Jets' defense focused on stopping Brady, Welker
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)
Antonio Cromartie dares Tom Brady to throw in his direction all day.
Go ahead, the New York Jets cornerback says. He's ready for the
challenge.
''I hope I'm a target this game,'' Cromartie said with a smile. ''I
want to be a target every game.''
Well, he better be careful what he wishes for, especially with the way
the New England Patriots' offense is playing. The struggling Jets (2-2)
have to figure out how to stop Brady, Wes Welker and the high-scoring
Patriots (2-2) on Sunday, and know it won't be easy - whether Cromartie
is up to the task or not.
''We use the phrase, `chasing ghosts,' and sometimes you have to do
that,'' defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said Thursday. ''You don't
really know what their formations are going to be, what their personnel
groupings are going to be and you might work against something all week
and not see it, see something totally different. So you have to be very
flexible in your approach when you play New England.''
The Patriots are ranked No. 1 in overall offense, along with being the
top passing team in the NFL. Their running game isn't too shabby,
either, ranking ninth overall. And that's what's making things so tough
for opponents early on: Will they pass or run?
''They were tough enough when they were one-dimensional,'' Pettine
said. ''Now having the threat of running the football certainly
presents a problem.''
Not that the Jets are intimidated, of course.
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| Deion Branch #84 of the New England Patriots scores on a 25-yard touchdown
reception in the first quarter against Antonio Cromartie #31 of the New
York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro,
Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) |
''You realize he's one of the great quarterbacks of this generation,''
linebacker Aaron Maybin said. ''At the same time, nobody's going to be
out there with their spectator hat on and wanting to give him praise
for how great he is. We want to go out there and make it hell for him.''
That's much easier said than done, as the numbers show. Brady is off to
a sensational start, throwing for a league-leading 1,553 yards and 13
touchdowns, while Welker already has 40 catches - 13 more than Dallas'
Jason Witten, who ranks second in the NFL. Throw in a running game
that's averaging nearly 123 yards a game, and that's a lot to deal with
for opposing defenses.
The Jets are No. 2 against the pass, though, but are a stunningly low
28th against the run. New York typically has used a smaller lineup with
more defensive backs against the Patriots.
''I don't know if that plan will be able to hold up for the entire
game,'' Pettine said. ''So our menu is a little fuller this week
because they are a flavor-of-the-week offense and it's smart because
it's typically something you haven't practiced against.''
It all starts with Brady, of course, and putting pressure on him. Rex Ryan's team has done a pretty good job of that in his five previous
games against the Patriots as Jets coach. New York has won three of
those matchups, including in the playoffs in January when the Jets
sacked him five times.
''If you just play standard coverage against him, you've got no
chance,'' Ryan said. ''I mean, zero. You better hope for a hurricane or
something because that might be your only chance. Quite honestly, I've
been in the sideline wishing there was a hurricane because he's that
kind of guy. He's as good as it gets right now.''
The Jets players agree, and they all respect what Brady can do on the
field - and that includes Cromartie, who made headlines in the playoffs
when he called the Patriots quarterback an expletive and then said
earlier this week that those comments still stand.
The Jets aren't revealing their defensive strategy, but Ryan said he's
''sure'' All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis will match up with Welker at
times. Cromartie might be on him, too. And, who knows who else? It
might take a few guys to shut him down.
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| Defensive
back Darrelle Revis #24 of the New York Jets runs back in pass coverage
against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 13,
2008 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Jets defeated the Patriots 34-31
in overtime. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images) |
''It's him and Tom,'' Revis said. ''They have a 1-2 punch with each
other, great chemistry. They work well together. He's got 40 catches
already, over 600 yards, so he's Tom's go-to guy. He's always looking
for him. He's tough in the slot. He's probably the toughest receiver to
cover in the slot.''
Oh, and then the Patriots also have Deion Branch, Chad Ochocinco and
tight end Rob Gronkowski to contend with.
''To beat the hell out of their receivers, that's our game plan on the
outside,'' Cromartie said. ''It's to try to mess up their timing routes
as much as we can.''
Or, Brady can turn around and hand it to New England's three-headed
backfield with BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley and Danny Woodhead.
''Coach Ryan said it best: If anybody's got as good a formula for
trying to beat the Patriots, it's us,'' said Maybin, a newcomer to this
rivalry who saw plenty of the Patriots during his first two seasons in
Buffalo. ''We've been able to have some success defensively in the
past.''
That certainly doesn't make the Jets less concerned heading into this
game. They know Brady, coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the
Patriots have had that playoff loss in the back of their minds for
months.
''The easy thing to say is, `Well it worked the last time we played
them,' and then just blow the dust off of that one and just use it,''
Pettine said. ''I know there were more than a few days in Foxborough,
whether it was over the lockout or since the season started, preparing
for our defense, knowing that we had success against them in the
playoff game.
''It's a challenge for us to make sure that we kind of forge ahead with
some new things, but at the same time, not get away from what's been
successful against them in the past.''
HOT TOPIC: Patriots - Jets Game Thread
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