In the second week of the season, the Jets made a point of picking on young New England cornerback Darius Butler. Mark Sanchez kept attacking in his direction, and Braylon Edwards simply abused him. By late in the second half, it seemed like Butler grabbed on to Edwards for dear life when the ball was coming in that direction, sacrificing a penalty to avoid a reception.
The Texans have the worst pass defense in the league. They give up an average of 302 yards in the air per game. Think about that. A 300 yard game is a benchmark to indicate an elite game. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a rating of 107 against them this year. Only Michael Vick has a higher rating in the league. Houston's defense turns every quarterback it plays into an elite one.
Glover Quin is actually doing a decent job as the top corner on the roster. The Texans are giving up under 60 yards per game to the opponent's top receiver. This isn't necessarily a perfect match since the top receiver doesn't necessarily match up against the top corner on every play, but Quin has been good. The biggest problems have been the safeties and the second corner. The Texans give up more yardage to second receivers and tight ends than any team in the league.
The second Houston corner is a rookie, Kareem Jackson. Think of the struggle Kyle Wilson experienced transitioning to the pro game. Life as a rookie corner isn't always easy. These guys are going up against faster, stronger receivers than they have ever faced. This could make youngsters more tentative for fear of making a mistake. The Texans just don't have Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Drew Coleman to hide their struggling rookie corner. Against a fast and precise route runner like Santonio Holmes, Jackson could have a lot of problems. The same goes for safeties Bernard Pollard and Eugene Wilson against Dustin Keller.
I know the tendency is to say the Jets are a run first team, but the fact of the matter is this team made big moves to bolster the passing game so it can win playing any style. Given Houston's struggles against the pass, taking shots down the field early could open up the run. Even if they are not successful, will the Texans really take the chance their secondary can contain Holmes and Keller all game long? They would do so at their own peril. Opponents are stacking the box against the Jets, jumping short routes, and daring Mark Sanchez to throw it deep. This is a good opportunity to help Sanchez build on the confidence he gained last week, and put a warning on film for future opponents thinking of trying this.