Hey guys, let's talk defensive line! I covered the plays and scheme right here: Can the Jets' Defensive Line Dominate?
Nice piece that highlights the concern I have with the Jets inability to stop getting gashed on run plays. I still think we need a big-boned linebacker (or two) to slap down runners that get past the scrimmage line. C.J. isn't getting any faster and Quincy and still hasn't ripened. I may be old-fashioned... but I'd like to see a Greg Lloyd type linebacker that makes the other team think twice about crossing the middle of the field.
Great article again. If Carl Lawson stays healthy and Jermaine Johnson's game translates well into NFL then we will dominate up front. Saleh's specialty is defensive line pressure and I believe he will find the perfect scheme to make things work. Quinnen Williams has been underwhelming so far in his NFL career and he didn't show enough to me to expect great things from him. To me he is the wild card. If he comes back a better player in his 4th year, than yes our defensive line will dominate.
But lets look at the reasons the Jets struggle on defense on 3rd down. 1. The lack of pass rush hurts them 2. The matchups on the inside are problematic for the Jets. They struggle covering a shifty wr or athletic tight end. 3. Teams hurt the jets with man concepts and the lack of athleticism on the backend kind of gets them in trouble. The safeties don't appear to help too much in the vertical passing game. https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/2022/01/ny-jets-defense-jets-3rd-down-matchup.html
Great article…the intent seems clear the other thing I noted while reading is how JD has been working hand in hand with the coaching staff to find players that fit the specific scheme…and not just starters but that second wave DL looks to be very similar in terms of types of players who knows how it will work out…to me the keys are can Lawson come back and be the player he was before his injury (will likely take some time) and how good will Jermaine be as a rookie. If those two guys do well this year, the DL could very well be dominant. But those are big ifs right now…no way to be sure. but again, to me, my favorite takeaway is how the GM and HC seem to be on the same page as to the scheme and type of players needed….this bodes well for our future. no more haphazard drafting of safeties at 6 overall, or DT at 3 overall when we just drafted a DT at 3 overall a couple years earlier. This looks to be a GM who understands how to build a team in terms of investing premium picks in premium positions and players that fit the coach’s scheme
I thought last year was going to be the year the DL really dominated and then what Lawson went down in August I figured it was doomed. Hopefully the return of Lawson, the addition of JJ, and then moving JFM to his natural position will help.
Yes, they can dominate, but we won't know for sure until they play the games. I can ask my magic eight ball, but I don't feel like wasting my time.
Maybe for half the game. The other half when Ulbrich keeps his lineman "fresh" by playing backups it wont be so effective
I think a few key things have to go our way for our DL to dominate: 1. Lawson has to defy the odds and return close to form+stay healthy during the season 2. Quinnen has to get to the next level (borderline Pro Bowl-caliber) 3. One of either JJ or Clemons needs to contribute very quickly If 2/3 of those things happen it will probably be a pretty good line, might need all 3 for it to be dominant though. I'm not at all sold on Saleh as some DL guru. History has shown that he needed elite talent to produce a dominant line. The 49ers were near the bottom of the league in sack % every year until they got Nick Bosa, after which they were top 5. They dropped to nearly the bottom of the league again during the season where Bosa missed all but 2 games and then returned to the top 5 the following season when Bosa was healthy and Saleh was gone.
Sadly, that same situation just might be the case again in '22. We may be improved on paper, but we're still young and learning how to play as a unit.
I'm not confident in Ubrich's ability to adapt & learn. LaFleur has impressed... Ulbrich not so mulch...
The offensive stats were pretty bad all year, but when you put your rookie QB out their with the 2nd and 3rd stringers (and sometimes the 3rd and 4th stringers), it's amazing what LaFleur accomplished in the last 1/3 of the year when he had nothing to work with. I'm stoked to see what he does when he has real starters on the field. Ulbrich underperformed. Obviously, losing Lawson and the safeties to start the season hurt, as we didn't have that many dogs on defense to start with. We were going to be bad no matter what. But unlike LaFleur, Ulbrich never found a way to do more with less.
