Sauce Gardner says Jets didn't 'need no presentation' on their bad tackling
By Joe Lago
Despite recurring optimistic talk of a potential late-season run to the playoffs, the New York Jets sure aren't playing like a true postseason contender that's ready to fight together.
Even with the return of Aaron Rodgers, the Jets have not come close to achieving their lofty expectations, and the season has been defined by a string of desperate moves from Robert Saleh's in-season firing to the trade-deadline deal to reunite Davante Adams with Rodgers.
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Even with a 7% chance to make the postseason, the Jets just aren't displaying the basic qualities of a playoff team. And that was evident last Sunday when they had 20 missed tackles in a 31-6 blowout loss at the Arizona Cardinals.
Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich put together a presentation on the Jets' poor tackling to drive home the latest point of emphasis. Star cornerback Sauce Gardner believed it was unnecessary.
"We know how to tackle. We know how to tackle. We gotta make the tackles. That’s really it," Gardner told reporters on Thursday. "We've been doing it. We've been doing it.
"We really don’t need no presentation. I know where he’s coming from when he did it, but us as professional athletes, we gotta be able to make tackles, me included for sure.’
Interim #Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich did a tackling presentation to the entire team after the Week 10 #Cardinals debacle [20 missed tackles].
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) November 14, 2024
Sauce Gardner was asked for his takeaways from it…
‘We know how to tackle. We know how to tackle. We gotta make the tackles. That’s really… pic.twitter.com/8bIBsF22jo
Gardner wasn't disagreeing with Ulbrich's message. He just had a problem with what seemed to be a long, detailed review of the Jets' poor tackling habits. Who isn't bored of PowerPoint decks?
Ulbrich is on record of handling the Jets' tackling woes. Now it's up to Gardner and his defensive teammates to correct the problem on the field.
The Jets will get a chance for redemption on Sunday when they take on another struggling franchise — the Indianapolis Colts, who are playing a game of musical quarterbacks by bringing back Anthony Richardson as their starter.
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