Coaches need to step up

The Jets have blown a number of coverages this year.

There is no doubt, a lot of the blame should go to the players involved in each particular bad play.

But also, their coaches need to shoulder some of the responsibility – whether it’s Rex Ryan, Mike Pettine or Dennis Thurman.

As the secondary coach, Thurman, needs to get some of these issues fixed.

“We are challenged as a coaching staff to try and get things fixed,” Ryan said on Wednesday. “There are things that are more technique, but truly blowing assignments completely, I don’t know if that has been the case.  It’s been some technique and the finer points of what our coverage would be.  All of us will be challenged, Dennis (Thurman) and myself.”

 

Ryan consistently describes Thurman as “the best secondary coach in the league.” If that is the case, he needs to prove it down the stretch.

But Ryan doesn’t think Thurman needs to prove anything.

“I think you have to look at (Thurman’s) body of work,” Ryan said. “I think that’s where you get who’s good and who’s not.  I think the body of the work of Dennis Thurman, that speaks for itself.  That’s the same guy that taught Ronnie Lott how to study tapes.  The same guy that coached Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed. 

“If you look at it statistically, this is unfamiliar ground for us.  We’re usually first or second in the league for pass defense.  We’re not there yet.  Dennis Thurman, our secondary coach, we ought to be proud to have him.”