Todd Bowles on preparing for Andrew Luck: It's a nightmare
Everybody knows Andrew Luck is really good, so it’s not surprising to find out New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles called preparing for the Indianapolis Colts quarterback "a nightmare."
When asked about what it’s like preparing for the young gun-slinger, Bowles offered high praise to Luck and detailed what makes him such a terror to play against.
“It’s a nightmare,” Bowles said via the New York Daily News. “I mean, he does so many things well, and everybody keeps forgetting it’s not just about just him. You know, they got great receivers, they got great running backs and tight ends and they got a good offensive line, so preparing for them as a whole, and then trying to concentrate on him is kind of hard sometimes. Like I said, he can beat you with his arm, he can beat you with his feet, he can beat you with his brains.”
Perhaps Bowles can take a page out of former Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s playbook for Week 2’s competition. The Buffalo Bills shut Luck and his offense down for the most part in the first game of the season, utilizing a potent blend of pressure up front and stifling coverage on the back end. Luck completed just 53 percent of his 49 passes for 243 yards, throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Too bad the Jets enter Monday night’s showdown with some ambiguity at the cornerback position. Antonio Cromartie is still “very limited” and may not play. If he doesn’t play, then Bowles’ game plan must change, as New York’s normal scheme relies on Cromartie and Darrelle Revis to dominate the perimeter without much help from the safeties over the top.
If Cromartie cannot play, then second-year cornerback Marcus Williams out of North Dakota State should see the lion’s share of the work. While not yet a household name, Williams could soon become such a player for the Jets. He hauled in an interception in Week 1 and has the full support of defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.
“At our corner position, we had a lot of competition there and he was one guy that always stood out. As we sat there and as we watched him, his versatility — Marcus can play the nickel and Marcus can play outside. We think he is a consummate professional. He works at his craft real good, and from the standpoint from being inside or outside, we really feel confident wherever we place Marcus,” Rodgers said.
But Luck and his offense have the potential to put up points in bunches, even without electric receiver T.Y. Hilton, who is day-to-day with a knee injury.
This Monday night showdown is being contested in Indianapolis. The Colts are notoriously difficult to beat at home since Luck entered the league, posting a 19-5 record at Lucas Oil Stadium since 2012.
A nightmare, indeed.
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