C.J. Mosley revealed a changed scope of his responsibilities in the New York Jets defense
The New York Jets’ defense is supposedly all about rules. With how elite it’s been in recent seasons, no one talks much about the downsides to those rules. However, in 2021 and the early part of 2022, the uncomplicated defensive looks the Jets presented to opponents drew scrutiny.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley, the captain of the defense, shed some light on what may have changed for the defense from Year 1. Kay Adams of the “Up & Adams Show” asked Mosley about the freedom he has in the Jets’ defense. His response was eye-opening.
How much FREEDOM has #Jets HC Robert Saleh given 5x All Pro LB C.J. Mosley as the green dot linebacker??
"Total freedom… I'm on my Ray Lewis, Luke Kuechly style of linebacker play." 🗣️@TreyDeuce32RTR @raylewis @LukeKuechly @nyjets @heykayadams #Jetup pic.twitter.com/l2Kn3JkcQJ
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 31, 2024
This may not seem earth-shattering, as most middle linebackers are defensive captains and can make checks. However, it was clear in the first year-plus under Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich that this was not the case for Mosley.
The incident most clearly illustrating this limitation came during the Jets’ 27-24 overtime win over the Titans in 2021. It was Saleh’s first victory as the Jets’ head coach. Jets X-Factor’s Andrew Golden explained that Mosley made a defensive check from Cover 1 to Cover 3 in recognition of a play the Titans had run earlier in the game.
Golden wrote, “After the game, Saleh explained that players in their system aren’t allowed to check into new plays at the line and that Mosley had done something no other player he had coached had ever done before by doing it anyway.”
Saleh said, “He got us into another defense and the entire sideline, all of us coaches were like, ‘What is he doing? What is he doing?’ We’re just yelling at the linebacker coach and he got us into the perfect play call and we got a sack because the quarterback hitched. I was like, ‘Well, that’s why he’s an All-Pro.'”
Golden further demonstrated a check Mosley did not make in Week 4 of the 2022 season.
Golden lamented, “Sadly, Mosley likely didn’t even notice Burrow’s lack of audible himself. He knows he isn’t allowed to change the play even if he is tipped off to what’s coming, so why bother? Instead, he likely focused on timing his drop and being ready to pick up Boyd over the middle, since that’s all was required of him on that particular play.”
This clearly elucidates the fact that Mosley was not allowed to make checks to the Jets’ defense. Therefore, Mosley’s assertion that he has free rein to do so represents a paradigm shift in defensive philosophy.
One wonders if this is truly the case. After all, Mosley did hesitate a bit when Adams initially phrased the question slightly differently. “Does Saleh sort of give you the rein to switch things up and do what you want out there?” Adams asked. Mosley’s response was, “Uh… in a quick answer, yes.”
However, his elaboration inspires confidence that he does, indeed, have the freedom to make significant changes. “[It’s] Year 3 and 4 of pretty much all our defense being together. So we kind of understand the basic of our defense, and so now we’re trying to find every next step, every little inch, cheating one little gap to try to make us better to win that play,” he said.
“That’s where we’re at now. My biggest goal that the coaches gave me this year is just being more demonstrative in calling out what I see. The coaches are giving me a lot of confidence to do that.”
That was the context of his answer about having free rein. This shows maturity on Saleh’s and Ulbrich’s part in being able to trust their five-time second-team All-Pro veteran linebacker to set up the defense in the best position to succeed.
Furthermore, depending on when the coaches took the training wheels off Mosley (which is funny to even say), this may be one of the biggest reasons the Jets’ coverage has improved so vastly. Sure, bringing in Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed will do that for a defense. Still, the team has dealt with consistently below-average safety play and still succeeded mightily as a unit.
One of the main assets of the Jets’ defense is their back-end communication. They don’t blow many coverages relative to other teams. Mosley’s captaincy may well promote this seamless performance.
Even though Mosley’s physical skills have declined from his peak, his football mind remains as sharp as ever. His discipline filters down to the rest of the defense, making the unit stronger as a whole. It’s encouraging to hear that Saleh and Ulbrich recognize this, possibly leading the defense to even greater heights in 2024.
