Demario Davis is coming off the best game of his young career, a breakout performance in Green Bay. And it's starting to understand the scheme — not just the words and the calls, but the concepts — that has allowed the third-year linebacker to go from reacting to acting, and attacking.
"Yeah, I'm very comfortable in the system. The more time you're in a system, the more comfortable you are in it,'' Davis, 25, told The Post. "[Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman] told me going into my second year if you're able to learn the defense in a concept form, it makes it a lot easier for you. Instead of learning each play, learn the concepts of the defense.
"Since I've been able to do that and understand concepts of offenses, it makes it very easy. It's a very simple game if you're able to take what your coaches are asking you to do and put it on the field. It's just constantly evolving that, learning one concept on top of another concept on top of another concept. Pretty much it just comes out to building on top of a foundation.''
Davis made it look very easy last weekend in Green Bay, one of the few defensive bright spots in the Jets' 31-24 loss to the Packers. He had a team-high five solo tackles, three hits on Aaron Rodgers and a career-high two sacks, after coming in with just one despite having played every game in his first two seasons.
"As a pass rusher, he's pretty good. He's worked awful hard at it," said coach Rex Ryan, who added Davis' second sack of Rodgers wasn't a delayed blitz, but a case of him diagnosing the play thanks to his improved awareness. "He's getting much better as a blitzer, too. As a blitzer, he's timing things better; he's using his hands and he's finishing rushes, so I think that's been impressive to me."
"He was reading it and then he closed. Again, that's an instinctive play, and that's what you get. Most of the real good linebackers, you can sit back and they know when to go. It's just one of those innate things that guys do. He's starting to feel it a little bit. To do that, you've got to know your defense and then you have to prepare so well that you know when you can take that risk or not.''
Thurman said: "If you're conscientious and you want to do something well, you'll work at it. He's put his time in, he understands this defense better than he has in the past. He understands what we're asking of him. And when you begin to put it all together, and you're not thinking as much, you'll play better. Then your natural God-given instincts and talent will begin to take over.
"To me those are the things that are happening to Demario. And he's making plays because he has a gift to make plays, but he also understands the defensive concepts and the teachings and the inner workings of what we're trying to get done out on the field, so yeah, he's playing better.''
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Davis started every game last year in his second season, but has been more dangerous and disruptive this season — and points to extra study in the film room, and extra technique work in the offseason.
"Those pass rushes, a lot of those came from extra film study, working not just with my coaches but working with my technique coaches off the field, being able to see different rush angles and stuff like that,'' said Davis, citing extra film work with veteran players and training with technique guru Jay E. Caldwell of New Jersey-based TBR Training, who has worked with Justin Tuck and B.J. Raji.
"He works with a lot of guys before the combine and in the offseason. He's not a strength-and-conditioning guy, but a technique coach. Doing what your coaches ask you to do, he helps you master those techniques. Coaches teach a lot of Xs and Os. They don't have time to teach technique.''
But the devil is in those details, and in Davis' case, so is a breakthrough.
CB Dee Milliner's high ankle sprain was improving, but after being limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, he was held out Friday with quad tightness.
Ryan said he was hopeful Milliner could play a role in Monday's game against Chicago, but "the fact that he didn't practice today is not a great sign."
DE Muhammad Wilkerson was fined $20,000 for unnecessary roughness for throwing punches and being ejected during the third quarter against the Packers. DE Sheldon Richardson was fined $8,268 for unnecessary roughness. He grabbed an opponent's face mask after the play.
WR Eric Decker (hamstring) didn't practice, although backup LBs Nick Bellore and A.J. Edds (hamstring) were limited, as were OL Willie Colon (calf), RB Chris Johnson (ankle) and C Nick Mangold (shoulder). On the possibility of not having Decker, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said: "We'll see. Eric certainly has been a fantastic addition. … However, the next man steps up.''
For the Bears, WR Brandon Marshall (ankle) was out and Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) limited for the second straight day.
— Additional reporting by Brian Costello
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