The Jets defense that the Patriots will face on Sunday, is the real deal with one caveat: in time.
They aren’t quite there yet, but there’s no doubt that the Jets are headed in the right direction on that side of the ball where they average age of the starters is just over 25 years old. They start two rookies and two players going into their second season.
As you would expect, the Jets are very athletic given their youth, so they fly around the football field. But, surprisingly, they are fairly disciplined given the relative inexperience of the players.
A lot of credit goes to head coach Todd Bowles, who has always featured a simple system that allows his players to play fast, and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, who has implemented Bowles system.
Now, the Jets have entered the game on a three-game winning streak in which they allowed an average of 13.3 points per game. But it was against three teams that aren’t exactly on par with the Patriots (second in FootballOutsiders.com DVOA rankings): the Dolphins (31st), Jaguars (18th) and Browns (30th). So it’s all relative.
Still, that the Jets are 3-2 at this point when most thought they could go 0-16 is a big feather in the cap of Bowles, who is showing that if you give him some tools, he can mold them.
A glance at the Jets:
OFFENSE
Scheme
Offensive coordinator John Morton is in his first season with the Jets after spending most of his career with as a receivers coach with the Saints and 49ers. They run a very simplified and basic offense that features a lot of hooks, hitches and quick slants. They will only go deep on designed shot plays. The Jets are ranked 26th overall by FootballOutsiders.com (27th pass, 18th rush).
Quarterbacks
The well-traveled Josh McCown is the starter at 38-years old. He’s gutsy and smart, but doesn’t have much arm strength and has slowed down in the pocket. He prefers to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible so expect the Patriots to play the short routes closely. Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg are the backups.
Receivers
WR1 Jermaine Kearse (6-1, 209, 4.58): Former Seahawks receiver is the favored target with 22 catches on 28 receptions and has team-leading three touchdowns. Good player but lacks explosion.
WR 2 Robby Anderson (6-3, 180, 4.34): The 2016 undrafted free agent out of Temple doesn’t play to his timed speed by he has a great height/speed combination. The most targeted receiver with 29, but just 14 catches.
Slot Jeremy Kerley (5-9, 188, 4.62): Has always been underrated in the slot and should be targeted more. More quick than fast, he’s a tough cover. Has caught all 17 of his targeted passes.
Speed ArDarius Stewart (5-11, 2-4, 4.50): Has big-time potential as a third-round pick but is still learning. He’s the speed receiver on reverses and screens.
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (6-5, 262, 4.80): Has never lived up to the hype of his athletic ability and he still isn’t. Soft going over the middle and he’s a walking holding penalty when asked to block. His 15 receptions (18 targets) have gone for just 106 yards.
TE2 Eric Tomlinson (6-6, 261): Spent time with the Texans and Eagles as well. Will occasionally be thrown the ball, but he’s mostly a mediocre blocker.
Offensive line
LT Kelvin Beachum (6-3, 306): Former Steelers LT is trying to get back to his pre-knee injury form. A really good pass blocker when right, especially for his size. Light in the running game and can be moved around. Uses huge splits from the LG in pass blocking, so that can be exploited.
LG James Carpenter (6-4, 321): Former Seahawks is by far the best player on this line but he’s more of a run blocker. Struggles with quickness in pass blocking.
C Wesley Johnson (6-5, 300): Has a really tough time with power on the inside, but has good feet to reset himself in pass blocking.
RG Brian Winters (6-4, 320): Former third-round pick is a solid player but hasn’t developed into the player they hoped. Good feet but struggles with power.
RT Brandon Shell (6-5, 324): Has all sort of technique issues pass blocking but can cave in his side when blocking with power if he gets his pads down.
Interior backup Dakota Dozier (6-4, 313). Tackle backup Brent Qvale (6-7, 314)
Running backs
Bilal Powell, who has the most touches (74 total) to this point is not expected to play
RB1 Matt Forte (6-1, 218, 4.52): The 31-year-old is still a solid player in the right system but doesn’t get much help from the blocking. Lacks the burst he once had has good vision and will get what is blocked.
3rd down Elijah McGuire (5-9, 212, 4.57): Rookie change-of-pace back who isn’t easy to corral. Has the potential down the road to be a solid third-down back. Strong lower body and soft hands. Expect Jets to throw to him a lot vs. Patriots.
RB2 Travaris Cadet (6-1, 210): Former Patriot and, mostly, Saint does a lot of things decently, but nothing well. Solid backup type.
DEFENSE
Scheme
Multiple scheme that is at the direction of head coach Todd Bowles, but executed by coordinator Kacy Rodgers.
Defensive line
LE Leonard Williams (6-5, 302): Just like the other players on this line, extremely disruptive and hard to block. Can and will play all over the line. Excellent against the run, he’s able to generate pressure on the QB as well.
NT Steve McClendon (6-4, 310): Doesn’t provide much in the way of pass rush, but has always been a good player against the run.
RE Muhammad Wilkerson (6-4, 315):Disappointing start to this season after getting paid but has the potential to be among the league’s best when he wants to. Long arms allow him to move blockers and very powerful.
Linebackers
OLB/End Kony Ealy (6-4, 273): Former Patriot continues to have little power and not much speed. Has batted down a few passes, but that’s about it.
ILB Darron Lee (6-1, 232, 4.47): Flies all over the field with decent instincts. A playmaker in space, but struggles getting off blocks due to his size. Can be sucked in by playaction.
ILB Demario Davis (6-2, 250, 4.61): In second stint with the Jets after being a third-round pick in ’12. Good speed by average instincts. If the players up front don’t occupy blockers, he has a tough time getting off blocks.
OLB Jordan Jenkins (6-3, 259, 4.80): A ’16 third-round pick, has a chance to be a very good player due to his physicality but is a limited athletic due to slow feet.
Secondary
FS Marcus Maye (6-0, 212, 4.50): The second-round pick out of Florida. Made a tremendous instinctive interception on the goal line against the Browns. Gets better with every game but there’s a lot on his plate for a rookie.
SS Jamal Adams (6-0, 214, 4.44): The sixth overall pick out of LSU is a genetic freak that can play like a linebacker, but also has long arms to aid in coverage. Has had some issues in coverage so far in the NFL.
LCB Morris Claiborne (5-11, 185, 4.45): Former sixth overall pick of the Cowboys in ’12 is still an elite athlete with good recovery speed but has always been held back by his average instincts.
RCB/Slot Buster Skrine (5-9. 185, 4.44):Versatile player has always been solid inside and outside but can struggle if he slacks on his fundamentals.
3rd CB Darryl Roberts (5-11, 187, 4.38): Patriots seventh-round pick in ’15 isn’t afraid to stick his head in and competes well. Limited instincts.
Dime Juston Burris (6-0, 212, 4.50): The ’16 fourth-round pick is battling injury.
SPECIAL TEAMS
P Lachlan Edwards: Second-year punter is off to a great start with a 47.3 average, 43.8 net and 11 inside the 20-yard line with just two touchbacks.
K Chandler Catanzaro: Has made 10 of 12, with both misses coming from 40-49 yards. He’s 2-for-2 from at least 50.
PR Jeremy Kerley: 7.7 average.
KR ArDarius Stewart: 23.0 average with long of 32.
PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE GAMEPLAN POINTS
- Exploit the edges in the pass game: The Jets like to pack it into the middle of the field in pass coverage and they prefer to play zone, so there will be openings on the edges for the receivers. See video:
- Use multiple formations, personnel, and hurry-up: The Jets are so young on defense that there’s a big opportunity to confuse them. The Patriots have a veteran group and they should use their experience to their advantage.
- Heavy Gronk game: There is no way that a rookie, even one as promising as Jamal Adams, should be able to cover Gronk. He should dominate this game.
- Don’t be dumb: This is a basic offense with limited weapons. As long as the Patriots do the basics, there should be no issues in this game.