low expectations when he arrived here. I've been pulling for him since he arrived as he was born where I now work.

 

[patchick]

if he continues to improve,I could see him being a captain on the defense within a few years.

I was struck recently by an article from a writer who knows the team well that talked about the strong, steady tone struck at OTAs by locker room leaders Wilfork, Mayo...and Ninkovich.

He may not be a real standout in any single phase of the game, but his versatility and his approach to the job make him very valuable to the team. I suspect he gets more respect from his coaches and teammates than from the fanbase.

 

[jefmblrd]

I have been a fan of Ninkovich since he got here. He caught my eye when he came up and did an outstanding job setting the edge in a pre-season game. After that I kept my eye on him and was impressed with his solid play.

 

[Fixit]

I'd be hard pressed to call Ninkovich much more than serviceable. I tend to watch him quite a bit out there, and I'm pulling for him, but he's definitely not a superstar.

I think he's earned a starting spot on the roster, although I'm hoping for some competition.

Not a superstar is one thing, but "serviceable" is crazy.

 

[patsinthesnow]

He's a solid, all-around, OLB. Stopping the run, rushing the passer, and defending the pass (Sanchez ). If he got his 2012 sack totals up to 11 or 12 I could see him being a pro bowler.

 

[Pape]

Ninkovich was a great pick up for the Pats.

He's gotten better every year, and has become a very good contributor for the defense. His numbers, while not spectacular, show that he has definately made "the leap" that so few developmental players make to become quality players in the NFL.

 

[Marqui]

If he got his 2012 sack totals up to 11 or 12 I could see him being a pro bowler.

So he needs to double his sack production to become a probowler?

 

[JoeSixPat]

The Patriots have always had some great players - but it's the solid middle class players that always put the Patriots over the top.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I love the guy. He gets better every time you see him. He still makes the occasional mistake, but who doesn't?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I love the guy. He gets better every time you see him. He still makes the occasional mistake, but who doesn't?

That's Nink to a T.
Fans forget how the Championship 2001 Patriots were characterized...blue collar, "lunchpail" workers. Nothing spectacular, just solid and hard working. That's Nink. Never understood the disdain so many here had for him when he first arrived. Many of the very best Patriots arrived unheralded and worked their way up, improving each season.

Superstar, no. Solid, yes!

 

[patsinthesnow]

So he needs to double his sack production to become a probowler?

6.5 to 11 isn't out of the question, look at his progression.

 

[Marqui]

6.5 to 11 isn't out of the question, look at his progression.

I hope you're right.

 

[Ring 6]

So he needs to double his sack production to become a probowler?

Unfortunately that may be true, as silly as it is that a versatile LB who does not rush every down like the guys who get he sack numbers would be judged solely by the most overrated stat in all of football.
(Not downplaying the value of a pass rush here. It is overrated because a DE or OLB does a hell of a lot more than just record sacks yet general perception is you can sum up their value by what is in that column.

 

[Simple Jack's Brother]

The thing i love about Nink is you can truly see the progression in the past couple years, improving in every category when given more reps and responsibility. Also, he had 2 sacks and fumble recovery in during the playoffs last year, even if 1.5 of those sacks came against tebow

Sorry about the stats not lining up btw

GP TACK SOLO AST SACK FF FR YDS INT YDS AVG LNG TD
2010
NE
16 62 45 17 4.0 0 3 63 2 1 1 1 0
2011
NE
16 74 43 31 6.5 1 3 0 2 30 15 18 1

 

[patfanken]

I've been banging the Ninko drum for a while now, mostly to an unenthusiastic audience. Superstar? I don't think so. But he's a worthy successor to the Vrabel mantle. He's a solid, dependable, and versatile player, who you can count on to rush the passer with some success, defend the pass, and set the edge, all the while doing it under the radar (which is where Vrabel was largely viewed before his breakout 2007 season)

Nice to see him getting some recognition.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

When your best replacement is a downgrade across the board, and is likely to be a downgrade at least in some ways regardless of who you get, you never get called a "superstar." That's the way it is... and when you're called on to do a ton of different things, you're unlikely to be a league-leader in any of them. If you are sent to rush the QB on 1 play in a game, you can't keep pace that game w/the NFL sack leader, or for that matter come close -- the question is, whether you were effective at coverage or contain. Usually w/Ninko the answer is "yes." Love this guy too... and to say he's just a "serviceable" part is as off the mark as to say he's a "superstar." Sometimes for whole games it's like "Wow, all this guy does is make plays." It's a good match b/w versatility and scheme (that takes advantage of versatility.)

As Pats fans we will always be frustrated when wishing we had certain kinds of production, and we wonder why we don't.... much of that is because all-out pressure all the time isn't the Pats style (boo hoo.) The "keep it all in front of you" mindset is much maligned, on the assumption that the Pats just need to be somebody else and get their amount of pressure at all times... but we don't consider the possibility that if we sold out for the pass rush we'd end up being someone other than the league-leaders among those teams that sell out for the pass rush. (just an example)

"Bend but don't break" isn't the goal, it's just been the outcome most years. The goal is "don't break" -- if you have to choose, you say screw the stats and lock it down when/where/how it counts.

Okay rant over