Jets Defense To Use the “KISS” Method in 2012

Aug 2, 2010; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets player Cory Reamer (left) talks with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine during training camp in Cortland. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

Mike Pettine and the rest of the Jets have had a motto of “One Step Faster”. There has been a lot of talk about how the Jets have drafted new players to fit this motto physically. But, there hasn’t been a lot of talk about another way this method is being applied. Mentally.

The Jets are looking to take the “gray” areas out of the playbook. In other words, the “KISS” method, Keep It Simple Stupid.

The goal of the defense is to play fast. The object is to take the hesitation out, and they do that by having less reads on a given play or less emphasis on getting into the “perfect” call.

This offseason, Mike Pettine and his staff broke the defensive playbook down, play by play, and he asked his staff about what plays have the so-called gray area. He wanted to know what types of plays caused each position’s players any type of hesititation. He then, in turn, took some plays out of the book, and gave more clarification to other plays. A main theme was to remove calls that had too many moving parts.

Here’s an example. Instead of having a play where the defender has to read whether it’s a run or a pass, hit the tight end, and then rush the passer, the play will call form the player to rush the passer, and hit someone along the way. Another example is that instead of following a player and basing where you line up on him, the play calls for someone to line up in a spot, and that’s it.

“Make the offense adjust to us,” Bart Scott said. “Last year maybe we were reacting to the offense, and I think this year, we took it out. Let’s just go back to do what we do, let’s play fast and physical. And now make the offense have to speed up, because they are not getting time to read, because we’re forcing them to make a decision faster.”

The Jets, according to many players, got away from the core values of the Ryan/Pettine defense of late, and this simplification will mark a return to those roots.

The foundation of the defense, according to Pettine, is the newly revamped defensive line. The new dynamic players they have added, combined with the success of new line coach Karl Dunbar, leads the Jets to use more four man fronts than they have in the past. Bart Scott put it best when he said this gives the Jets defense flexibility.

In 2009, the Jets defense was flexible and played fast. The result was a finish as the number one defense in the sport.

Nobody will have a problem with a repeat. Guaranteed.