New York Jets: Two defensive alignments team should employ
A major change needs to happen with the New York Jets. They need to change their defense from a three-man front to a four-man front.
The New York Jets have seven sacks in six games this season, and that’s the second fewest in the NFL in 2017. None of those seven sacks has come from a defensive lineman. Leonard Williams has taken a step back from last season, and Muhammad Wilkerson has taken a huge step back.
So, how can the Jets fix this problem? They need to move Williams and Wilkerson inside and switch to a four-man front.
The argument against this move would be that the 3-4 defense is better equipped to compete against the 11 personnel (one back, one tight end, three receiver) look, which many teams use often. There are ways to combat that.
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First, inserting defensive ends Kony Ealy and Lawrence Thomas into the starting lineup and moving Williams and Wilkerson to three technique tackles would be the moves to make. That would be their natural positions anyway. This would allow them to use their athleticism against less athletic guards and create some mismatches.
The second thing is disguised blitzes out of this formation. Ealy is athletic enough to drop into zone coverage out of the even front, and that would allow more blitzing from the linebackers. While it’s nice to help the guys who are struggling get sacks, it would also help the team as a whole get to the quarterback by running this front.
There’s also the 4-2-5 nickel defense to consider when moving to the four-man front. The Jets secondary has been the highlight of the defense so far. They’re all playing well, and they should be rewarded with more playing time.
A base 3-4 defense is used to combat the nature of offenses today coming out in more 11 personnel. To combat that with a four-man front, the Jets can come out in more nickel packages. You may see it more, but it’s a good way to combat the 11 personnel.
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As for Mike Pennel and Steve McLendon, they are nose tackles, and that would seem to make them useless in a four-man front. Actually, using nose tackles in a four-man front can be a good thing. They can eat up blocks and allow the other linemen to get more one-one-one opportunities. This would allow the ends and tackles to get to the quarterback more.