New York Jets: Top corners should shadow top receivers
New York Jets cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Morris Claiborne should shadow their opponents’ top two receivers.
Shadow coverage is when a particular receiver is covered by a particular corner no matter where he is on the field. Typically, it’s employed by a team with a cover corner to take away half the field — like the New York Jets did with Darrelle Revis.
The Jets should take a different tactic with Morris Claiborne and Trumaine Johnson and play primarily shadow coverage with both of them on a regular basis. The Jets should have Johnson shadow the No. 1 receiver and Claiborne shadow the No. 2 receiver of their opponents for a majority of the season.
They both had success in 2017 in shadow coverage. Twice Claiborne allowed zero catches, and Johnson allowed a catch rate of 48.6 percent and zero touchdowns when shadowing the opponents’ No. 1 receiver, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Just imagine what it could be like if Claiborne were to shadow the No. 2 receiver.
Them shadowing the top two receivers could open a whole lot of coverage options to help Buster Skrine who allowed the seventh highest passer rating and tied for the third most touchdowns allowed by corners with at least 500 coverage snaps per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). As per PFF, he also had the second-highest passer rating allowed and the most touchdowns allowed from the slot corner position (min. 300 snaps).
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Having them shadow also opens up so much more for the pass rush in terms of blitzes. So, in the end, employing the shadow coverage tactic will be the best for the Jets as a team, not just the individuals. It’s what will allow the Jets offense to be at their best in 2018 season, something they need if they’re to find success this year.