With the challenge to up his interceptions this season, New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner faces a very unique challenge in actually practicing turnovers.
The reason for the issue? Gardner faces a quarterback every day in Jets training camp in Aaron Rodgers who simply doesn’t throw many interceptions.
It makes it a challenge for Gardner to practice catching the ball and creating turnovers if the ball being thrown at him isn’t catchable. Early in training camp, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he wants to see Gardner turn some of his plays from last year into turnovers this season.
In his first two seasons in the NFL, Gardner has had 32 passes defended but just two interceptions. a surprisingly low number for such a highly-regarded defensive back. Both of those interceptions came his rookie season.
Asked by reporters on Thursday about the challenge from Saleh to increase his interception total, the two-time All-Pro said that “I feel like I could have had three, four…three (to) four easily” last season. Playing in man coverage means that his back is often turned to the quarterback so he doesn’t always see the quarterback’s release.
“I ain’t saying that as an excuse (but) it ain’t as easy as everybody thinks. It’s not like we’re just playing catch out there. It don’t make it no easier going against Aaron in practice. I’m not getting those easy opportunities to pick him off in practice,” Gardner told reporters.
“I got to do extra work outside of that. Aaron’s not going to give me no 50-50 balls.”
In other words, practice isn’t the perfect place for Gardner to get live reps at interceptable balls.
This is very much a season of expectations for the Jets. After what happened last year with the loss of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first week of the season, Gardner said that there is a sense of focus within this group.
“We all know what we can do as a team, all of us as a collective group, a collective unit – coaches included,” Gardner said.
“We know what we can do, man. It’s a matter of taking it one day at a time. Taking the classroom to the meeting room to the field and applying that to the field and just executing.”
