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This was the dream of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh when they started to work together in 2021.
They wanted to build a dominant defensive line, not just a good starting defensive line, but a backup line, where there isn’t much of a dropoff from the starters.
Because in the Saleh/Jeff Ulbrich defensive system, they ask their defensive linemen to run sideline to sideline, not just stay in the trenches, so because they ask their D-Linemen to run so much, they platoon a lot.
They had a pretty good starting D-Line in their first two years together, but there was often a big dropoff to the second unit, leading to many big plays.
Now, in Year 3, they finally have the kind of depth on the defensive line they were dreaming about when they started working together.
And that talented two-deep is one of the biggest reasons they won their last two games.
“The reality of football is, if you are good on the defensive line, you are going to control a good offense,” said former NFL GM Mike Lombardi on VSIN.
A play that was illustrative of how loaded the Jets, was on Quinnen Williams’ interception against the Eagles.
In the second quarter, on third-and-9, the Jets had Bryce Huff and Will McDonald against the right side of the Eagles line which was struggling, and Jalen Hurts threw a short pass to tight end Dallas Goedert to get rid of the ball fast, and another defensive lineman Jermaine Johnson knocked the ball out of Goedert’s hand and Quinnen Williams picked it off.
So you had four defensive linemen contributing to this huge play.
Another example of the Jets’ quality depth upfront benefitting them was on a play in the fourth quarter.
On a key third down, Huff and John Franklin-Myers met at the QB and sacked Hurts forcing a field goal attempt that was no good mid-fourth. Aside from good pass rushing by Huff and Franklin-Myers, another key to this play was Williams getting double-teamed, allowing single blocks for the other guys up front.
Williams got double-teamed a lot in this game.
Just like he did the last two years, but the difference this year, is the Jets have more good players around him, who can take advantage of favorable matchups.
A key player in the Jets’ now potent defensive line rotation, who doesn’t get enough attention, is defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. He’s quietly having a very good season. Sometimes he starts, sometimes he’s with the second team, but he’s consistently made an impact, and when he spells Williams, there isn’t as big a dropoff as the Jets suffered the previous two years. A former Jets backup DT wasn’t as good at shedding blocks as Jefferson, and was also on the ground too much.
The Jets have so much quality depth on the defensive line, that they might be able to trade Carl Lawson, who is in the last year of contract. Plenty of teams need pass-rushing help.
Also, they won’t have to force a certain player in the lineup, who struggles to set the edge, and was inactive last week.
The Douglas-Saleh vision for their defensive line has finally reached fruition in Year 3 of their program.
October 24, 2023
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