Why Jaguars DC believes why underrated defender deserves more credit
The Jacksonville Jaguars defense ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass last season, per Football Outsiders' DVOA. However, there were some improvements made late in the year, particularly when it comes to the pass rush. Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell was asked about those improvements in Monday's press conference and he gave an unexpected […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars defense ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass last season, per Football Outsiders' DVOA.
However, there were some improvements made late in the year, particularly when it comes to the pass rush. Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell was asked about those improvements in Monday's press conference and he gave an unexpected reason why such improvements took place.
To him, it wasn't necessarily about the players up front but rather the placers on the backend of the defense. He had one specific player in mind fans wouldn't think about when pondering the rise of the team's pass rush.
"I think that helps, playing with the lead," the Jaguars defensive coordinator told reporters on Monday. "But also, what helps the pass rush is the coverage."
What Caldwell said isn't anything new. Defensive coaches have understood for years that solid coverage in the backfield gives the team's pass rushers an extra fraction of a second to get to the quarterback.
Sometimes, that's enough to make a difference between a pressure and a sack. That's why Caldwell brought up one player
"I think, like towards the end of the season, Tre Herndon – he doesn't get a lot of credit – but towards the end of the season, he kind of settled us down," Caldwell said. "He played a nickel role in certain games, you didn't hear his name called, and when you don't hear your guy's name called, that's a good thing. When you don't hear his name, that allows the other team guys to really excel."
Talk about big-time praise for the veteran the Jaguars re-signed to a one-year deal in March.
Later, Caldwell said that there would be a competition for every spot in the defense's starting lineup. However, reading between the lines provides enough for us to hypothesize that Herndon is set to remain the starting nickel cornerback.
Featured image via Jacksonville Jaguars YouTube
