Longtime ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper has surfaced a few times this week, first with pointed comments toward the Carolina Panthers and then urging the league’s Competition Committee to ban the Cover 2 defense. His name even surfaced late Thursday night after the Jets dissected the Patriots, 24-3.
Aaron Rodgers said the Jets broke out of an early season offensive brain fog by capitalizing on how defenses have schemed wide receiver Garrett Wilson. And, after apparently killing time by watching Get Up the morning of his game, Rodgers also threw a dig route at Kiper.
“The entire focus of all three defenses we’ve played has been taking Garrett away … Mel Kiper’s worst nightmare: A lot of Cover 2.”
Rodgers explained that the Jets occasionally have seen only one safety high atop defenses. In those instances, they’ve targeted Wilson, who has just 15 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown through three games. However, defensive coordinators have primarily deployed two high safeties.
Opponents also are daring the Jets to beat them by moving one of those two safeties closer to Wilson before the snap, Rodgers said, even when the 49ers, Titans and Patriots assigned their best cornerbacks, Charvarius Ward, L’Jarius Sneed and Christian Gonzalez, to cover Wilson.
“They’re shading to him, even with stud corners. Not a lot of singles (one high safety). So, that’s a tribute to Garrett and his talent.”
Next up for the Jets is another stud cornerback, Pat Surtain, and the Denver Broncos in Week 4.