Jets know middle of defense has been a soft spot

[Jetfan13]

David Harris didn’t need to see the film to know what had happened. As soon as Browns receiver Joshua Cribbs found a wide-open space on the field, and scampered off for 37 yards, the Jets linebacker lamented his mistake.

The Jets had been in a zone coverage, and Cribbs ran a shallow route across the field, becoming Harris’ man. Harris, though, acknowledged he had been caught up on tight end Benjamin Watson.

“I haven’t played up to my ability,” Harris said, adding: “I could have helped a little bit on those crossing routes.”

It was a humble admission by the team’s leading tackler and a rock solid player who anchors the middle of the Jets defense. But Harris wasn’t alone: In victories against Detroit and Cleveland the past two weeks, the Jets defense has been picked on in the middle of the field, with teams choosing to pass inside — often to tight ends and backs — rather than test the outside patrolled by cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘Do we want to throw out at 24? Do we want to throw the ball at 31?’” defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman said. “You’re at your own risk when you’re doing that. (Opponents) have been taking more shots across the middle, and it’s something that we’ve noticed, and we know we need to rectify and remedy.”

The Jets are working on improving this aspect of their game heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Texans, who average 242.6 passing yards per game, 11th-best in the league.

The Lions laid out the blueprint, with 21 of their 37 passes targeted for tight ends or backs, yielding 11 completions. Cromartie and Revis each gave up just two catches in that game.

The Browns appeared to take a cue from Detroit’s success, calling frequent crossing routes and targeting tight ends or backs on 20 of 31 passes for 11 completions. Revis and Cromartie weren’t targeted until late in the fourth quarter, when each gave up his only completion of the day on the Browns’ two-minute scoring drive (an 18-yarder to tight end Evan Moore on Revis, and the 3-yard touchdown to Mohamed Massaquoi on Cromartie).

When opponents look inside the numbers, it puts pressure on the Jets’ safeties and linebackers.

“Not too many teams are going to test Revis and Cromartie on a consistent basis, so the middle’s always the weak link,” Harris said. “But me, Bart (Scott) and the other guys have got to step our game up and make sure those gains don’t happen across the middle.”

Routes in the middle of the field can be tricky and fast-developing. Tight ends, as Watson did, can make it look as though they are blocking and then release at the last second to run a route.

Thurman wouldn’t reveal the ways they can clamp down in the middle, saying only that you can change a player’s technique or you can change the player doing it.

Safety Eric Smith, who gave up two catches for 35 yards Sunday, said the Jets could change up their coverages and play more zone with more help inside. Revis suggested the defense needs to improve at identifying which offensive players are going where.

Coach Rex Ryan attributed some of the gaffes to defensive miscommunications.

“I think play our defense that we called,” Ryan said. “That would be a good start. Some of those coverages out there, I was like, ‘What are we doing?’ We’ve got to be true to ourselves. How are we making these kinds of mistakes?”

Jets players said they were more aware of passes to the middle of the field in the second half against the Browns, one of many things they did better after halftime. But they need to make sure they are tightened up moving forward, because what one opponent does well, the next can mimic.

“The NFL is a copy-cat league,” Thurman said. “If a team a week before, or two weeks before, hurts you on something, that week’s opponent will wrap it in a different package.”

[PatsFanTX]

“The NFL is a copy-cat league,” Thurman said. “If a team a week before, or two weeks before, hurts you on something, that week’s opponent will wrap it in a different package.”

That was a good article.

Should be interesting this week as the Texans love those short to intermediate crossing routes.

[slats]

I expected the Jets to play more zone than ever playing a team without much in terms of WR. It made sense. It also makes sense that the team wouldn't be very fluid in that scheme being that they're primarily a man-to-man/blitz organization. I'm not surprised to read Rex saying that the players didn't have their assignments right all the time.

It's good for for them, and they will have to do some of it this week against the Texans. Figure Revis on AJ, and the rest of the defense in some sort of zone. Cincy will be back to their base package...

But it's NE who dinks and dunks better than anyone in the league, and getting that middle of the field issue addressed now helps the team in the future.

[visajets]

Ok we know whats wrong lets fix it.

[lamont_jordan_rules]

... add in generate some more pass rush and we'll have a chance to play at last years elite level ...

l_j_r

[pfilippone]

Thurman wouldn’t reveal the ways they can clamp down in the middle, saying only that you can change a player’s technique or you can change the player doing it.

As a fan, it's a bit frustrating when you see your team's weaknesses being exploited, and then you don't hear much from the players or coaches beyond the usual rhetoric. "We've got to do better", "Get an early jump", "play like a Jet" etc.

I know they can't divulge much for fear of giving the next opponent an advantage, but it comes off to me looking like the Jets are not doing a whole helluva lot (or can't) to fix these issues. Just sayin'.

[JiF]

As a fan, it's a bit frustrating when you see your team's weaknesses being exploited, and then you don't hear much from the players or coaches beyond the usual rhetoric. "We've got to do better", "Get an early jump", "play like a Jet" etc.

I know they can't divulge much for fear of giving the next opponent an advantage, but it comes off to me looking like the Jets are not doing a whole helluva lot (or can't) to fix these issues. Just sayin'.

I think Rex demands a lot from his defense and just expects them to make the plays in one on one coverage. This comes down to safety play IMO. We just dont have a great cover safety who can take a TE 1 on 1. You cant ask Harris to cover TE's...even if he picks him up as an assignment, the TE should win that battle 9 out of 10 times.

We need to either role out a zone to take away the middle of the field or we need the players who can go 1 on 1 with a TE.