New Jets cornerback D.J. Reed agreed to break down some film with the Daily News, giving a unique look at a couple plays from the 2021 season. Reed had a breakout season with Seattle before joining the Jets; here, he explains what it was like playing against two of the NFL’s most lethal offenses last year.
Daily News: I want to pick your brain on what you’re seeing on this play. Against the Packers in Week 10. It’s 3rd and 8 in the second quarter with 4:54 remaining, you’re guarding Davante Adams. What are you seeing pre snap and how were you able to lock him down on this play?
D.J. Reed: I’m guarding 17, which is their best player. Jamal (Adams) knows that as well. Jamal is actually not showing two-high, but he’s given the look to take Aaron Rodgers off of it. But that’s not his job. His job was either to take the special route (over route) or vacant to the post.
I’m really just working on my technique, I’m read-stepping. In my head when I read step, I tried to slow everything down. I tried to calm myself because all I’m trying to do is throw the timing off between the receiver and the quarterback. So when I take my outside step, I’m just telling myself, receivers can do all this stutter stuff but at the end of the day, he’s either left or right.
Once he declares, I shoot my hands, and I got a good two-hand jam, then I got into one hand. And what that’s doing is getting him off the red line. Quarterbacks and receivers want to stay on the red line so they have space to drop the ball off. When you get a receiver off the red line, the percentages of the ball being completed, it reduces drastically. So I got him off the red line.
And he tried to give me a little hesi to get me to get my eyes on the quarterback. I just kept my eye discipline and once he broke, I broke. He slipped a little bit too. If AR would have thrown that it would have been six. (Laughs)
DN: Okay against the Rams you’re guarding DeSean Jackson, he’s clearly a burner. You’re able to keep your cushion and break on the ball for the PBU. What goes into playing off coverage against speed receivers but still being able to break on underneath routes?
Reed: The first thing I notice is the QB is under center and the Rams do a lot of play action. I’m keying on the quarterback.
The motion comes, it’s two by two now, but Robert Woods isn’t coming up to the field because that’s a delayed motion. Now my eyes turn to Jackson. I’m kind of tempoing out and basically gathering an off read step and I’m opening the gate right away.
Because Jamal Adams is my buzzer so I kinda know if Jackson runs an out, Jamal is going to push out there. What that allows me to do, it allows me to squeeze the receiver to break on him if he’s running a dig. If he’s running a fade I can stay on top or if he’s running a hitch, I’m able to come down. I’m just keying his hips and once he shimmy down, I broke and it was time to see who could get the ball faster and I was able to get the PBU.
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