Todd,
the main reason you ease the jib instead of the main in a big puff is so you round up instead of bearing off. In heavy air or survival conditions, if you are going upwind and a big puff hits you need to release the jib.
If you ease the main, but not the jib, the boat will fall off wind. You counteract it with the rudders, but if the puff is big enough the rudders stall and you go swimming.

In windspeeds up to ~ 22 knots the crew grinds the mainsheet upwind and I keep the traveler.

Over 22 I keep the mainsheet crew holds the jib. I give the crew the mainsheet temporaraly to sheet in after a tack or after I eased it too much.
Mainly, I hang out in the back and wiggle the tiller.

eric