Florham Park – Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is going to serve as the team’s de facto defensive coordinator this year.
He didn’t handle that role in his first year as Jets coach last season. He hired Steve Wilks to run the defense, but he was fired in December by Jets owner Woody Johnson.
Glenn was asked today what people should expect from his defense.
“Physical, violent, disruptive, and I say disruptive from a quarterback, disrupt the skill players, and disrupt the pocket,” Glenn said. “I’m looking for guys that can do that. So, I guess if you can sum it all up, men that are highly disruptive.”
But he also needs his defense to be highly intelligent.
While things like violence and disruption are extremely important on defense, if players are consistently out of position, what good are those characteristics?
Jets need to not only have a violent and disruptive defense this season, but one that possesses a collective high football IQ.
During the Jets’ blowout loss to Jacksonville last December, Jags radio analyst Jeff Lageman, a former Jet, talked about one player struggling in that game because he lacked “situational awareness and route awareness.”
Jets need a back seven this year to be loaded with players who have “situational awareness and route awareness.”
In the spring, Jets defensive lineman Harrison Phillips was asked about new Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and what he can do for the team’s defense.
“He has that cerebral football IQ that can really get everyone on the same page,” Phillips said. “Because gosh dang is it frustrating when someone walks into the end zone wide open.”
Jets gave up too many explosive plays last year, where opponents were seemingly “wide open.”
That can’t continue.
Because no matter how tough and physical a defense is, that stuff is not going to help overcome myriad blown coverage assignments.
Additions like Fitzpatrick and linebacker Demario Davis, master communicators on the field, should help the Jets cut down on “gosh dang” plays on defense.
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