Jets secondary has no time to dwell on ‘miserable’ Week 1
Sauce Gardner known as the Jets secondary’s efficiency “unacceptable.”
He described giving up 34 factors as “miserable.”
It was certainly one of few negatives within the season-opening loss to the Steelers, together with Xavier Gipson’s fumble and some pricey penalties, however it ruined a powerful day from the offense and an encouraging efficiency by quarterback Justin Fields.
The group has to recuperate shortly.
Josh Allen and the high-powered Payments go to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
In Week 1, Buffalo put up 41 factors and 389 yards via the air in opposition to the Ravens in a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
The Jets couldn’t cease Aaron Rodgers, regardless of the Steelers managing simply 53 dashing yards.
Rodgers, 41, threw 4 landing passes, trying higher than he ever did as a Jet.
One of many principal culprits was newcomer Brandon Stephens, a former Raven the Jets signed to a three-year, $36 million deal within the offseason.
Rodgers went after him.
In line with Professional Soccer Focus, Stephens was focused seven instances and allowed 5 receptions for 60 and two touchdowns.
The alternative for D.J. Reed was additionally known as for a vital defensive move interference penalty on the Steelers’ game-winning subject objective drive.
“Brandon has been doing a extremely good job in protection, all via coaching camp,” coach Aaron Glenn mentioned. “The factor now we have to proceed engaged on with him is with the ability to find and end on the ball. I’m inspired and I do assume because the season progresses he’ll have the ability to make these performs as a result of he’s a extremely good cowl man and that confirmed [Sunday] on tape.”
The priority with Stephens is he’s coming off a shaky yr.
PFF rated him the one hundredth cornerback out of 116 graded.
He allowed 72 receptions for 926 yards and 5 touchdowns.
That pattern continued on Sunday.
Stephens wasn’t alone in his struggles.
Tony Adams and Michael Carter II had tough days as properly, not solely in protection, however with some killer missed tackles.
Glenn felt the Jets secondary was strong in man-to-man protection, however was picked aside in zone protection.
Inside linebacker Jamien Sherwood faulted the protection’s lack of communication in protection, not giving credit score to one thing the Steelers did properly.
“Secondary-wise, there are some issues that now we have to wash up,” Glenn mentioned.
Gardner was the lone defensive again to excel.
He shadowed star wideout DK Metcalf, which he has not often achieved in his profession.
Metcalf solely caught one move with Gardner defending him, in line with PFF, and that was an 11-yard seize wherein Metcalf caught the ball after it was deflected a number of instances.
Gardner additionally had two move breakups.
“In my profession, I used to be in a position to try this on quite a few events, and man, to me, it makes it very easy for the defender as a result of you possibly can actually examine and hone in on that man that you simply’re going in opposition to,” Glenn mentioned. “I do know that’s precisely what Sauce did, and there are going to be some video games the place we would like him to have the ability to do this and there are going to be some video games the place we’re going to say, ‘play proper and left.’ However it relies on the matchup, it relies on what we wish to do on protection.”
Nevertheless the Jets deploy Gardner, they’re going to want their different defensive backs to play higher.
In any other case, opposing groups will merely steer clear of Gardner.
It labored out fairly properly for the Steelers, and now right here come the Payments and Allen, who accomplished at the very least 4 passes to 5 completely different receivers.
The Jets secondary goes to get examined often by the reigning MVP.
