http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/03/how_will_jets_defensive_play_calling_work_with_tod.html
PHOENIX -- The Jets' new head coach, Todd Bowles, used to be a defensive coordinator. But he hired an assistant, Kacy Rodgers, specifically as a defensive coordinator this offseason.
So how will the Jets' game-day defensive play-calling arrangement work?
That is to be determined, Bowles said Tuesday at the NFL's annual meeting.
"It's going to be a collaborative effort right now," Bowles said. "As we go through practice and preseason and get a feel for each other that way, there will either be more or less [play-calling collaboration during games], depending on how we kind of come up with similar things, because he has a lot of ideas, too, that are really good. I think Kacy is a hell of a coordinator, so it'll be collaborative."
Just as Bowles is a first-time head coach, Rodgers is a first-time coordinator. Bowles' background is as a secondary coach. Rodgers had coached defensive linemen, with the Cowboys from 2003-07 and the Dolphins from 2008-14. Bowles worked for the Cowboys from 2005-07 and for the Dolphins from 2008-11.
Since Bowles and Rodgers have worked on NFL defensive staffs together for a combined seven seasons, they know each other well. But they still need to work out their head coach-defensive coordinator relationship.
Regardless of how many defensive plays Rodgers calls during games, Bowles will be heavily involved in midweek defensive game planning. Bowles also said he and Rodgers will bounce ideas and play calls off each other during games.
"We're going to do that all the time," Bowles said. "I'll be involved in the game plan. So anything we call out there or he calls out there, I'll pretty much know what we talked about that week, and everything that's going on."
The Jets' previous head coach, Rex Ryan, exclusively called the defensive plays in his final two seasons, but had a defensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman, who was involved in midweek game planning.
Bowles on Tuesday also said his base defense will be a 3-4, to no surprise.
"We have different looks off of it that are kind of multiple," he said. "But our base defense is a 3-4. In my 15 years [as an NFL assistant coach], I've been [in] a 4-3 five years. We play some four-man fronts. It's not just a 3-4 anymore. At times, you can get to a 4-3. It's a 3-4, and then you kind of see which personnel is better to fit your scheme, and you kind of use it that way. But our base defense is a 3-4. The majority of the time, it's a 3-4."
Bowles played a lot of nickel and dime packages last season in Arizona, but that doesn't mean he will do the same with the Jets, because the Cardinals' widespread injuries necessitated Bowles' adjustments to his defense.
"A lot of it was injury [related] and a lot of it was matchup type of things," Bowles said. "Last year, we probably saw more three-wideout [formations] than we've seen in a while, as well as pass-receiving tight ends. We didn't have the linebackers to match up with those guys, per se. So if we can get you into passing situations, we like to try to match up and get guys in positions that can best help us."
Bowles has a reputation for playing a lot of man-to-man coverage, without much safety help for his cornerbacks. Bowles used his approach last season in Arizona largely because he really liked the skills of his corners, Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie.
"I had Peterson and Cromartie," Bowles said, by way of explaining his 2014 approach to coverage. "I think if you look at my first year with Arizona [2013], we didn't play as much man [coverage] and we still blitzed."
Now, with the Jets, Bowles has Cromartie again, plus Darrelle Revis, perhaps the NFL's best cornerback. So Bowles presumably can still afford to put a lot of pressure on his corners, while hoping he left that defensive injury bug back in Arizona.
PHOENIX -- The Jets' new head coach, Todd Bowles, used to be a defensive coordinator. But he hired an assistant, Kacy Rodgers, specifically as a defensive coordinator this offseason.
So how will the Jets' game-day defensive play-calling arrangement work?
That is to be determined, Bowles said Tuesday at the NFL's annual meeting.
"It's going to be a collaborative effort right now," Bowles said. "As we go through practice and preseason and get a feel for each other that way, there will either be more or less [play-calling collaboration during games], depending on how we kind of come up with similar things, because he has a lot of ideas, too, that are really good. I think Kacy is a hell of a coordinator, so it'll be collaborative."
Just as Bowles is a first-time head coach, Rodgers is a first-time coordinator. Bowles' background is as a secondary coach. Rodgers had coached defensive linemen, with the Cowboys from 2003-07 and the Dolphins from 2008-14. Bowles worked for the Cowboys from 2005-07 and for the Dolphins from 2008-11.
Since Bowles and Rodgers have worked on NFL defensive staffs together for a combined seven seasons, they know each other well. But they still need to work out their head coach-defensive coordinator relationship.
Regardless of how many defensive plays Rodgers calls during games, Bowles will be heavily involved in midweek defensive game planning. Bowles also said he and Rodgers will bounce ideas and play calls off each other during games.
"We're going to do that all the time," Bowles said. "I'll be involved in the game plan. So anything we call out there or he calls out there, I'll pretty much know what we talked about that week, and everything that's going on."
The Jets' previous head coach, Rex Ryan, exclusively called the defensive plays in his final two seasons, but had a defensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman, who was involved in midweek game planning.
Bowles on Tuesday also said his base defense will be a 3-4, to no surprise.
"We have different looks off of it that are kind of multiple," he said. "But our base defense is a 3-4. In my 15 years [as an NFL assistant coach], I've been [in] a 4-3 five years. We play some four-man fronts. It's not just a 3-4 anymore. At times, you can get to a 4-3. It's a 3-4, and then you kind of see which personnel is better to fit your scheme, and you kind of use it that way. But our base defense is a 3-4. The majority of the time, it's a 3-4."
Bowles played a lot of nickel and dime packages last season in Arizona, but that doesn't mean he will do the same with the Jets, because the Cardinals' widespread injuries necessitated Bowles' adjustments to his defense.
"A lot of it was injury [related] and a lot of it was matchup type of things," Bowles said. "Last year, we probably saw more three-wideout [formations] than we've seen in a while, as well as pass-receiving tight ends. We didn't have the linebackers to match up with those guys, per se. So if we can get you into passing situations, we like to try to match up and get guys in positions that can best help us."
Bowles has a reputation for playing a lot of man-to-man coverage, without much safety help for his cornerbacks. Bowles used his approach last season in Arizona largely because he really liked the skills of his corners, Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie.
"I had Peterson and Cromartie," Bowles said, by way of explaining his 2014 approach to coverage. "I think if you look at my first year with Arizona [2013], we didn't play as much man [coverage] and we still blitzed."
Now, with the Jets, Bowles has Cromartie again, plus Darrelle Revis, perhaps the NFL's best cornerback. So Bowles presumably can still afford to put a lot of pressure on his corners, while hoping he left that defensive injury bug back in Arizona.