Bowles Loves What Claiborne Has Brought

Todd Bowles speaks Dan Leberfeld responds

Q: What are your thoughts on Kony Ealy?

Bowles: He’s given us some energy. He’s given us a spark. He plays the run just as well as he plays the pass. He’s a heady ball player. He has a knack for jumping, timing and knocking the balls down and he gives us some energy.

Leberfeld: He showed that knack against Jacksonville, tipping four Blake Bortles passes, including one he picked off, giving the Jets the ball in the red zone. That game was his best in green. However there is plenty of room for improvement. He has no sacks so far.

Also, the Jets’ run defense has struggled — ranked near the bottom of the league. He and some of the other Jets’ front seven players need to take their game to another level against the run. One of the reasons New England moved on from Ealy was he freelanced too much within the scheme, so perhaps a little more discipline is in order in his game.

But he should improve the more comfortable he gets in the Jets’ scheme.

And his performance against Jacksonville was a terrific early return for the Jets on their investment in this player.

Ealy also knocked down two Tom Brady passes in the first half of the recent Jets-Patriots game.

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