Some New York Jets players have a frustrating tendency that should be correctable
If he could catch, he would play receiver.
That’s what TV and radio announcers say every time a defensive player drops an interception. To a large extent, it’s true.
However, for the New York Jets, the problem is that drops permeate both sides of the ball. And it’s for the same reasons.
Take a look at these photos of Sauce Gardner.
In peewee football, the first thing players learn is to catch the football using a diamond technique (or a triangle).
This is a demonstration from NFL Flag Football.
Yes, Gardner is a defensive back, but his struggles catching interceptions are well-known. Pro Football Focus lists him with three dropped interceptions in 2023, but watching the film, you can find as many as five. He talked about doing catching drills over the last two offseasons, but if his technique doesn’t improve, he’ll keep dropping them.
Take a look at how he tried to catch this ball against the Cowboys. Gardner later told CeeDee Lamb that he was thinking about taking it in for a touchdown before securing the ball, but that’s not the primary reason he dropped it.
You can see the separation between Gardner’s hands in this snapshot.
The same pattern appears on Sauce’s other dropped picks: he claps the ball.
You can excuse this as defensive back play, but Allen Lazard has the same exact issue.
Of course, this predates the Jets; Joe Blewett highlighted Lazard’s atrocious catching technique from his days with the Packers. Still, Lazard had an 8.2% career drop rate before coming to the Jets (which was well worse than the 6.1% league average in 2023), but he dropped 17.9% of his passes in 2023. The Jets’ coaches should have been working on his catching technique.
Additionally, Gardner’s cornerback technique is so elite that his coaches should be working on tightening up the finer points. That means improving his tackling and his catch technique.
Watch C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams displaying a similar issue.
Another prevalent issue for both receivers and defensive players is catching the ball with their chests. Garrett Wilson does this frequently, as does Michael Carter II.
The third issue is trying to bucket or basket catch the ball rather than attacking it.
When it comes to the Jets’ offensive players, working on catch technique is an absolute must. Don’t discount the need for defensive players to work on their catching, though.
Mosley led the NFL with four dropped interceptions, and Gardner wasn’t too far behind him with three recorded drops (plus one on a bogus penalty call and another that could have been called a drop). Carter II dropped two, and Quincy Williams also had a couple (though one wasn’t counted).
The Jets tied for eighth in the NFL with 27 takeaways in 2023. Still, they left a lot of meat on the bone in that area. In particular, since Gardner seems to be dinged by so many people for his lack of interceptions, learning how to catch could cement him as the NFL’s top cornerback (not that he isn’t already).
