Monday night, when the San Francisco 49ers take on the New York Jets, the game is going to have the feel of pitting strength against strength.
Behind head coach Robert Saleh and led by arguably the premier cornerback duo in the NFL, the New York Jets’ punishing defense looks to slow the loaded San Francisco 49ers’ offense powered by running back Christian McCaffrey, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk with tight end George Kittle continuing to play a marquee role.
Saleh, of course, served as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator prior to taking the Jets’ head head coach in 2021. According to Kittle, that familiarity presents an interesting advantage for San Francisco’s offense.
“Going against him for several years in practice all the time,” Kittle said during a recent appearance on FanDuel’s Up and Adams Show. “And occasionally swinging by his office just to bug him, I enjoy bugging the defensive coordinators, you just know that he’s going to go out there and he’s going to put our offense in bad situations. That’s what he’s going to try to do.
“It’s like playing against our own defense; you have the wide-nine and a penetrating defensive line, they have really talented linebackers and an elite secondary. They’re going to do everything they can to apply a lot of pressure on us and let their defensive line work, and, their defensive line is going to open up the secondary to make as many plays against us as possible.”
How New York Jets’ Defense Could Stifle San Francisco 49ers
As much as Kittle and many of the Niners’ weapons may know about Saleh, they still need to go out and execute against one of the top-ranked defenses in the league.
The Jets finished third in total defense last season, despite getting little help from a woebegone offense dealing with losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers four snaps into the regular season, but will likely be bringing the heat early and often in the opener as well as throughout the season.
“I know they’re going to put a lot of pressure on us,” Kittle admits. “Trying to put us in a lot of unmanageable downs, and make us beat ourselves.”
The Jets and 49ers square off on Monday Night Football to cap Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
For More Football News:
Follow Matt Lombardo on Threads at @MattLombardoNFL. To read more of our articles and in-depth NFL coverage, click here.
