-
Rich Simini
Floorham Park, NJ – New York Jets star Sauce gardnerNFL’s highest paid cornerback, this season will have an additional responsibility.
A man traveling.
34-32 losses of jets Pittsburg steelers On Sunday, Gardner followed a comprehensive receiver DK Metkaf Just about everywhere. In fact, he rolled out of 34 out of 30 pass plays, according to the next gene data. For Gardner, it was earlier a career, the kind of assignment he always wanted.
Gardner said, “My job was just to finish number 4 when I was on him,” recorded two pass break-ups and held Metcaf for a catch at a distance of 11 yards. “I think I have implicated him. But we have to win.”
Coach Aaron Glenn said on Monday that Gardner was “excellent” against Metkaf, saying that it would not be the last time when he allows the two-time All-Prope to travel with the top receiver of opponents.
This is particularly notable, given that they will face some of the best wideouts of the league in the coming weeks – Mike Evens, Tirek hill, Saeedi Lamb And Ja’arrr chase In the first eight weeks.
Glenn said about Gardner, “We are going to ask him to do so on many occasions.” “It depends on the matchup, for the most part.”
In recent years, it was a burning question between fans and media: Why not Gardner covered the best receiver of opponents, the way Jets did with Darel Revis, in 2009?
The previous coach, Robert Saleh, used a zone-based system and believed that it works better when cornerback was assigned to one side, not a specific player. They were the top-four defense from 2022 to 2024 in permission for yards, so some work was doing.
Glenn and their employees have a different vision. Gardner, who received an extension of four years, $ 120.4 million before the training camp, is all for it.
“I liked it,” he said on Sunday. “I am a contestant. The coaching staff is full of people who played in the league, so it is not surprising.”
With a small smile, Gardner said, “I think I was at any time [Metcalf]He knew what it was. ,
Glenn, who played cornerback for 15 years, said that there were many times in his career when he traveled with top wideouts. In addition, the assistant secondary coach on the employees is a former corner and the passing-game coordinator Chris Harris, a former security.
Glenn said, “This makes it really easy for the defender because you can actually study on that man and are going against him, and I know what the sauce has actually done.” “Some games are going to be where we want it to be able to do so, and there are some games that we are going to say,” Play right and left. “
“I felt that the sauce has done an excellent job challenging DK. He is a difficult cover, I tell you because there are many other things that go into the matchup, as far as the run game is part.
Gardner was the only catch of Metkaf one big-to play with a 11-yard under three minutes who set the game-winning field round of Chris Bosvel with 60 yards. It was a flukee catch, though. Metkaf (four receptions for 83 yards) caught a deflection while lying on the ground.
Nevertheless, Gardner gave the result.
“I was angry,” he said. “When you are a contestant and you’ve got a job to travel with someone, you don’t want them to catch the ball at all. It is just that it was his only catch and it was the catch that he found close to the field round range. I didn’t like it at all.”
