The message from the Jets’ defensive coaches to their players has been relatively simple this week: Disrupt Lions quarterback Jared Goff and create turnovers.
If the Jets do those two things on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, they’ll get to 8-6 and greatly enhance their playoff chances. If they don’t, it could be a death knell to what’s been a promising season.
When Goff, 28, was traded by the Rams to the Lions for fellow quarterback Matthew Stafford before last season, the Lions were panned for making the trade and there was an assumption that Goff was being shipped to Siberia, sent out to pasture never to be heard from again.
Yes, the Rams got their Super Bowl last season with Stafford, but that trade doesn’t look as bad now as it did a year ago for Detroit. In the past seven games, Goff has thrown for 1,769 yards, has 11 touchdowns and only one interception. The Lions, not coincidentally, have won five of their past six games.
That “one INT’’ statistic is of concern to the Jets’ defense, which has gone two games and three of the past four without forcing a turnover.
With this in mind, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich revealed Thursday that, in this week’s practices, the coaches have gone back to some basic fundamentals emphasizing creating turnovers — forced fumbles and INTs.
Jared Goff has found his stride in the second half of the season. AP Photo“We were coaching it, [but] I probably wasn’t emphasizing it well enough,’’ Ulbrich said. “So, we really shined a light on it this week, being very deliberate in the shots we take in practice and being very deliberate in running to the ball for the tips and overthrows and all the things that can happen to that. We really got back to our roots this week, so hopefully that will manifest itself in some turnovers this Sunday.’’
D.J. Reed and rookie Sauce Gardner, the Jets’ top draft pick last spring, have formed one of the top cornerback tandems in the league. Thursday Reed pointed to the lack of turnovers as the reason the Jets have lost their past two games and three of their past four.
“The last two games, we haven’t gotten any turnovers,’’ Reed said. “The games that we’ve won we’ve gotten turnovers, given the ball to the offense, put them in good position to score. If we don’t get turnovers, we’re not going to win games. That’s the pressure that we put on ourselves. We’ve got to generate turnovers to win games.’’
Reed said of Goff, “He’s a very good quarterback when he’s not under pressure. Statistically, he’s the best quarterback as far as passer rating when he’s not pressured. But he’s the second-worst when he is pressured. So that’s a tell. We’ve got to make him uncomfortable.’’
The discomfort has to come from the pass rush, and from Reed and Gardner shutting the Detroit receivers down.
Reed said he likes the second part of that equation.
Sauce Gardner has helped transform the Jets defense and will need to be on his game against the Lions. Bill Kostroun“Every game we’ve played in, I don’t give up much yardage and [Gardner] doesn’t either,’’ Reed said. “We’re making it very tough on the guys that we’re covering. I feel like our next challenge, for me and Sauce, is to create more turnovers, find ways to get the ball. We’re getting pass-breakups, but once we start to turn those guys over, get interceptions, that’s the next level we can take our game to.’’
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said Goff “has shown in his career that when he’s dialed in and when everything is clicking for him, he can be a top-notch guy in this league. It’s going to be on us to go in there and frustrate the s–t out of him and force him into some bad throws and harass him, throw off his timing, sack him, hit him.’’
It, too, will be up to Reed and Gardner to shut down Goff’s receivers, which is something Rankins is confident will happen.
“You can argue both of them are truly top-five corners in this league,’’ Rankins said. “And to have them on the same team is honestly not fair … but I’ll take it.’’
Defensive end Solomon Thomas, who came from the 49ers and has played much of his career against Goff when he was with the Rams, knows how dangerous Goff can be if he’s allowed to be comfortable in the pocket.
“When he’s comfortable, he’s one of best in the league,’’ Thomas said. “When he’s not getting pressured and not under duress, he can make any throw he wants. I’ve been playing against him since my rookie year and if you let him sit back there, he’s going to dice you up. You’ve got to disrupt him.’’
