How the Jets Can Beat Patriots' Cornerback Jack Jones in Sunday's Rematch
Jack Jones.
Jack who?
This may be a name Jets' fans are familiar with, and it may not be.
Jones is a fourth-round rookie out of ASU, but he is not just any rookie. His name has been tossed into the conversation along with the Jets' Ahmad Gardner for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Patriots' Head Coach Bill Belichick has done it again. Here I thought New England would be dead in the water if they didn't re-sign cornerback J.C.Jackson who picked off $82.5 million dollars from the Chargers in free agency.
I was wrong about that one.
Jones has made New England fans quickly forget about Jackson.
Kudos to Belichick for outsmarting the league once again. Granted, I've known since I was on staff with him at the Jets that corners were his baby.
Belichick knows defense, but Belichick really knows corners.
Whoever can master this position on the field for Belichick can practically become a coach themselves after their playing careers are over. I can think of two who have done so off the top of my head, Aaron Glenn, who Jets' fans probably remember, and Otis Smith.
Glenn is now the Defensive Coordinator for the Lions, and Smith spent some time in the NFL coaching ranks and he is now a Defensive Coordinator in the European League of Football.
Point being, it is a position that requires mastery, which makes the fact a fourth-round rookie is starting in New England even more astounding.
It's understandable that a top-10 draft pick like Gardner could be in the running for DROY, but the fact Jones is speaks even more to the kind of season he's had.
Jones was recently named to Pro Football Focus' midseason All-Pro Team after producing two interceptions and five passes defended through his first seven games.
Oddsmakers in Vegas are right there esteeming Jones too, putting the fourth highest odds on him to win DROY honors behind Gardner, Tariq Woolen and Aidan Hutchinson.
That's pretty good company.
The thing that really impressed me watching Jones on game film this season is time and time again he looked more like the receiver than the actual receiver did when the ball was thrown in his direction. No surprise, Jones played some receiver in high school.
Knowing how Belichick thinks, I'm sure this intel factored into his decision to select Jones.
There's a premium for corners having great ball skills in New England.
Will the Jets' be able to complete a pass against Jones in the rematch this Sunday?
They got him a couple times before, and in my three game study this season GB (10/2), CLV (10/16) and NYJ (10/30) the game film revealed a clear way to beat him.
Jones is a text-book off-man cover corner.
He's a lanky defender with long arms that lines up a few yards off the receiver pre-snap and mirrors his every move. Jones, who has an aggressive aura, is a smooth and fluid athlete with some real get up and go. He can flip his hips and take off with good straight-line speed as naturally as breathing.
Jones gives a 7-10 yard cushion in this "off-man" look, but make no mistake he can break back downhill and get there, right after the catch on slant routes.
That's how teams have completed passes against Jones on game film: slant routes.
Cleveland got him a couple times on quick slants and the Jets got him on a quick slant from quarterback Zach Wilson to wide receiver Jeff Smith towards the end of the game for a nice gain.
New York receiver Denzel Mims also got a big gain in the 4th quarter against New England.
Jones came up on Mims pre-snap in a press-man look that became zone for Jones after the snap. Jones passed off Mims to the defensive back behind him, Mims caught the stop and go route, Jones then bounced off of him in a failed tackling attempt and Mims was off to the races.
New York got him on a curl route too.
So, can the Jets complete passes on Jones?
Yes.
Forget trying to test Jones deep. He gains better leverage and positioning than the receiver does.
New York can beat him on slants and curl routes.
While Jones has good athletic ability and great instincts, he lacks that elite short-area burst to the ball and sometimes he even slips trying to gather himself.
That's why he lasted to the fourth-round.
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