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Watching it again, the Jets’ run defense was even worse than I thought watching it in Santa Clara.
The 49ers were gashing the Jets up the middle, taking the edge, essentially doing whatever they wanted on the ground in their 32-19 win over the Jets in Santa Clark on Monday Night Football.
One silver lining to the run defense debacle was it will help the Jets’ offense be fresh on Sunday on a short week in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans.
The Jets have a 40-year-old QB and two 33-year-old offensive tackles, and they were only on the field for 21:50 at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers held the ball for 38:40.
Actually QB Aaron Rodgers was on the field less than 21:50 because he was taken out for the last series for backup QB Tyrod Taylor.
People will say the Jets pass rush wasn’t much better than their run defense, but try rushing the passer against a run-based team like San Francisco, that uses their running game to set up all the misdirection that drives defenses crazy.
Hard to rush the passer when you can’t stop the run. It’s hard to pin your ears back and go after the QB with a poruous run defense.
So if the Jets stopped the run better it would’ve helped their pass rush, whether Haason Reddick is with the team or not.
There was a play that epitomized the Jets’ run defense struggles.
In the second quarter, on a first and goal from the two, defensive end Will McDonald was lined up at left end, and 49ers wide receiver/running back Deebo Samuel ran off right tackle for a two-yard touchdown. McDonald got pushed back by 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz who drove the defensive end back into linebacker Quincy Williams and both went to the ground, opening up a big hole.
I’m not looking to pick on McDonald, but it’s misguided to play at 236-pound defensive end on your goalline defense. None. And it’s unfair to use him there, where teams tend to go with a “jumbo package.” McKivitz outweighs McDonald by 65 pounds.
McDonald needs to be moved into a situational pass rusher role right now, like Bryce Huff was in last year. There is nothing wrong with that. Playing the run in their base defense right now is hard for him with how undersized he is for the NFL end position.
Jets defensive end Michael Clemons who does have the size for the position, nonetheless still struggles setting the edge.
A perfect example of this was in the second quarter, when 49ers tight end Eric Saubert pushed Michael Clemons far inside, and tailback Jordan Mason went off right tackle for nine yards. Saubert is a good blocker, but he’s 248 pounds, and should not be able to push the 265-pound Clemons to the inside so easily.
Another problem was being undersized up the middle when Javon Kinlaw had to take a break. Late in the first quarter, Mason went for 13 yards up the middle. On the play, guard Dom Puni pushed back Solomon Thomas to the left. Quinnen got handled by guard Aaron Banks opening up a huge hole up the middle.
Changes are needed, and the head coaches faith in the players just doing it better might be a little misguided in some cases.
Hope is not a strategy.
September 10, 2024
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