New York Jets

Jets' defensive secondary must show up in Kansas City

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In the Jets vs Chiefs game, Gang Green’s defensive secondary has been a major disappointment through the first two weeks of the season. They will need their secondary to show up this week against Kansas City’s talented aerial attack.

Coming into the regular season, the New York Jets were thought to have one of the better secondaries in the NFL centered around star cornerback Darrelle Revis. Things haven’t quite gone as planned up to this point though, as New York’s defensive backfield has been a disappointment.

In shocking fashion, Revis has been torched down the field by both Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin in Weeks 1 and 2. To be fair, though, there has been plenty of miscommunication at the safety spot behind Revis. Cornerbacks Marcus Williams and Buster Skrine have not been perfect either as the whole unit has failed to perform up to their standards.

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When the Jets’ secondary squares up against the Chiefs’ group of pass-catchers, they will be facing a very talented and speedy group of players. Spearheading this unit is former Pro Bowl wide receiver Jeremy Maclin along with 2015 Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce.

Maclin is a very consistent receiver with good speed, sure hands, and very impressive route running. While Kelce, on the other hand, is a sizable player with great athleticism, strength, and versatility. Both players have the potential to do damage against any defense that they face.

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Along with their two stars, the Chiefs also have some very speedy receivers as complimentary pieces. Wide receivers

Wide receivers Chris Conley and Tyreek Hill both had sub- 4.4 second forty-yard dash times at their respective draft combines.

It is especially important to take note of Hill’s speed as he ran a blazing forty-yard dash at his pro day earlier this year with a time of 4.24 seconds.

You can liken his speed to that of Goodwin who burnt Revis on a deep ball for a touchdown in week two.

To combat this speed, the Jets’ safety tandem of Calvin Pryor and Marcus Gilchrist will need to make sure that they are on the same page. Miscommunications can and will result in big plays down the field, which have nearly destroyed the Jets to this point in the season.

At cornerback, there will need to be a detailed strategy as to how they will guard the Chiefs’ receivers.

We have learned from past experiences that playing too far off of speedy receivers can be a fatal mistake.

With all factors being considered, it is clear that the Jets’ secondary will have to bring their A-game today in Kansas City. If they fail to show up, things could get ugly very quickly as momentum tends to shift very easily at Arrowhead Stadium.

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