Content available exclusively for subscribers
Major announcement? . . .
Manish Mehta announced that Todd Bowles is taking back some of the defensive play-calling duties from Kacy Rodgers. Bowles will now be making the defensive calls in two-minute/hurry-up situations, according to the Daily News.
“Bowles has decided to take over in those critical moments, in part, to improve the communication flow before the snap,” wrote Mehta. “There’s a feeling inside the building that Bowles’ expertise will help rectify some of the defensive issues that have plagued the Jets. His calm, decisive decision-making in situational pressure situations should help matters.”
Todd Bowles called the report “a lie.”
I asked a Jets official about the story and he questioned whether it was true.
Another beat writer, from a major paper, told me, he heard the story isn’t true.
What do I think?
First off, the writer has a great Bowles source.
Secondly, there were significant defensive mistakes the last two weeks.
But keep in mind, we might never find out the actual answer. Bowles isn’t going to admit it publicly, and honestly, he and Rodgers are essentially co-defensive coordinators. They are constantly communicating on the headset when the defense is on the field. So unless we’re privy to their headset communication, how are we going to know who is calling what?
If the writer had just generically wrote that Bowles was “taking over the defensive playing calling,” I might question that.
But when you are so specific, and write he will take over “defensive calls in two-minute/hurry-up situations,” how do you make that up? To me, it’s too nuanced for writer to pull that of his bag of tricks.
Somebody told him that.
And for those who don’t think it’s true, I would say, it probably should be the case.
Bowles made his bones as a defensive coach.
Just like Rex Ryan.
I remember when Woody Johnson wanted Ryan, even though he was the head coach, to call the defense, because he was so good at it in Baltimore.
The Jets are making too many mistakes on defense, so theoretically, Bowles should take over since that’s his wheelhouse.
Rodgers is a terrific guy, but perhaps Bowles is the better defensive coordinator.
But no matter how the defensive calls are being made, I think the Jets will have a strong defensive game in Jacksonville on Sunday.
And I think a big reason for that is that the Jaguars aren’t a very good offensive team.
First off, Blake Bortles is a pedestrian QB. That is well-documented.
Secondly, they’re playing a backup left tackle, Josh Wells, because Cam Robinson is out for the year. Wells was an undrafted free agent out of 1-AA James Madison a couple of years ago, who previously served as the Jaguars’ backup swing tackle.
Last, they are thin at receiver, with Allen Robinson now in Chicago, and Marquis Lee on injured reserve.
So I think the Jets defense will be okay this weekend, regardless of who is calling the plays.
September 26, 2018
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Thursday.