Sauce Gardner referred to as the Jets secondary’s efficiency “unacceptable.”
He described giving up 34 factors as “miserable.”
It was considered one of few negatives within the season-opening loss to the Steelers, together with Xavier Gipson’s fumble and some expensive penalties, but it surely ruined a robust day from the offense and an encouraging efficiency by quarterback Justin Fields.
The group has to get better rapidly.
Josh Allen and the high-powered Payments go to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
In Week 1, Buffalo put up 41 factors and 389 yards by way of the air towards the Ravens in a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
The Jets couldn’t cease Aaron Rodgers, regardless of the Steelers managing simply 53 speeding yards.
Rodgers, 41, threw 4 landing passes, trying higher than he ever did as a Jet.
One of many important 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 keeping 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 referred to as for a crucial defensive move interference penalty on the Steelers’ game-winning discipline objective drive.
“Brandon has been doing a extremely good job in protection, all by way of coaching camp,” coach Aaron Glenn mentioned. “The factor we’ve 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 be capable 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 nicely, 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 nicely.
“Secondary-wise, there are some issues that we’ve to wash up,” Glenn mentioned.
Gardner was the lone defensive again to excel.
He shadowed star wideout DK Metcalf, which he has hardly ever carried out in his profession.
Metcalf solely caught one move with Gardner defending him, in response to PFF, and that was an 11-yard seize through which 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 ready to do this on numerous events, and man, to me, it makes it very easy for the defender as a result of you may actually research and hone in on that man that you simply’re going towards,” 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 try this and there are going to be some video games the place we’re going to say, ‘play proper and left.’ But it surely depends upon the matchup, it depends upon 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 avoid Gardner.
It labored out fairly nicely for the Steelers, and now right here come the Payments and Allen, who accomplished not less than 4 passes to 5 totally different receivers.
The Jets secondary goes to get examined steadily by the reigning MVP.
