LOS ANGELES — Early in the season, New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner seemed to be struggling. Or, at least by the standards that he set in his first two seasons, after each of which he was named a first-team All-Pro. He gave up a career-high 97 passing yards on six targets in Week 2, and teams continued to test him.
But in his last two games, Gardner has returned to form, holding receivers to three catches on 11 targets, including a 1-for-6 performance in a Week 15 victory over Jacksonville.
That’s the Gardner the Rams (8-6) will face Sunday for the first time as they travel east to play the Jets (4-10), one who is building confidence again as the season winds down.
Not that confidence has ever been a problem for the former University of Cincinnati standout, whom Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur got a close look at in 2022 while serving as the Jets’ OC.
“He’s a competitor,” LaFleur said Thursday. “Whatever happened to him the play before, good or bad, it doesn’t really matter for him the next play. He’s going to keep competing. Being from Michigan, he’s got that Detroit toughness to him both mentally and physically.”
What stands out, on film and in person, is Gardner’s size. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he doesn’t fit the traditional body of a cornerback. Instead, he’s part of a movement toward lengthier defensive backs that have taken on a more prominent role across the NFL.
“I got a chance to see him just a little bit, even if it was just seven-on-seven in the Pro Bowl,” Rams receiver Puka Nacua said. “But man, you see somebody, get to gauge how they move and see the size and length that he is. But we’re excited for the challenge, everybody in our receiver room is.”
“His understanding of who he is as a corner, you see he plays to his own strengths,” receiver Cooper Kupp said. “This is the first time I’ve really had an opportunity to really look at him, and he’s a really good football player. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
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NOTES
Tight end Tyler Higbee did not practice Thursday with an illness after being a full participant Wednesday.
Cornerback Cobie Durant (lung contusion) was back as a full participant in practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday.