How Can Todd Bowles Help Shape Jets Defense

Woody Johnson finally got it right.

After years of whiffing on general managers, head coaches, personnel members and nearly everything in between, the New York Jets owner finally made an agreeable array of moves this offseason. 

The best part about it is, with the hiring of Todd Bowles as head coach, the Jets don't have to change too much about their defense. Like Ryan, Bowles runs a 3-4 defense; like Ryan, Bowles blitzes aggressively and often.

But like Ryan, Bowles is his own man. Ryan is brash and bold; Bowles is quiet and business-like. Also, while he and Ryan may think alike with defensive tendencies, Bowles can add his own wrinkles to the Jets defense.

Those blitzes, however, are not going anywhere, as ESPN's Rich Cimini highlights:

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In [Bowles'] two seasons as defensive coordinator, the Cardinals blitzed on 46.5 percent of dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He employed a 3-4 attacking scheme, in which he wasn't afraid to use cover-zero blitzes. He'll be a good fit for the Jets, because they already have 3-4 personnel.

The current roster is short of quality cornerbacks, and Bowles will need man-to-man corners to operate his system. But he can be flexible. Despite losing several starters in Arizona, he was able to adjust with different personnel, and the Cards finished fifth in points allowed. 

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The Jets have underperformed in the secondary, but with a former NFL defensive back and defensive backs coach in Bowles at the helm, it's entirely possible that we've yet to see the best this group has to offer. There are some talented players back there, with multiple first-round picks in Kyle Wilson, Dee Milliner and Calvin Pryor; there are others with boatloads of potential like Dexter McDougle and Antonio Allen.

Bowles is like a Cuisinart when it comes to getting the most juice for the squeeze out of his defensive players. The Cardinals lost starting linebacker Daryl Washington and starting defensive lineman Darnell Dockett to injuries last season, but remained one of the league's best defenses despite the absence of two key players.

"This year, we've got a bunch of moving parts and different guys do different things," Bowles said, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. "We've had to tweak a few things."

Team	Jets	Cardinals
Points	24	5
Yards	6	24
Pass yards	14	29
Rush yards	5	13
Third down %	30	8
Red zone %	26	3
Passer rating	30	11
Turnovers	32	14

That's why you'd see safety Deone Bucannon lined up as a linebacker, nose tackle Dan Williams at defensive end, and a wide variety of wrinkles the likes of which you could see from the Jets in the future.

Looking at the Jets and Cardinals comparatively from a statistical standpoint, there are some interesting notes: for one, their rankings in points allowed and yards allowed are almost exactly flip-flopped, which is indicative of the Cardinals superior situational defense (third down, red zone, etc.) 

Not much will change schematically, but the hope is that a lot will change statistically.

Cardinals cornerback Antonio Cromartie thinks the changes (or lack thereof) will be good for the Jets.

In the Ryan era, the Jets used six of their seven first-round draft picks on defensive players, and three on players in the front seven—outside linebacker Quinton Coples, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.

Those players will all transition seamlessly to Bowles' defensive scheme, but even if they didn't, they would still be in a good spot. Because like Ryan, Bowles isn't afraid to mix things up. 

Bowles will pull out all the stops, using a variety of defensive looks from game to game, series to series, and even play to play.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Cardinals were known as a 3-4 base defense, but they would also use a mix of 4-3 looks, different nickel packages and even some 46 defense to keep their opponents guessing and to combat any look they may see from the offense. 

The Jets have used a variety of looks for years under Ryan, and it appears that will not change with Bowles. 

"One of the things that makes the Arizona defense such a challenge is their diversity," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. "They're different from week to week, so you have to just be patient and be able to adjust."

The above screenshots read like a beginner's manual for defensive coordinators on all of the best and most frequently used formations and personnel packages in the NFL today—and all of those screenshots were taken from the first quarter of the Cardinals' Week 15 win over the St. Louis Rams.

But Bowles is hardly a beginner.

Year	Team	Run Rank	Pass Rank	Points rank	Yards rank
2011	Miami Dolphins	3	25	6	15
2012	Philadelphia Eagles	10	24	29	15
2013	Arizona Cardinals	1	14	7	6
2014	Arizona Cardinals	25	4	5	24

He's led his defense to a top-10 finish in scoring three out of his four seasons as a defensive coordinator. Regardless of his surroundings, he's been successful. 

That should not be any different with the Jets.

With Bowles running the show, some things will stay the same, but one thing that could change is just how difficult it is to attack their defense week after week and play after play.