Note to the Jets: Watch Your Back Defending Reggie Bush

Sep 16, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush (22) reacts after a carry as Oakland Raiders safety Tyvon Branch (33) watches at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins defeated the Raiders 35-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

The Jets had better not look past Sunday, because as we have seen before, it’s going to be tough. Speed rushers have given the Jets fits in the past. Darren McFadden last year, and CJ Spiller this year. This week, the Jets face just that type of running back when they face the Dolphins on Sunday, when they go up against Reggie Bush. He had a huge game last week, and is primed to have another one if the Jets aren’t ready for him.

Earlier this week, our guy JETSerious took a look at Reggie Bush in his Star Spotlight.  Take a look at it if you haven’t, he takes a great look at the past and present Reggie Bush. He specifically takes a look at the fact, in order to stop Bush, the Jets need to set the edge on defense. JETSerious hits it right on the money here. Today, let’s take that a bit further, by looking at some screen shots, courtesy of the All-22 Coaches video.

What you are going to see is how the Jets not only need to set the edge, they need to set the backside edge. What does that mean?

Well, the Dolphins like to run a lot of mis-direction plays on the ground. That means that the line blocks down in one direction, drawing the defense in that direction. The back, instead of following that flow, goes the opposite direction, running off the back side of the defense, where there are less players due to the mis-direction.

For example, here is the first play from scrimmage last week for the Dolphins.

See how the offensive line is blocking, for the most part, their right, the left hand side of the screen? That draws the defense by instinct towards the blockers, because instincts say that the runner is going to go towards the flow of the blocking. But, take a look at the path Bush takes.

Instead of following the flow of the blockers, he cuts into a lane going the opposite way, towards the right side of the screen. Notice how due to the blocking, there are less defenders to that side. The result? 11 yards and a first down for Bush.

On the next page, we are going to take a look at a touchdown run by Bush from the third quarter.

Again, see how the line, for the most part again, is blocking down to the left. Whether it is the far left of the screen, or in the middle off their left shoulders, they are blocking down towards the left side of the line, drawing the defense in that direction. Where will Bush go?

Again, he bounces outside to the right, away from the flow of the line, and away from the defense. Notice that due to the blocking, he has to make one guy miss and he is already at the second level.

He makes multiple guys miss, and 23 yards later, it’s touchdown Dolphins.

So what do the Jets do? Keep their assignments, that is what they do. When the linebackers start getting sucked into the blocking, they leave these lanes open on the backside for Bush to cut back. If they keep their positions on the back side, Bush will run into Jets defenders when he cuts back, and he won’t be able to break off these long runs.

Watch your backs, Jets. Specifically, your backside edges. Keep them set, or Reggie Bush will kill us on Sunday.