The hot corners: Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed give Jets huge edge
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) misses the catch against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
The best cornerbacks have a “Superman mentality,” Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich says. They believe they can never be beaten. If they are, he said, something went wrong with their “shoelace” or their “glove.”
Ulbrich is being facetious, but he believes Jets rookie Sauce Gardner has that type of belief every time he matches up with any receiver. Gardner truly feels he’s going to shut down his opponent. The Jets’ other starting cornerback, D.J. Reed, has the same approach.
This dynamic duo has made a huge impact on the Jets. The Supermen have been fending off some of the league’s best receivers and helping to make the Jets a top-10 passing defense. They haven’t entirely created a no-fly zone just yet, but they may be on their way.
“They’ve been great,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “They’ve been very reliable on an island in the back end. One thing you don’t want to take for granted is their tackling ability. They’re very physical when they get out on an island, when they’re running on the edges. They take pride in stopping the runs on the jet sweeps. We all know what they’ve done in the coverage area.”
The Jets signed Reed, 25, in free agency and drafted Gardner, 22, with the No. 4 overall pick. With both players producing like No. 1 cornerbacks thus far, the franchise could be set for years on the outside.
The Jets needed major upgrades at cornerback, particularly playing in the AFC East and having to face Buffalo receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis and Miami receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle twice a season. On Sunday against Buffalo, Gardner and Reed will be tasked with containing Diggs, Davis and a high-powered offense led by dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen.
The Jets don’t usually let their cornerbacks travel. They play sides, so Reed and Gardner are expected to defend both Diggs and Davis in another big test for the Jets’ secondary.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Reed said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Diggs has 764 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Davis is averaging 26.1 yards per catch with four touchdowns. Because of Allen’s ability to make throws on the move for big gains, Gardner and Reed will have to stay plastered to the Bills’ receivers.
“They present a huge challenge, but I feel like we got what it takes with the guys here to stop it,” Gardner said.
Reed and Gardner have fared well against some star receivers. They helped hold Hill and Waddle to 70 yards on 10 catches and no touchdowns when the Jets beat Miami in Week 5. Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase had six catches for 29 yards and one touchdown because of a miscommunication between Gardner and linebacker Quincy Williams.
Overall, the passing defense has made huge strides since last season, when Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols were the starting cornerbacks.
The Jets are allowing 203.4 passing yards per game, which ranks 10th in the NFL. After eight weeks last season, the Jets were fourth from the bottom, giving up 274.9 passing yards.
The improved coverage also has helped the pass rush; the Jets have three more sacks at this point than they did last year. They also have nine interceptions, two by second-year nickel cornerback Michael Carter II, who position coach Tony Oden said is playing “phenomenal” and is “the unsung hero” of the cornerbacks. The Jets had only one interception after eight games last season.
“The two of them have started to create a really strong relationship,” Ulbrich said. “They love being challenged. It’s a really cool mindset.”
Gardner said his and Reed’s “love for the game” has helped them become one of the best cornerback tandems right now. The soft-spoken and humble Reed gives credit to Gardner and Oden.
“I just think Sauce is a special player,” Reed said. “You have a guy that’s 6-3 that moves like he’s 5-9, 5-10 on top of the competitive nature that he has inside of him. He’s humble, too. He wants to get better. He has the right mindset to be playing corner.
“Then you have coaching. Tony Oden has been doing a great job with us every week, getting us prepared for each opponent. He gets us ready and gives us the confidence every week to go out there and dominate.”
Reed, a former member of the 49ers and Seahawks, has flourished playing on the outside after playing nickel in Seattle. He has not allowed a touchdown catch and has one interception and some hard hits.
“The only way he knows how to play is hard, fast and physical,” Oden said. “I’m just glad other people can see it, can see his intensity, can see his passion for the game.”
Gardner has given up only one touchdown and has one interception. His 12 passes defensed tie him with Dallas’ Trevon Diggs for the league lead. One came when Gardner knocked the ball away from Denver’s Courtland Sutton in the end zone on fourth down to prevent a late tying score.
“His football IQ for a rookie is way ahead of most,” Ulbrich said. “His thirst for knowledge and the way he works and operates on a day-to-day basis is really cool to see. He’s got the makeup of a guy that’s played some time in this league.”
Robert Saleh believes that once Gardner starts getting interceptions, he won’t be thrown at much. He said Gardner and Reed have allowed the Jets to be more flexible and less predictable with how they defend teams.
“You don’t have to force the issue of traveling guys,” Saleh said. “You can remain structured and still mix up your coverages where there is no tell. And so, because of them, we’ve been able to be a little bit more versatile in terms of our coverage system.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
