All right, we're gonna be talking defense, coming up with coordinator Steve Wilkes and former Jets receiver Quincy Newwah. Don't meet anybody in the world, and I think we're gonna win next Sundays.
Can't wait.
Put your Steve belts on and getting ready for the ride.
Game day and every day. Score a jewelry touchdown with Kendrick Scott Shot Fashion and find jewelry fit for another winning season at your local store or Kendrick Scott dot com. When you got the call from a g about the defensive coordinator of vacancy here, what was your reaction?
I was excited, you know, ag and I was in communication for a while throughout the process, and so he kept me in the looping exactly what was going on.
And when it narrowed down.
To the Jets, I got real excited because I understand the personnel that we have here. I was excited about the guys that we have on defense, a lot of pieces to work with, so and I knew his relationship with organization that it was going to be a great fit with ownership.
Where did your pass cross before this?
Oh?
Really, we never worked together. A lot of tremendous respect for one another. We're in the same division when he was with the Saints, house with the Panthers. So as dB guys, we were always communicating talk, particularly when we got to the Combine. We were always fellowship there every year, and I think we just developed a relationship to where our philosophy and ideas were aligned with one another.
Yeah, can you speak to that Your philosophies as far as defensive football and attack and the offense.
Well, well, one just you know, being aggressive through our base fundamentals, you know, number one, starting with that having guys on the perimeter that can cover and play man the man. Just our identity, how the defense should be shaped. Everything starts up front with really an aggressive mentality, you know. So, uh, just those conversations over the years, man, we just you know, realize that we're on the same page.
The last game you coached in in the National Football League was the Super Bowl. What was the year away like for you? And can you speak to how the fire still burns after thirty plus years of experience coaching?
It was great, man.
It was an opportunity for me to really reset, recharge. I was over at UNC Charlotte which was right there at home, so it was very convenient for me. Uh. Coach Biff Pogie was outstanding, you know to invite me over. We built a great friendship and they practice in the morning, so rich really all afternoon. I would just watch tape and I had every game from the NFL each week, so I would study different you know, teams, different defenses.
I watched a lot of Detroit and what they were doing, but just different things throughout the year, what they were doing on third down and what the you know schematics were. So uh, they able to progress and grow there and we're excited to get the phone call to get back into the fold.
Is this a fair assessment of the way you go about it? You are an aggressive play caller who is a guy who's going to emphasize takeaways at every turn.
That's my foundation.
And when I came in the league with Lovey Smith, you know, it was just really with Chicago taking the football away, you know, with Peanut Tom and the peanut punch. Chris Harris, who's on the staff right now as the secondary coach pass game coordinator, he was another guy on that team that believed in really stripping and taking the ball Away and everywhere I've been that's always been our mantra, you know. So that's something that we're going to continue
to coach and emphasize here. I'm all about the fundamentals and technique, you know, Coach ag talks about it all the time. It's not about our scheme, it's about our play style. And that's the one thing that we want to continue to emphasize. Being physical, you know, being smart right, and understanding how to finish not only on the field right, but even in the building.
How do you go about connecting the players.
I think that's always been my strong suit.
Is anything in life I believe is about building relationships and having an understanding that there's life beyond football. And when you can sit here and cultivate those relationships with your players, I think it's easier to be able to coach them on the field.
You know.
I said this back years ago with Josh Norman when he left us in Carolina, he went to Washington and people said, well, he was never really the same player, and I said, you know, it's easy to develop the player when you're taking time to develop the person. And that's what I did with him in Carolina. We built that relationship, so it was easy for me to coach him and teach him on the field.
AG said the first thing when I asked him about you was a straight shooter.
Yeah.
Yeah, Yeah, that's what I believe in. And I believe in telling someone exactly what they need to hear, you know. I think that's so important. You know, we talk about all the time. You know, we want to act like a champion, and that's accountability, commitment, and trust. And that's what I'm trying to build with the team and that's what I want to be able to get back from them.
And I'm always telling them the truth. You know.
Sometimes they may not like it, but I think they're respected in the end. And I tell coaches all the time, we have to have grown men conversations. We can't shy away from things that we need to address. And I think that's so important, and that's where we are right now, you know, with Phase three, you know, talking about some of the discipline stuff, being consistent in how we operate on a day to day basis, and the guys are completely buying in which I appreciate.
You've been a head coach in the National Football League. How can that experience help you with Aaron, who is an accomplished coach himself, but this is his first time as a head coach in the National Football League.
I think it's just always trying to draw on past experiences when things come up, and a lot of those aren't really related to football, you know, So having an ear that one who's gone through it and you know, can really understand the situation that he's sitting in that seat.
So I think that's so important to have that outlet and that have that guy because sometimes in that seat, man, you feel like there's no one you can talk to because you're you're really dealing with different things way beyond football. So I think, you know, I can be a sounding board for him in regards to that.
Can you speak to the importance of the assistance on your staff, the assistant coaches on your stuff, Man.
The assistant coaches are so huge. And I've said this for years, Like the head coach delivers the message, he says the foundation, and it's our responsibility as coordinators and
assistant coaches to echo that. And I try to do the same thing as soon as I leave the team meeting, you know, emphasizing the stuff that we talked about as a staff and then now as assistant coaches, they have really the most influenced because they're around their guys once they go into those private, you know, individual rooms, it's about, you know, the presentation and how you teach it, how you present it, and guys man a phenomenal I bounced
around to each room. We got great teaching. That's one of the things I truly believe in as coaches. You know, great teachers, outstanding communicators, and guys that can develop players.
Speaking of players, what is it going to be what is it going to be like for some of these guys who are playing for is Steve Wilkes defense in the secondary? Because you mentioned Chris Harris before. Dre Bligh is here as well. Also, the head coach played the National Football League for fifteen years himself, was a position coach before he became defensive coordinator and now is at the top of the He's at the top of the ladder.
Well.
I always say this, right, everything we do starts up front. I mean, I don't care what is We have to do a great job of establishing the line of scrimmage up in the run. The second level right there, are called you know, Quincy and Sherwood right there, they're the glue, you know. And then on the back end, I emphasized we drive the bus from the back, the last line of defense, right we can't make a mistake back there. And our communication thus far throughout the process has been phenomenal.
We're building on that each and every day.
You know, when you look at Cisco, you look at Brandon Stevens, the guys that we picked up. Man, We've really got some great guys in free agency. I'm excited about Malaca, you know, the guys that we drafted. I think coach ag And and Darren Moosey has done a tremendous job the host out of the department and really nailing the draft. So our secondary man fundamentally sound aggressive in how we, you know, approach each and every day. You know, I think the identity you're a defense is
how your DB's tackle. Right, We're going to be physical on the back end. You know, they block support and they say one on one right now that running back in your dB. I tell those guys all the time, we better show up. You know, that's our mentality right here. And as you mentioned earlier, Man it's about making plays on the ball and taking the ball away.
What did you know about Sherwood before you got here and why was that an important resigning for this defense and the entire team? Well?
Well, really, man, you go back and I'm hoping, and I don't like comparing, right, but when I look at Sherwood and I really look at Quincy, man, I go back over my tenure and you know Thomas and Luke, you know, Fred Warner and Greenlaw a.
Few years ago.
They have that ability, you know, for us playing together and being here in the off season and building that foundation is great. Sherwood was really you know, at that point, management AG decided to move on with mostly and I thought, you know, Sherwood, is your time to step up in that room and be that leader, not only in that room but on that side of the defense.
You know.
And I can't tell you how pleased and excited I am in the leadership role that he's taking, you know. And you know you see that, you know a guy that just got paid and it's like he's still hungry. He's still hungry, he's still trying to make sure that he does everything he can to help this defense.
What do you think about some of the pieces up front, starting with a cornerstone defensive tackle in Quinn Williams Man.
I love Quinny, I love him. He's phenomenal. Uh, this guy is one of the top the tackles in the NFL. You know, when you look at other guys we brought in Colen Byron, you know Jay, you know he is phenomenalus, quick off his feet, quick off the ball. I think those guys are really going to compliment Quinny, you know. And when even when you look outside and what we have with will Germaine, you know clym And I'm excited about Tyler Barron, you know, one of the guys that
we drafted right here. So all those guys are looking good in their progression in the right direction.
All right.
Lastly, Sauce Garner, you mentioned your expectations for the secondary as a whole. What his coaching Sauce been like in the early going, and what is your expectation going to be from him as you get to these next stages, because right now you're instilling the system. You're out here in the spring and training camps on the horizon.
The first thing I would say about him smart, he is tremendously smart, understands the game, sees it through a different lands, which is great. Our dialogue and communication is like I'm talking to one of the coaches and how I present things to him. Formation splits id in certain guys aligning at different positions. Therefore he can play fast the system, you know, as we implement and install different things.
I think he's picking it up great. We're challenging him right now to be consistent, you know, and his technique and his approach. He can be one of the consistently one of the top players in this league. As we already know. I'm talking about, you know, a big time you know corner as we had one here years ago for as Revis. You know, he has that kind of potential and ability. So I'm excited to see what he's going to do this year. Thanks coach, Thank you, I appreciate it.
Get ready for all the action energy of Jet's game day this season with twenty twenty five season tickets, lock in your seats to be there for every snap of exciting matchups at met Life Stadium at Andy Jets dot Com slash season tickets. Q Aaron Glenn takes over here with the Jets. Of course, defensive coordinator last four seasons in Detroit, they flip that thing. He makes a very important hire, I thought early on Steve Wilkes defensive coordinator.
For him, Wilkes is going to be calling plays and also he brings that head coaching acumen to the table, so he'll be able to help ag out throughout the season.
Yeah, and one thing I love about this defense is that all the coaches, well for the most part, are former players, right, So that's a different you know, you're you're you're talking about you know, guys that have been in the game understand it. So yeah, it'll be interesting to see, you know, how that relays onto the players because you know, this is going to be a defense that's bringing back some guys that obviously are really talented. And saw us in Quinny, right. MC two didn't have
a great year last year. He was coming off an injury, so now we get to see him really come back and play well. So, uh, you know, I'm excited to see, you know how this kind of shapes up.
I think people are sleeping on the Jets defensively a little bit because you just mentioned it. They do have elite players at every level. If you're really talking about you go to the secondary and you have the sauce Gardner. Then you go up a couple levels and you have that cornerstone piece a defensive tackle with Quinn Williams. Then at the linebacker and NAT tandem was sure Wood. Quincy Williams is dynamic.
Definitely, definitely.
I mean, listen, I think there's the question marks are understandable, right especially coming off of last year, you know, so it makes sense that people are like, you know, are they going to be good this year? You know, you still have another question mark DJ. You lose a guy like that, you know, you hope that the guy on the opposite side and Brandon Stevens can kind of pick up that slack or even do even more. So, you know,
safety position was obviously a question mark Cisco. You know last year wasn't his best year, but prior to that, you know he was a great safety. So you know, I say this all the time now that you know Ag really wants his coaches to be able to coach right, to be able to really get the most out of his guys.
Let me read you some stats from last year. The Jets were third and NFL yards per game three hundred and thirteen point eight, seventeenth in rush yards per game allowed one to twenty one point one, but sixth in rush yards per play it's just a little over four point zero. It's close to four point one. Interception rate that's been a problem for a little bit around here, twenty seventh in the National Football League one point three
four percent. Where is sex per pass attempt They wanted to get to the quarterback with seventh seventeenth in the red zone, so about fifty eight point seventh three. Yeah, So in Detroit, the emphasis for Aaron Glynnen was stop the run and take the football way right. That's gonna be the same deal.
Here, Oh absolutely, and you know it'll be.
I think if they can make Bandon Stevens and Saws Gardener two guys that take the football away, I mean that's going to change the course of all the season, right because a guy like Bandon Steeds, I think he would, to be honest with you, in my opinion, he was in a lot of plays. He just wasn't always able
to track the ball. And I heard Steve Wilks also say this himself that you know, one thing they want to work on with him is trying to find the ball a little bit better, you know, figuring out how to play the game like a receiver, you know, So it'll be good for them to get him on that track. And then saw us as a guy that we've been wanting him to get picked, you know, since he got here.
So I think you're just kind of having a different view that this year and having a guy like ag just play the game's gonna be helpful, Andre Blig.
The Jets had seven interceptions last season that was tied for twenty six. I mean they got to get the ball more. Yeah, and five of those picks were from guys who are no longer on the russ Right, you just mentioned Stevens being around the ball. The Gardner dynamic is very interesting because a lot of teams opposing quarterbacks are like, oh, Gardner's over there, I'm staying away from him.
So how does he get more picks? How do the Jets schematically put him in a position where he'll had more opportunities to make plays in the ball.
Well, So be honest with you, I think that there might be a little bit of a shift this year. I think that teams I don't think teams believe that they can beat Sauce, right, But I still think that there's going to be a little bit more challenging him, right You think about like Tennessee last year, they challenged him. There were a couple other teams that challenged him. You got to have a quarterback that's confident in himself or just kind of silly, you know, makes it, you know,
desions that you don't really agree with. But you know, I think it's going to be up to the teams to say, listen, my receiver might not be able to get open, but can he catch the ball on Sauce Because right now, Sauce doesn't show that he's going to get the turnover, and so maybe I'll take the incompletion right, or I'll take the jump ball and give my guy an opportunity. So I think this year he might have more, you know, more times where teams will throw at him.
You know, especially if for playing some receivers that you know, these teams have confidence.
What do you see from him in terms of how can he how can he come down with it?
It's tough, you know. I think he's usually in position and I think a lot of times he doesn't take, Well, he doesn't get a lot of opportunities. Let's start the Yeah, that's right, he doesn't get a lot of opportunities. But then the other part of it is, you know, when he does get those opportunities, he's not always in the right position, and so then that makes it also kind
of challenging. So you know, I think as a as a cornerback, you're on an island, right, and so you have to keep yourself in the game as much as possible. And there was some decisions that were made, whether it was his fault or safety fault, that kind of made it where he couldn't get those interceptions.
I like the Cisco dynamic, and I wrote about this the other day that him and Sauce really big. Now Cisco is playing the ballhawking safety spot. But I think having him on one side is going to allow Cisco to be what he is, a natural ballhawk and take some chances on it.
Right, Yeah, definitely.
You know, when you have that confidence on the other side, I think any safety is going to tell you like, Okay, I don't have to look at this side. I remember who was that play safety before. But they were speaking on revis and how you know, I don't really have to pay attention to that side as much, right I can kind of I can be rangy on this side, you know, and it allows me to make plays when I need to.
What do you make of the other safety spot? You have Tony Adams, Isaiah Oliver is the kind of guy who can do it all right. He can play nickel four, he can play safety. Then you have Melchi Moore, a player the Jets are very high on. And I asked Cisco about him. He said, I really like his game.
Yeah, Yeah, it's gonna be a good challenge. And I think you know, Tony Adams coming back. You know, he's the guy right now, right, so he's got it. He's got the target on his back, right He's the guy that's got the the the most experienced right now in terms of you know, this is my team. So you know, it's gonna be interesting to see who the team likes, you know, because ultimately, sometimes it's scheme fit. It's not always like are you the better players? Do you fit this scheme the best?
Yeah?
And the Jets definitely think that Malchi more fits that scheme because they traded up in order to get him. You at Aaron glenns Hawk in the branch about him, and he said, he's the dog. This guy can do it all. You know, he brings it from a cerebral perspective. He's also a physical dude who's not afraid. Yeah, that's right. So we were talking before we started the pop what's it gonna look like in the defensive interior next.
To Quinn Williams.
Because you sign in free agency Derek Noddy, who most recently played with the Chiefs, Byron Coward, who not only played with the Bears last year, but the Bears defensive coordinator down in the season was Eric Washington. Eric Washington is the Jets defensive line coach. You got Mathis You picked him up on waivers. He's a monster of a guy. The previous regime picked him up last summer. Leonard Taylor still here. You also signed Jay to fully in free agency.
Yeah, I mean that's I think that's one position where I didn't I wasn't sure whether or not they was going to try to draft somebody.
So, you know, I think.
Everybody was wondering that because the depth of class.
Yeah, exactly. You know, you had a lot of a lot of great talent, in the draft. So you know, I think that they if they decided not to pick anybody up, then I think you have to assume that they feel really confident about these guys. And this is a position that's you know, one of the most important, like the offensive line of the opposite side. Right, they got to get the pressure right, They got to make
it where it's really challenging. So then the corners can play free, you know, when they know that, you know, there's getting a lot of pressure from their interior and the outside. You know, now I can play with a little bit more leniency.
I wonder if Coward is a slight favorite going at But again, you're gonna split reps up. You're gonna be rotating guys. It's not like any of these guys, even if they won the job, it's gonna be playing seventy snaps.
Well, yeah, I think there is an understanding that if a coach brings a guy that he's going to like him a little bit more. But what I will say though, is that a lot of times some guys fall into that trap and think, well, you know another coach and I got a personal response, a personal relationship with him, like you know, it's.
Set for me.
So you know, as a player, you gotta be careful thinking that way. And you know, as a young guy, if you see that, you know you just got You just gotta play hard and you know, find your time.
What do you make of Will McDonald's who played about two thirty five to thirty six last year, putting on fifteen pounds of muscle in all season.
No, that's deep.
I mean I think for him, I'm looking forward to see how he improves on last year, right, Like it was exciting to see Jermaine Johnson make the step and it was even more exciting to see Will McDonald because I think he was doubted even more, especially on his side, so to come out and get those sacks like he did. You know, I can't wait to see what he does
with more weight on him right in a new defense. Uh, you know, so that's gonna be him and Jermaine Johnson together, you know, giving that Jermaine comes back healthy, it's gonna be exciting.
Ten and a half sacks last year. What are you making the number change for Will? Going to number nine? You like that?
I mean, sometimes you gotta go back to your roots, you know. Yeah, you gotta go back to your roots and maybe that'll kind of bring The game is mental. A lot of it is mental. So if you can kind of put yourself back in that mind space where you were the most confident, you know, there's a reason why you were drafted at the position you were, and maybe it'll really take you to another level.
And Will's gonna help or my member going to another level and we're gonna be able to watch that throughout training camp. Those guys with the pads on going toe to toe. You mentioned Jermaine before coming off to Achilles. That was a devastating injury for the defense that happened
in week two last year. His mindset is unbelievable and he provides an element of a nastiness and he plays the game so passionately, and he's got a pretty unique skill set, as AG said, because he's athletic, but he also can you know, set that edge and he's a big dude. What do you think about him during camp because AG has been clear about that, Hey, he might start camp on the pup list, but he'll be ready in week one and he'll be teeing off trying to get Aaron Rodgers.
Yeah, I mean, we've seen now in the over the past few years a couple of guys on this team with the Achilles obviously, you know Aaron Rodgers.
And you have a v T as well.
So av T was able to come back and play right, and so you know, those young guys have a better opportunity to bounce back. You know, I think av T was a little bit more protected being in an interior guy, whereas you know a guy like Jamain Johnson, he's more out in the edge. You know, there's no real protection so to say. But you know, I think it'll be
up to him. It sounds like he's working hard, right The guy's documenting his recovery process, you know, and so whether it's pupp or right on active, as soon as he gets back, you know, I think he's going to be hungry.
Rashad Weaver he played pretty well this spring. I mean he was popping again. No pads out there, and the quarterbacks are protected. He had five and a half sacks with the Titans back in twenty twenty two, so we're not far removed from that. And the Jets also drafted Tyler Barron out of Miami late so we'll have to see what he can do in camp. Getting back to the cornerback position. When you talked about Stevens Michael Carter,
what about a Z Thomas. Yeah, the physicality he brings to the table and also the size, because this has been an emphasis here for these guys like ag played at five nine said Hey, I want my cornerbacks big, right.
Yeah, No, I mean I think that's I like that pick. You know, when I watch his film, he's a real physical guy. Re a lanky guy, right, a guy that will keep you right in front of you, and that disrupts timing right, Like a lot of times we always make fun of dbs whenever they you know, it's an incompletion, the balls thrown way out of the way and they do this like as if they made a big play.
But ultimately the offensive side, it's all about timing. So if you can disrupt that timing, you can really disrupt the whole play, you know, So you're going to have those opportunities to celebrate. And so if he can do that, and I think that's what they're looking for him to do. I remember on his phone call the draft, they told him to be nasty or something like that, you know, really be, So, yeah, that's what they want him to be.
And then a couple other guys who are going to try to make in roads here JBC Jerk, Bernard Converse, who I thought had a good camp last year, and then Quantest Stake mays we should not forget about him as well.
Yeah, that's a guy that can also play special teams. He did a little bit of it last year. But yeah, another physical corner. So that's where they're going. That's the type of guy that they're looking for. So you know, it'll be good to kind of watch that battle all right.
Before we get to Steve Wilkes, what about the marrying of philosophies. You mentioned it before, got Aaron Glenn who might have operated or called it a little bit differently than Wilkes. What do you think when you put their heads together and what we're ultimately going to see.
Yeah, I think we're gonn to see a good marriage of the two defenses, right, and I think there's gonna be a lot of similarities, right, and so for the terminology would be the toughest thing, you know, coming from one defense and now this's a new one. But I think it's going to still be aggressive. You know, I think they're still going to find ways to make plays and find ways to make it cohesive.
Yeah, and again stopping to run, taking the football away, and these are two things that you go back. Wilkes has had tremendous success getting to the quarterback and we saw that from Detroit as far as their rise is concerned. Obviously to draft Hutchinson and that changed the dynamic, but ag stayed true to what he wanted even with the injury. Yes, that's what I'm saying. Like last year, it was impressive
what Aaron did last year in Detroit. So I ultimately think defensively could be very much the Jets could be very much help by what's gonna happen on offense, because I think an ideal, an ideal situation, the Jets are holding onto the ball because they're grinding on teams with the run game, they're pounding the rock. That means time of possession. That means the guys are not on the
field as much. Because you're going from a philosophy offensively to hey, we're gonna throw the ball a lot to more balance, and when you have more balance, I think ultimately is gonna help the guys on the other side the ball.
Yeah, balance is the key word there because last year there wasn't a lot of balance offense, defense or a special team. So I think that's what they're looking for.
This here, game day and every day. Score a jewelry touchdown with Kendrick Scott. Shop fashion and find jewelry fit for another winning season at your local store or Kendri Scott dot com. Shine Bright, do good with Kendraw Scott. All right, it's time for my extra point. Aaron Glenn and Steve Wilks are going to challenge this Jets defense, which has pro bowlers at every level, to find another gear. You know, the Jets will field a very fast unit
and that is something you can't coach. Glenn and Wilkes are going to demand that they have a good tackling group who takes the ball away. Elite defenses pillage, and we're going to hear more about play style than playbook. My defensive takeaway is the Jets are going to mass more takeaways in twenty twenty five. So long until next time.