During the New York Jets’ brutal 31-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the defense’s long-standing tackling issues came to a head. According to Next Gen Stats, the team missed 20 tackles, tied for the most by any team this season. It led to interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich telling reporters he shared a “tackling presentation” with the team after the game.
Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel tried his best to explain what he thinks has been going wrong.
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“I think the effort and intent of understanding what tackling is is not a problem until you don’t make it,” defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel told reporters on Thursday. “So it’s not a technique to it. When you get a guy down, that’s all that counts. But when you miss it, everybody is exploited.”
Manuel also addressed the team’s struggles with forcing turnovers. The Jets’ two interceptions through 10 games rank ahead of only the Browns and Giants.
“A lot of teams have come in, and the mindset is ball control,” Manuel said. “The shots they try to take are not as many as they need to anymore, and as they come out, it’s dink and dunk. And the ones that we do get our chances on, we got to make, but the ability to go out and now create them we have to do that a little bit more, too.”
As the Jets prepare to host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced he will start second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson after benching him the past two weeks for former Jets quarterback Joe Flacco.
“He’s a pure, true athlete,” Manuel said of Richardson. “It’s not by accident that he’s the number four overall pick, and he’s probably learned a lot, so we expect the best part of him now he’s learned a lot. So we’re getting ready, and we’re preparing for exactly the guy to come out and do what they’re asking and be a phenomenal athlete at the position that can make throws all across the field and get the ball moving down the field and get the offense going.”
As the Jets brace for Sunday’s clash with the Colts, they’re focused on tightening up their tackling and forcing turnovers to contain Indianapolis’ dynamic young quarterback.
