The New York Jets have fired defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, outside linebackers coach Mark Collins, and defensive backs coach Joe Danna, but defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers is safe. After a 5-11 season, it was clear the Jets were going to shake up their coaching staff in some capacity, but it does make sense for the team to retain Rodgers.
Jets are keeping defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers because he was never the problem
The defense regressed this season, but Rodgers will remain in the coordinator role.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Rodgers was brought in by New York after Todd Bowles was hired as the head coach following the 2014 season. He got his start in the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys defensive tackles coach in 2003, and was promoted to defensive line coach in 2005.
Rodgers was hired by the Dolphins to be Miami’s defensive line coach in 2008 and remained with the team until he was hired by the Jets. Bowles and Rodgers worked alongside each other in Miami from 2008 through 2011, when Bowles was hired as the secondary coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rodgers’ defenses in Dallas and Miami performed well, resulting in numerous Pro Bowl nods for his players. In Rodgers’ first season with the Jets, New York excelled. The Jets finished the 2015 season ranked fourth in the league for total yards allowed per game and ninth for points allowed.
That was not the case in 2016. The Jets went from having a top 10 defense in 2015 to one that surrendered the fourth-most points in the NFL. Still, there’s reason to believe Rodgers can turn things around defensively in 2017.
The defense truly wasn’t the Jets’ biggest problem
Statistics only tell part of the story here. Yes, the Jets finished the season ranked 28th in the league for points allowed, but that was due in part to an ineffective offense.
New York’s offense took a massive step back in 2016. Ryan Fitzpatrick, coming off a career season, finished the season with 2,710 yards and just 12 touchdowns against 17 interceptions.
The Jets had to rely on the run game, which finished the season ranked 12th in the league and was more effective than the passing game, but New York’s defense was still faced with a lot of short fields because the offense just couldn’t move the ball or score consistently.
To address the offensive weakness, the Jets fired quarterbacks coach Kevin Patullo and running backs coach Marcel Shipp. New York will bring in a new offensive coordinator, too, as Chan Gailey retired.
New York also has larger issues that impact the on-field performance, including team chemistry. Outside linebacker Sheldon Richardson found himself in hot water a couple of times this season, first with a profane Snapchat rant, and then in a feud with wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson were both benched for a quarter early in the season during a loss to the Miami Dolphins for missing team meetings. While these chemistry concerns certainly are a factor for Rodgers when they involve his defensive players, it’s a larger issue that rests primarily on Bowles’ shoulders.
The pass rush and secondary need to be addressed
The two key defensive areas where the Jets regressed in 2016 were the pass rush and pass coverage.
The pass defense ranked 17th in the league in 2016, allowing 243.6 yards per game, and the secondary failed to create the turnovers that helped the team finish so strong in 2015. The Jets were next to last in the league in 2016 for interceptions with just eight, which was quite a drop from the previous season, when New York picked off 18 passes.
The pass rush suffered in 2016 compared to its 2015 performance, also. The Jets had 39 sacks last season, and managed just 27 this season.
While Rodgers remains in charge overall, the team acknowledged these needs by parting ways with Johnson, Collins, and Danna, the position coaches responsible for the defensive line, outside linebackers, and the secondary. With new voices coaching players to improve in these areas, New York’s defense can bounce back under Rodgers’ leadership.
Rodgers took over play calling late in the season, and the defense improved
When Rodgers came on board, Bowles was still the de facto defensive coordinator. It was Bowles’ scheme, and he called the plays.
Later in this season, however, Bowles transitioned those responsibilities over to Rodgers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bowles acknowledged later in the season that perhaps taking a big-picture view, and letting Rodgers handle the detailed aspects of coordinating the defense, would benefit the team.
“I can sure coach better and make sure the coaches and players understand exactly what’s going on play-by-play,” Bowles said, according to George Willis of The New York Post.
“When we’re not winning ballgames, it starts with me.”
Since Rodgers wasn’t calling the defensive plays for much of the season, and Bowles was, making Rodgers the scapegoat wouldn’t have made much sense. Rodgers should have an opportunity to apply his influence to New York’s defense.
The Jets will give Rodgers that opportunity when he returns as New York’s defensive coordinator in 2017.
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