NFL

Andrew Luck shows Jets how teams will go after their defense

Ellis Lankster (31) defends a pass during the Jets’ preseason opener against the Colts.AP

It is hard to learn much from a team’s first preseason game, but the Jets saw Thursday night from the Colts what the blueprint will be from opposing offenses this year.

Indianapolis learned quickly that running on this Jets defense is a tough task. Throwing on them? That’s a bit easier.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck picked apart the Jets secondary in his one drive, throwing for 53 yards. He picked on cornerback Dimitri Patterson, but also found soft spots in the middle of the Jets defense. Now, Rex Ryan and Co. did not game plan and were not throwing their entire defensive playbook — or even half of it — at the Colts.

Still, the biggest concern about this Jets defense entering training camp was the secondary. Thursday’s game reaffirmed those concerns.

“It’s going to be tough to run the ball against us just because of how our defense is built,” linebacker Demario Davis said. “We have to make sure that on that back end we’re prepared for teams to attack us through the air.”

Davis is 100 percent right. The Jets have one of the best defensive lines in football with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison leading the way. They have three first-round picks up front with Quinton Coples, Wilkerson and Richardson. Last season, the Jets finished third in the NFL against the run. They will be tough to run on again this year.

But the Jets gave up nearly 4,000 passing yards last season, and they don’t look much better on paper. Second-year cornerback Dee Milliner played well Thursday, and the Jets coaches are convinced he’s primed to make a big leap. Dimitri Patterson had a terrible game against the Colts, failing to ease any of the fans’ concerns that he can replace Antonio Cromartie.

“Teams will find him,” one executive from another team said of Patterson.

Luck found him Thursday night, as did Colts backup Matt Hasselbeck, who threw a 45-yard pass over his head.

“I’ll take responsibility as far as how the defense played in the first half,” Ryan said. “We played a couple of coverages, and I left our guys out there a little bit. I changed a couple things in the second half. I wanted to see our guys play. I wasn’t sharp. I’ll take full responsibility for how the defense played in the first half.”

Andrew Luck has no trouble finding holes in the Jets secondary.Getty Images

The defense gave up 206 total yards in the first half when the first-team played into the second quarter. The backups fared better, allowing just 16 yards in the second half.

“We came into halftime, and I think Rex said we gave up about 200 yards,” Wilkerson said. “That’s not up to our standards. There were a couple of mistakes we have to correct.”

Like usual, the Jets are counting on their defense to be one of the best in the league and take pressure off Geno Smith and the offense. The past two years, that has not always happened. The Jets need to regain the elite status on defense they enjoyed in Ryan’s first few years with the Jets.

“It comes with a lot of work, but one thing I can say is that it is going to be hard to run the ball on us this year,” Davis said. “We are going to stay focused on that this year, but the biggest thing is going to be on the back end, we need to communicate and make sure that guys can’t throw the ball on us. If we take away the passing game, it’s going to be hard to score points on us.”


Quarterback Michael Vick had an interesting answer when asked about being used as a situational quarterback. There has been talk that even if Vick does not start, the Jets could have a group of plays for him. Vick sounded reluctant.

“It’s cool, but that disrupts the timing of the offense,” Vick said. “I think it has to be done at the right time. I experienced that in Philadelphia with Donovan [McNabb] at times. You want to go out there and let the quarterback get into a rhythm and not try to do too much. I think that’s doing too much. When the time calls for it, then I think the coaches will see fit that that’s put in.”