BY DAN BEGNOCHE
Coming into Sunday's game against the Dolphins, New England defensive end Chandler Jones had missed six weeks to a hip injury. The team's sack leader a year prior, Jones had notched 4.5 in six games before he went down against the Jets.
Lucky for the Pats, linebacker Akeem Ayers picked up the slack.
Ayers, brought on from the Titans following the injury to Jones, has tallied three sacks and an interception since, helping to keep New England's pass rush relevant on its way to yet another division title.
"Akeem Ayers — he did a good job when I was injured, and he's doing a good job now," Jones said via NESN.com Monday. "I’m a huge fan of Akeem, and every single snap that I missed, that he was in, I watched live and I watched while watching film. I was there to help him and tell him certain things that I would do in a certain situation."
Now, the two get to combine forces, as they lined up next to each each other on the line in the win over Miami. Jones tallied 1.5 sacks in his return, while Ayers had two QB hurries and one QB hit, according to ProFootballFocus.
"It’s funny because me and him are two totally different players, different kind of body types, different rush styles," Jones said. "That will be hard for an opposing offensive tackle to study.
"I’m just happy to have him, and he’s a great addition to the team."
