After each game, we’ll be highlighting three defensive and three offensive players and looking in detail at their performance. We’ll start today with the defense:
Laying down the Kinlaw
Javon Kinlaw’s first action in a Jets jersey saw him record three tackles and two pressures in a starting role, which saw the 49ers worryingly running all over the Jets to the tune of almost 200 yards.
Was he primarily to blame for this, though? After all, part of the reason the Jets added the 320-pounder was to make the Jets more stout up the middle, but the 49ers picked up most of their yardage between the tackles.
Information shared by ESPN’s Rich Cimini suggested that the Jets allowed 5.1 yards per carry with Kinlaw in there and only 4.2 when he wasn’t there. However, these stats can be misleading. For example, he was in the game on Jordan Mason’s longest run, which was a 24-yarder. But it was an outside run and there was nothing different he or any other defensive tackle could have done to prevent it. Remove that from the equation and the other 18 run snaps he had gained 4.1 yards per carry.
Kinlaw certainly did have some negative plays, though, including this one where Colton McKivitz drove him downhill to create a cutback lane.
This one play was very telling though in terms of how it played out. Kinlaw is driven downhill to create the cutback lane, yes, but if there was someone to fill that cutback lane then the run would have been stopped at the line.
Actually, the primary fault here is from Quincy Williams, who gets over-aggressive in following the flow of the run and this allows George Kittle to seal him off. Williams needs to trust CJ Mosley here, who although he gets blocked at the second level, has that gap filled so the safeties can rally to the ball. Last year, Williams had got better at this but there was a regression here.
In terms of positives, Kinlaw stopped two runs close to the line and another for a five-yard gain. He also forced a run out wide that was stopped for no gain by penetrating well upfield to stretch it out.
This stop was interesting because he was initially blocked off the line but did a great job of keeping his eyes up and reacting to the cut rather than the initial flow. On this play, he effectively bailed out both defensive ends because Jermaine Johnson was pancaked and Micheal Clemons crashed down far too aggressively.
The Jets need to do a better job against the run as a team. One player missing their assignment can make the whole unit look terrible, especially against a group that executes so well like the 49ers. Kinlaw can do better but on the basis of this game, he mostly did his job.
Central Clark
Chuck Clark finally made his Jets debut 18 months after they first signed him and ended the game with five tackles, four of which were at least five yards downfield.
While the run defense was the primary problem, there were issues in pass coverage too, with nine of the 49ers’ 10 longest plays coming through the air.
Clark will have a key role in communication this year, so it’s concerning that there were some gaps in the team’s zone coverage, including on a few plays where he was the closest man to a successfully-targeted receiver.
His best play was this stop in the flat where he did a great job of reading the action and closing on the receiver:
Clark was involved in arguably the most pivotal moment of the game when Deebo Samuel dived across the goal line to give the 49ers their first lead of the game. His hit on Samuel dislodged the ball from his grip and Samuel was extremely lucky to retain control of it as he fell into the end zone.
Had the ball been knocked loose so the Jets retained their 7-6 lead with under seven minutes to go in the second quarter, who knows how differently the rest of the game could have played out?
The Jets don’t need Clark to almost make impact plays though, they need him to actually make some for them. Moreover, they need consistent play without bad mistakes. Hopefully, that’s what he can provide over the course of the season.
Holmes Sweet Holmes
Despite not being on the final 53-man roster, Jalyn Holmes found himself in the defensive line rotation, having been elevated from the practice squad for the game.
As such, he’s also a potential source of blame for the 49ers’ success running up the middle. On the whole, though, he didn’t really do that badly.
That’s not to say that there weren’t negatives though. He was driven downhill on another cutback run for a first down and was easily sealed off on this 3rd-and-2 conversion up the middle, for example.
The above play was particularly interesting though. On 3rd-and-2 the Jets opted to put defensive tackle Solomon Thomas on the edge and Will McDonald inside. McDonald was predictably driven off the line by a Trent Williams downblock. What were they thinking? Did they not realize it was only two yards to go?
Speaking of Thomas, that’s an extremely athletic play by him that potentially saved a touchdown.
Holmes was in on three run stops near the line and put one excellent moment on film as he beat Williams’ reach block with quickness to blow up this run for a loss.
Holmes held up better in the trenches in preseason than Leonard Taylor III, so the Jets no doubt felt it was important to have him active for this game against a team that runs the ball so well. Taylor will offer more against pass-first teams, so should still get his shot before Leki Fotu is eligible to return.
Three-on-O will follow tomorrow.