2017 Jets Pass Coverage Stats: Week 14

Finally! After a long week, both me and the 2017 Jets Coverage series are returning triumphantly to bring you the Jets pass defense stats you have been longing desperately for.

Anyway, here is the Week 14 edition of the series, where we will look at the individual cover stats posted by each Jet in addition to newcomers Trumaine Johnson and Avery Williamson.

Previous editions: Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

RULES

• The coverage numbers include only legitimate targets into the general area of a receiver/defender. Throwaways and deflections at the line are excluded.
• The stats for each individual are that of the quarterback’s passing numbers when targeting the individual’s matchup. A player could have an interception to his coverage credit even if the interception itself was made by a teammate. For example, when Tyrod Taylor threw an interception targeting a tight end running into Jamal Adams’ zone, Juston Burris ended up with the interception, but I credited that pick to Adams since he made the primary play in coverage to cause the pick.
• I did not apply the same rule to fumbles; I will only count those if forced by the covering defender.
• Penalties counted are only those accumulated in coverage.

Remember that these numbers reflect raw production only, and not always are indicative of true performance level! It’s plausible that a defender can get completely smoked and end up being credited with an interception, or vice versa, bringing very tough coverage but allowing big yardage due to an incredible catch. Learn from the numbers, but don’t expect them to tell the entire story!

WEEK 14 SYNOPSIS

The Jets kicked off a four-game losing streak with a gross 23-0 road loss in Denver to the Broncos. Trevor Siemian completed 19 of 31 passes for 200 yards, 1 touchdown, no interceptions, and a 90.8 quarterback rating.

Trumaine Johnson’s Rams lost a thriller to the Eagles in Los Angeles by a score of 43-35; the game in which Carson Wentz went down.

Avery Williamson’s Titans took a 12-7 road loss in Arizona to the Cardinals.

COVERAGE NUMBERS

Overall coverage yield: The first chart shows the total coverage numbers allowed by the Jets in Week 14. Avery Williamson did not see a target and is not pictured.

Trumaine Johnson posted a respectable 79.5 passer rating against, but that masks what was truly a shoddy performance against Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery picked up a first down on all four his receptions, while Johnson added 2 more first downs and 56 more yards through penalties. Altogether, the Eagles picked up 6 first downs and 108 yards when targeting Jeffery against Johnson.

Morris Claiborne showed strong signs of late-season decline with his second straight poor game and overall worst game of the year. Demaryius Thomas continuously made Claiborne look silly, and in total Claiborne allowed 7 first downs including his one penalty.

Demario Davis had one of his lesser games in coverage, while Buster Skrine put in another one of his randomly appearing statistically dominant performances.

Coverage by matchup and field side: The chart below shows the Week 14 coverage yield for each Jet broken down by opponent matchup and the side of the field they lined up on. Check out my glossary at the bottom of the image!

You can see that Johnson saw all of his action against Jeffery. It was certainly one of Johnson’s most shadow-heavy games of the year in terms of following around one receiver.

Most of the damage against Claiborne came from Demaryius Thomas, who collcected 72 yards, a touchdown, 4 additional first downs, a first down through penalty against Claiborne.

FILM

First, a mixed bag from Trumaine Johnson. On the bottom of the image, you can see him pressing up against Alshon Jeffery. He does a great job opening up towards the sideline at the perfect time, and pins Jeffery against the boundary. Great deep coverage, and Johnson finishes with a strong pass breakup. Nice play. Unfortunately, I can’t credit him with this forced incompletion and instead have to knock him for a 15-yard Unsportsmanlike penalty.

After keeping the end zone clean for 11 weeks, Morris Claiborne gave up a score for the second straight week. At the top of the picture, Claiborne buys Thomas’ first step inside, but actually recovers pretty nicely. Still, that first step gave Thomas just enough room for some space to the outside, and Trevor Siemian makes a tremendous throw while taking a huge hit from Josh Martin. Claiborne did not do a good job playing the ball on this play and was called for a pass interference despite still giving up the score; an and-one TD for Thomas.

Frankly, I don’t think Claiborne’s foot injury was the primary reason for his late season slump. I think it was just that; a late season slump. Claiborne still made some athletic plays here and there, and even above, that’s not terrible coverage at all. Claiborne’s first full game back against Carolina was terrific (check out those numbers here). I think the foot probably played somewhat of a part in his decline, but his production dip seemed mostly a simple return to the mean from my view.

SEASON TOTALS

Here is how the Jets are stacking up through 14 weeks of coverage in 2017.

What are your thoughts on the numbers through 14 weeks, and how do you think the rest of the year will look on the statsheet?