Are the Jets now a 4-3 Defense?

[JETSfaninNE]

Excellent write up by Connor Hughes. I for one am super excited that Bowles has figured out how to get our best talent on the field together.  Source

The question has been asked ever since the Jets made the decision to re-sign defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson: 

How the heck are head coach Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers going to get Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson and Steve McLendon all on the field at the same time?

With Wilkerson having suited up for the first Saturday night against the Giants, we may finally have an answer. Are the Jets now officially a 4-3 defense?

NJ Advance Media hit the film room. Here's what we observed: 

The Jets' base defense

For the sake of this film review, we focused primarily on the first half — when the Jets' starters were on the field. During that time, believe it or not, the Jets never once deployed a legitimate 3-4 defensive look. They got funky at times (get to that a bit further down), but there was never a nose tackle, two defensive ends and two stand-up outside linebackers. 

Instead, the Jets used this package on most first- and second-down plays.

Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Wilkerson and Richardson manned the outside defensive end spots. McLendon and Williams were the defensive tackles. Standing up on the strong side (normally where there is a tight end) was linebacker Mike Catapano. He was in a 2-point stance (hand not in the dirt), but at the line of scrimmage.When healthy, Catapano's role in this formation will likely be played by rookie Jordan Jenkins. Jenkins missed Saturday's game with a calf injury. David Harris and Erin Henderson were the two inside linebackers. 

This appeared to be the Jets' base defensive package. From a purely technical standpoint, it featured four defensive linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties. Maybe it wasn't the most traditional 4-3 defense, but by definition, it was one. 

And again, this was the front deployed by the Jets on most first and second downs. It was not some weird wrinkle thrown in to cause confusion. 

The Jets nickel defense

When the Giants elected to bring in a third or fourth receiver, thus forcing the Jets to put on an extra defensive back, the formation above altered. Catapano was removed from the game and replaced with an extra cornerback. 

Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

In the nickel package (extra defensive back), the Jets kept the same defensive front with the same two middle linebackers. In the secondary, Darrelle Revis and Marcus Williams were the outside cornerbacks. Buster Skrine played the slot. Calvin Pryor and Marcus Gilchrist were the two safeties. 

There is no word for what package this is

Bowles and Rodgers got weird on Saturday night. 

On a select few plays, the two deployed a unique defensive alignment designed to confuse the Giants. Seriously. It was strange. Wilkerson was lined up in front Skrine near the slot receiver. Only two players (Williams and McLendon) were actually on the line of scrimmage. Richardson and Henderson walked around and never set before the ball was snapped. Pryor showed blitz. 

Check it out below: 

Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

This front, along with a couple different variations of it, were thrown out a handful of times. 

Where does linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin fit into all this?

Good question. It appears the second-year linebacker is a victim of the numbers game. 

With Williams, Wilkerson, Richardson and McLendon all on the field at the same time, someone, of course, has to come off. Against the Giants, that player was Mauldin. In the Jets' base formation, Catapano played the outside linebacker position, likely because he's a better player against the run. The Jets elected to keep the defensive linemen on the field in the nickel package. 

Something to note, though, Mauldin wasn't benched. Rodgers and Bowles designed a package for him. Wilkerson and Williams played defensive tackle. Catapano and Mauldin the defensive ends. The Jets used this formation twice. On one of those plays, Mauldin looped inside to get pressure on Giants quarterback Eli Manning. 

Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

In conclusion... 

Now, could all of this change before the Jets open the season against the Bengals? Sure. Bowles and Rodgers are moving pieces around and trying to see what fits. Against the Giants, though, they may have found the perfect formula.

Using these 4-3 fronts, the Giants managed just 47 total yards in the first half. 

In the second half, the Jets ran multiple 3-4 defensive formations with the second-team defense. 

Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connor_J_Hughes. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook 

[joewilly12]

Excellant article and post I think we might be a 4-3 DEFENSE

[Jetdawgg]

McL is not a NT. The 4/3 is the base. Makes it very difficult to block with double teams those serious 1ST Rounders on our DL

[Jetsfan80]

Mauldin's struggles this preseason, as well as the addition of several new LB's, had to mean less snaps for him this year compared to last year.  Not the worst thing if we really are moving to more of a 4-3 look.  Get the best players on the field, any way that we can, while also having the flexibility to throw multiple looks at teams.

[Larz]

love 92 next to 96, can't be blocked

[Beerfish]

Tiny dancer.....with no place to play.....

[jetfan39]

1 minute ago, Beerfish said:

Tiny dancer.....with no place to play.....

never give up, do you?

[JiFtheOracle]

When Sheldon came back from his suspension, it was something like the Jets ran 4 man fronts 72% of the time.  And it was basically flip flopped the other before he came back.  And now they dont have Snacks.  Expect a lot of 4 man fronts. 

I think its safe to say, Bowles calls whatever he thinks is going to work based on who he has available.

It's like he's front agnostic.  

[Beerfish]

9 minutes ago, jetfan39 said:

never give up, do you?

 

[LIJetsFan]

Sack Exchange II, omg would that be something.  Cement Bowles place in Jets history.

[varjet]

Mauldin and Catapano basically can be rush DE on passing downs.

Carter and Lee can both play ILB in those schemes.  Probably better than Harris.

[Beerfish]

This is a big year for Richardson for this team if you ask me.  He had to have a great great year or he will be a candidate to be moved.  I was very disappointed in his overall play last year simply because he can be a much more dominant guy imo.

[HessStation]

Alignment has little to do with anything in the NFL anymore. 

[bitonti]

The answer to this question is no. 

Nickel is always a 4 man front. 

but the reason why the Jets are still a 3-4 team is cause their players have the size to play the odd front if the coaches want to play that front.

true 4-3 teams with 285 pound 3-tech DTs and 220 pound Olbs lack the personnel for that look. 

put it another way a 3-4 team can always flex 4-3 but the opposite is not always true. 

[bitonti]

3 hours ago, JETSfaninNE said:

and one last side note there isn't any compelling reason to get Steve McClendon on the field any more than there was a compelling reason to get Snacks on the field more last year. These are 2 down players. 

The question has been asked ever since the Jets made the decision to re-sign defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson: 

How the heck are head coach Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers going to get Wilkerson, Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson and Steve McLendon all on the field at the same time?

 

2

There's no compelling reason to get Steve McClendon on the field any more than there was a reason to get Snacks on the field more last year. These are basically 2 down players. 

Meanwhile Sheldon, Leonard and Mo might be an all time great 3-4 DL. 

[SickJetFan]

They played this in Jax game too and a lot towards end of last season....

[varjet]

How do we think this scheme affects who they keep on the 53?

[Nostradamus]

This is the ultimate hybrid defense...they run all sorts of fronts

[Nostradamus]

Hughes in incorrect about Jenkins.....I told you guys early in Camp....it will be Catapano over Jenkins.   Catapano and Mauldin in 3-4 front and Catapano with Harris and Henderson in 4-3.   Catapano was named starter following Redskins game before Jenkins got hurt in practice week 3.   Jenkins can be good in time but Catapano is way underrated.   

[Jet Nut]

6 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Tiny dancer.....with no place to play.....

You're kind of a broken record

[Nostradamus]

Also this is why they drafted Darron Lee......he is the ultimate hybrid player.   This defense is very versatile

[Smashmouth]

3 hours ago, bitonti said:

There's no compelling reason to get Steve McClendon on the field any more than there was a reason to get Snacks on the field more last year. These are basically 2 down players. 

Meanwhile Sheldon, Leonard and Mo might be an all time great 3-4 DL. 

All time great 3-4 DL men don't exist. They simply don't have the options a 4-3 front has, nor do they have the stats. In a true 3-4 defense the LB's shine and we have not been a true 3-4 defense for a long time. Sure its listed that way but we always see the creative fronts. With our personnel we should have played more 4-3 and the answer is we have for the most part.

[Nostradamus]

1 minute ago, Smashmouth said:

All time great 3-4 DL men don't exist. They simply don't have the options a 4-3 front has, nor do they have the stats. In a true 3-4 defense the LB's shine and we have not been a true 3-4 defense for a long time. Sure its listed that way but we always see the creative fronts. With our personnel we should have played more 4-3 and the answer is we have for the most part.

Also keep in mind Bowles doesn't want to show his cards to Cinci...its an important game to win...imperative with 2 road game at Buffalo and KC to follow

[jetscrazey]

You could call them a 4-3 now, but in the Giants game you could also call them a 5-2 because they brought 1 OLB up to the line, and also dropped Pryor into the box.  When Pryor is on the line, you could even maybe call them a 46 with Sheldon being the "wide-9."

In the base look Sheldon is the weak-side defensive end and seems to be covering everything from the B-gap outwards.  It's a more suitable role than OLB last year, and will put him more of a position to maximize his run-stopping ability.  If he can learn to overpower left tackles in the pass rush he could get some sacks.  McLendon covers the center as the nose tackle.  I liked the jump he was getting off the snap the other night.

The strong-side will have Mo at DE and Leo at DT.  Good luck running at that.  Many teams will try.  They will all fail.

All this not only maximizes the d-line talent they have, but it also masks the relative deficiency in talent at OLB.  By moving Mo to line up out against the tackle, you sometimes don't even need to line up an OLB because Mo will overpower the tackle and defend the edge.

[32EBoozer]

14 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Tiny dancer.....with no place to play.....

You'll see him in whenever Gio Bernard is on the field, and if Henderson struggles in coverage you'll see him even more.

[JETSfaninNE]

17 hours ago, bitonti said:

There's no compelling reason to get Steve McClendon on the field any more than there was a reason to get Snacks on the field more last year. These are basically 2 down players. 

Meanwhile Sheldon, Leonard and Mo might be an all time great 3-4 DL. 

I disagree.  Did you watch the Giants/Jets game?  McClendon isn't your typical NT, he doesn't occupy space, he shoots gaps, disrupts the line and makes plays at the QB.  

[whodeawhodat]

on a side note, Mo looked as good as ever for his first game back against the GMEN!  I'm not worried about our front, not too worried about our LB with all the young guys we have ready to step in if harris and henderson cant do the job.  to me the difference between good and great is our secondary and I drafted our defense in FF so you know what I am thinking

[bitonti]

2 hours ago, JETSfaninNE said:

I disagree.  Did you watch the Giants/Jets game?  McClendon isn't your typical NT, he doesn't occupy space, he shoots gaps, disrupts the line and makes plays at the QB.  

he's not better than Snacks. There was no great call to get Snacks on the field for 3 downs. 

[JETSfaninNE]

7 hours ago, bitonti said:

he's not better than Snacks. There was no great call to get Snacks on the field for 3 downs. 

I didn't say he was better than Snacks.  I think they are both different types of DTs and McClendon can be dangerous within this defense lined up in that 4-3 next to Leo.

[drdetroit]

20 hours ago, whodeawhodat said:

on a side note, Mo looked as good as ever for his first game back against the GMEN!  I'm not worried about our front, not too worried about our LB with all the young guys we have ready to step in if harris and henderson cant do the job.  to me the difference between good and great is our secondary and I drafted our defense in FF so you know what I am thinking

Our defense looked good last preseason game

[NYs Stepchild]

17 hours ago, bitonti said:

he's not better than Snacks. There was no great call to get Snacks on the field for 3 downs. 

Snacks could stand up a double team and still go left or right to disrupt the runner. I think the fact that we had Snacks forced Bowels to use him.

If we didn't have a premier NT we would have seen more of this hybrid 4-3. I'm pretty sure of that since we could have replaced him but we chose not to. 

None of the big three should be used as a one gap NT. All three, however can be moved all around a 4 man line. There will be a lot of havoc caused be those three guys shifting, and stunting. 

[LIJetsFan]

35 minutes ago, NYs Stepchild said:

Snacks could stand up a double team and still go left or right to disrupt the runner. I think the fact that we had Snacks forced Bowels to use him.

If we didn't have a premier NT we would have seen more of this hybrid 4-3. I'm pretty sure of that since we could have replaced him but we chose not to. 

None of the big three should be used as a one gap NT. All three, however can be moved all around a 4 man line. There will be a lot of havoc caused be those three guys shifting, and stunting. 

Good post +

[bitonti]

Steve McClendon averages about a half a sack a year. He's not a snacks true but he's not a Mo or Sheldon either. He's a gap clogger. He's not a reason to change defensive philosophies. 

[Savage69]

6 minutes ago, bitonti said:

Steve McClendon averages about a half a sack a year. He's not a snacks true but he's not a Mo or Sheldon either. He's a gap clogger. He's not a reason to change defensive philosophies. 

Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam weren't exactly sack kings either..

[bitonti]

1 hour ago, Savage69 said:

Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam weren't exactly sack kings either..

Salaam wasn't but Lyons got his fair share 

http://www.nfl.com/player/martylyons/2519872/profile

 

the point I"m trying to make is this article starts from the statement that McClendon needs to get on the field. THat's not true. Leo, Sheldon and Mo NEED to get on the field.