Tag: Sauce Gardner

Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua ready for challenge of facing All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner

Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are excited to face Sauce Gardner, who’s a 2-time All-Pro and one of the best lockdown corners in football

Things haven’t gone according to plan for the New York Jets this season but Sauce Gardner remains one of the best corners in football. He’s allowed a completion rate of only 54.3% and has six pass breakups compared to only one touchdown allowed.

That’s what the Los Angeles Rams’ receivers will be up against on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Jets at MetLife Stadium. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are prepared for the challenge of facing Gardner, particularly when they line up on the right side of the formation where Sauce typically resides.

Both Kupp and Nacua had high praise for Gardner ahead of this weekend’s game.

“Man, he’s a really good football player,” Kupp said Thursday. “From a corner perspective, technique, his ability, his understanding of who he is as a corner. You see plays to his own strengths. I think they obviously have a lot of trust in him. Man, he’s a good football player. This is the first time I’ve had an opportunity to really look at him and yeah, he’s a really good football player. Going to be a great challenge.”

Though the Rams move their receivers around the formation pretty frequently, Kupp typically runs his routes from the slot. That will minimize the snaps he has with Gardner lined up across from him because Sauce usually stays on the outside rather than following receivers into the slot.

Kupp isn’t the No. 1 receiver in the Rams offense anymore anyway, so he’s not going to get the shadow treatment from Gardner. Nacua, on the other hand, could see No. 1 following him around the field a bit more.

He was asked what stands out about Gardner’s game and he mentioned the cornerback’s size, comparing him to Patrick Surtain II and Jalen Ramsey.

“A big body. I think some of the modern DBs across the NFL, if you guys look at Patrick Surtain, Jalen Ramsey and some of these guys that have the bigger body build,” Nacua said. “I got a chance to see him just a little bit, even if it was just seven-on-seven in the Pro Bowl. You see somebody, you get to gauge how they move and see the size and length that he has. We’re excited for the challenge and everybody in our receiver room is.”

By his standards, Gardner is having a down year in 2024. His 81.0 passer rating allowed is the highest of his career, and his nine penalties committed are nearly as many as he had in his first two seasons combined (10).

Still, he’s only given up one touchdown and 25 receptions, were are both the fewest in his career.

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 3-11 on the season following their back-and-forth, 32-25 loss to the New York Jets. The 2024 season has been one of the most disappointing in franchise history and the blows continued on Sunday.

However, one of the upsides of having one of the worst records in the NFL is the opportunity to utilize and evaluate the young talent on the roster. Against New York, a handful of Jacksonville’s rookies and second-year players stood out.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the All-22 from Sunday’s loss to examine the potential future pieces of the roster.

WR Brian Thomas Jr.’s historic rookie season

Should Trent Baalke hold onto his job as Jacksonville’s general manager this offseason, his first-round selection of the former LSU All-American may very well be the biggest reason why.

Against the Jets, Brian Thomas Jr. caught 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the franchise rookie record for receiving touchdowns and yards while tying its rookie record for receptions in a season, putting his season total at 64 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thomas has become more than just a vertical threat in the passing game. He has transcended into a true No. 1 target in the passing game with plenty of room to continue growing in the years to come.

One of the reasons why Thomas has begun to receive a high volume of targets is because of his smooth, yet sudden short-area bursts and quickness at the line of scrimmage.

Take his first touchdown for example. He does a great job setting up the man defender to get his feet stuck in the grass. This allows Thomas to break quickly inside and use his explosiveness out of the break to separate.

Here’s another example of Thomas winning at the line of scrimmage. He displays a textbook split release and forces the corner to be choppy in his footwork. The separation out of the break allows Thomas to catch and run away from the defender for his second touchdown of the day.

Thomas was not asked to sit and find green grass in LSU’s offense last season, raising concerns about his ability to succeed in this area. This is an example of how just because you couldn’t do it in college, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

This was one of the most explosive plays from the Jaguars’ offensive explosion against the Jets. Thomas does a great job of exploding out of his stance and then quickly decelerating in green grass to sit and make his number available for the quarterback. After the catch, he splits defenders and takes off for a 41-yard pickup.

Thomas must continue to improve his overall play strength to better win at the line of scrimmage against physical press-man cornerbacks. There were a couple of reps against the Jets where All-Pro defender Sauce Garnder used his physicality to disrupt the timing and tempo of Thomas’ route.

If he can add more to his frame and be more assertive against physical corners, Thomas will have taken the next step to being one of the best playmakers in the NFL. Jaguars fans will be in for a treat regardless for years to come.

Rookie CB Jarrian Jones thriving in the nickel

A nice development for Jacksonville’s defense is the emergence of rookie defender Jarrian Jones, who was a standout cornerback at Florida State just down I-10.

Jones has flashed many qualities as a nickelback and may have emerged as the team’s future at this spot. He showed impressive recovery skills and awareness in man coverage, positioning himself to make plays on the ball or disrupt the timing of the catch with physicality against opposing receivers.

Below are two quality reps in coverage against Allen Lazard and All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.

TE Brenton Strange

With versatile tight end Evan Engram out for the rest of the season with a torn labrum, the Jaguars can see what they have in second-year tight end Brenton Strange.

Strange took over Evan Engram’s role as the F-move TE where, paired with his traditional duties in-line and as a receiver, he motioned to fullback on occasion to disguise 21 and 12 personnel looks.

Strange is an above-average athlete who was used on screens to create after the catch and shows good quickness out of breaks. He is also a reliable and tough hands catcher who caught 11 passes for 73 yards against the Jets.

Jaguars vs. Jets: Key matchups

Jaguars vs. Jets: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars head into Week 15 coming off a refreshing victory at Tennessee last Sunday. It’s only the team’s third win of what has otherwise been a tumultuous losing season.

This weekend provides a favorable opportunity to add another mark to the win column, although the team’s draft positioning may once again falter. The Jaguars host the New York Jets in 2024’s first matchup between teams mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the key matchups in Jacksonville’s next-to-last home game of the season.

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Jets CB Sauce Gardner

It’s becoming clearer that the Jaguars rookie sensation is already one of the best players on the roster. He was a key reason for the team’s success in Nashville last weekend with eight catches on 12 targets for 86 yards, putting his season total at 54 grabs for 851 yards and six touchdown receptions.

This weekend, Thomas will go one-on-one against one of the best cornerbacks in football, Sauce Gardner.

The Jets have not had the season they were hoping for and are a mess of a franchise at the moment. However, the two-time All-Pro Gardner remains a bright spot, and winning against him in coverage is no easy feat.

That said, Gardner has had some struggles this season, especially on deeper crossing patterns, which could favor Thomas in space and offer run-after-catch opportunities against man coverage.

If Thomas has yet another productive day against Gardner and the Jets secondary, Jacksonville has a chance at winning two games in a row.

Jaguars LT Walker Little vs. Jets pass rushers

There’s a reason the Jaguars extended Walker Little to a three-year, $40.5 million contract. His play since becoming the team’s starting left tackle hasn’t been perfect but has been trending upward in recent weeks, especially in pass protection.

According to Next Gen Stats, Little’s quarterback pressure rate is the fourth-lowest among starting left tackles with at least 150 snaps.

Little faces a daunting task this weekend, however. His likely opponent on most snaps, Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV, has 10 sacks and 52 quarterback pressures on the season.

The Jets are like the Jaguars defensively as they have more trust in their four-down linemen to generate pressure by moving them around the line, rather than pulling out all the stops like some teams.

Little will need to be prepared for whoever New York will throw his way. Don’t forget about Haason Reddick, Michael Clemons and, occasionally, Quinnen Williams.

Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby vs. Jets run defense

Bigsby has established himself as Jacksonville’s running back of the future while putting the team in a tough position with his fellow running mate Travis Etienne Jr. While that is not the topic of this section, how Bigsby can beat New York’s run defense is.

The Jets rank No. 16 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (119.9) and run stuff percentage (17.1%), and have allowed the 11th-most expected points added (EPA) rushing.

This could be another week where Bigsby sees another 20-plus touch game. The key to turning usage into production is trusting the blocks of interior linemen, center Mitch Morse and guards Brandon Scherff and Ezra Cleveland.

Bigsby is one of the league’s better space-creators and the Jets have allowed the ninth-most yards after contact per attempt (3.14) in the NFL. Bigsby’s 4.9 yards per attempt on inside-designed runs are the seventh-most in the NFL this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

While running backs may not matter to some, Bigsby will play a key part in Jacksonville’s chances at victory this weekend. Bringing him down won’t be an easy feat for New York.

Jaguars vs. Jets: Thursday injury reports

Jaguars vs. Jets: Thursday injury reports

Find Jacksonville and New York’s Thursday injury reports ahead of the Jaguars and Jets’ Week 15 matchup below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice 

Jaguars injury report

  • TE Josiah Deguara (shoulder) — limited
  • OL Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — limited
  • OL Ezra Cleveland (knee) — limited
  • TE Evan Engram (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: The Jaguars made no changes to their injury report on Thursday. Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that he expects starting tight end Evan Engram to play against New York despite not practicing to begin Week 15.

Jets injury report

  • OL Olu Fashanu (toe) — full
  • CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring) — full
  • CB Michael Carter II (back) — full
  • OL Morgan Moves (wrist) — limited
  • OL Xavier Newman (groin) — limited
  • DL Haason Reddick (illness) — limited*
  • RB Breece Hall (knee) — did not participate
  • RB Kene Nwangwu (hand) — did not participate
  • WR Davante Adams (not injury related/rest) — did not participate
  • OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) — did not participate
  • CB D.J. Reed (groin) — did not participate
  • CB Brandin Echols (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: Jets starting cornerback D.J. Reed, and his backup Brandin Echols, were each downgraded from limited to did-not-participate on Thursday. It helps New York that starting cornerback Sauce Gardner remained a full participant for a second consecutive practice after missing Week 14 with a hamstring injury.

Starting edge rusher Haason Reddick was upgraded from non-participant on Wednesday to limited on Thursday.

Jets at Cardinals: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 10

Jets at Cardinals: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 10

The New York Jets will face the Arizona Cardinals in their upcoming Week 10 matchup.

Even with it being a cross-conference clash, it will still be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.

Here are three key matchups to watch during Jets (3-6) versus the Cardinals (5-4):

CB Sauce Gardner vs. WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

(Imagn)

Gardner has not had his best season in 2024 but this is still a fun matchup to watch. Harrison, the first non-quarterback selected at the 2024 NFL draft, has come as advertised in the NFL. He’s already the Cards’ No. 1 receiver with 28 catches, 455 yards and five touchdowns.

OL Morgan Moses vs. Baron Browning

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Like the Jets, the Cardinals were active at the 2024 NFL trade deadline. Pass rusher Baron Browning landed in Arizona and in his past 17 games over the last two seasons, Browning has nine sacks. The oft-banged up in 2024 Morgan Moses will face Browning. Pro Football Focus has Moses ranked as the 47th best tackle in the NFL this season.

WR Malachi Corley vs. CB Garrett Williams

(Imagn)

Speaking of the trade deadline, with the Jets sending Mike Williams out, now rookie Malachi Corley. Could have an opportunity to step up. With Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams still at the top of the receiver depth chart in New York, that likely means Williams will get a look at covering Corley.

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Jets locker room react to Jeff Ulbrich’s first win: ‘Proud of him’

Jets locker room react to Jeff Ulbrich’s first win: ‘Proud of him’

It ook  a few tries, but Jeff Ulbrich is on the board with his first win.

The New York Jets (3-6) snapped their five-game losing skid against the Houston Texans (6-3) in Week 9. The Jets took a 21-13 win.

After it taking a few tries, New York’s locker room was proud of their interim head coach. Players from both sides of the ball made their feelings known.

“Proud of him,” cornerback Sauce Gardner said.

A roundup of reactions to Ulbrich’s first win can be found below:

Sorry, not sorry Sauce Gardner: Jets rank No. 4 in yards allowed per game

Sorry, not sorry Sauce Gardner: Jets rank No. 4 in yards allowed per game

New York Jets fans may blame the team defense for Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots but there’s a rebuttal for that slanted narrative.

Still, All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner didn’t avoid accountability for the late game lapse following his team’s 25-22 loss in Week 8.

Even without starting linebacker C.J Mosely, and safeties Chuck Clark and Tony Adams, Gardner and the Jets (2-6) held the Patriots (2-6) to just seven total first half points and 247 yards of total offense on the day. Moreover, the Jets rank No. 4 in the NFL in opponent total yards per game and have been consistently solid.

Gardner and company continue to take flack, yet the team defense is being asked to save an offensive unit that doesn’t rank top 10 in any vital category.

 

For clarity, New York’s defense forced five punts, yet the offense, which tallied more first downs and total yards than the Pats, still somehow loss the time of possession. The Jets offense scored an average of 6.5 points per quarter, keeping the game well in reach despite several opportunities to extend the lead.

Don’t mistake Gardner’s humble decision to self-reflect as a gesture of oblivion. Jets fans, especially quarterback Aaron Rodgers backers, have been excessively oblivious to the clear offensive struggles that continue to hold the team back. Gardner ultimately shouldn’t feel sorry at all.

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Sauce Gardner and the Jets’ defense is suffering Jet lag and here’s why

Sauce Gardner and the Jets’ defense is suffering Jet lag and here’s why

Injuries, fatigue, trauma, and locker room unrest all have worked to depreciate the New York Jets defense led by All-Pro Sauce Gardner. 

After building rapport under Jeff Ulbrich as the former defensive coordinator in 2022, Gardner and company were forced to compromise Ulbrich’s leadership due to his transition over to interim head coach just weeks ago. 

Countless Jets players suffered injuries on defense this season including defensive end Jermaine Johnson, defensive back D.J Reed, safety Chuck Clark, and linebacker C.J Mosley who missed three of the Jets’ seven games this season.

Gardner hasn’t missed any games this season however, and him and all-pro linebacker Quincy Williams have done everything in their power to maintain Ulbrich’s standard. Thanks to Gardner and others, the Jets still rank No. 2 in the NFL in opponent pass yards allowed per game and rank No. 16 in opponent rush yards per game.

It doesn’t end there. What about the excessive offensive turnovers yielded by quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Those Jets’ turnovers have a trickle-down effect, playing against both the attrition and morale of the team defense. Since Gardner’s youth doesn’t merit him the vocal platform to scorn a teammate of Rodgers’ magnitude, he and others have been forced to suffer in silence internally.

Whether Gardner, Ulbrich , or Jets fans admit it or not, Rodgers’ inflated ego has fully consumed the Jets’ locker room. With a offensive third-down conversion rate of 31% over the last three games, Gardner and the defense haven’t really gotten much from their hall of fame quarterback, one they believed would take them to the next level.

Offensive struggles have only perpetuated a undertone of pessimism and if the Jets’ defense doesn’t get a tangible (not vocal) contribution from Rodgers in week 8, their jet lag may continue. 

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BIlls vs. Jets: QB Josh Allen better check his reads for D.J. Reed

BIlls vs. Jets: QB Josh Allen better check his reads for D.J. Reed

The New York Jets rank No. 1 in opponent pass yards allowed per game and defensive back D. J Reed is a major reason for the season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBG2awqRbLw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen should be careful not to target Reed or all-pro Sauce Gardner in one-on-one situations tonight at Met Life Stadium. While rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman does possess extraordinary attributes, he hasn’t lined up versus a secondary this dynamic in 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBH-4t9xpsW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Bills come into week 6 ranking No. 26 in pass yards per game. Of course Allen is still a handful to deal with, but the Jets have all hands on deck, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The outcome of this week six AFC East rival matchup will come down to which team can force a crucial turnover and/or win field position. Reed and others have their eyes on Allen and that football, and an interim head coach ready to turn things around.

Sauce Gardner jokes about Jeff Ulbrich’s first days as Jets head coach

Sauce Gardner jokes about Jeff Ulbrich’s first days as Jets head coach

Jeff Ulbrich means business.

That doesn’t mean some of his players weren’t going to have fun with him as his first days being the head coach of the New York Jets unfolded.

The defensive coordinator was named the interim after the team sacked Robert Saleh last week. Star defensive back Sauce Gardner revealed that players were keeping the mood light during Ulbrich’s first days in charge, poking fun at him following the promotion.

“We was joking with him a little bit,” Gardner said. “‘Oh, you become the head coach, you actin’ different.'”

Gardner’s full thought can be found in the clip below: