New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich wants to see more out of his star cornerback amid a 2-6 start to the season.
Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, Ulbrich said he wants Sauce Gardner to play with more physicality. According to Cimini, Ulbrich said he did see some improvement from Gardner against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
"It needs to be better and he knows that," Ulbrich said.
Gardner has 25 tackles and one sack this season and is on pace for a career-low in tackles. He had a career-high 75 tackles his rookie year before recording 57 a season ago.
According to Jets X Factor's Michael Nania, Gardner had an 11.6 percent missed tackle rate from 2022 to 2023, but that number has jumped to 23.3 percent this season, which is the seventh-highest among cornerbacks.
Sauce Gardner's missed tackle rate:
2022-23: 11.6%
2024: 23.3% (7th-highest among CB)
Missing tackles more than twice as often as his previous career average— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) October 29, 2024
He has a PFF grade of 65.2 through eight games, which ranks 82nd among cornerbacks this season.
As Ulbirch said, Gardner's tackling improved some against the Patriots as he matched his season-high with five tackles in the loss. That kind of performance will need to be the bare minimum for Gardner as the former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year looks to return to All-Pro form.
But Gardner is far from the only problem for the Jets so far this season. They've started the year 2-6 thanks to a combination of average defense and sluggish offense.
New York has the eighth-fewest points per game this season, eclipsing the 20-point mark just twice, most recently against the Patriots on Sunday. Its defense has been slightly better, allowing 21.3 points per game, but that number is meaningless when the offense can't find points of its own.
The Jets hoped the addition of star receiver Davante Adams would lead to more success, but they are 0-2 since he arrived and have a tough matchup this week when they face the Houston Texans.
