POWER COUPLE
Hard-hitting Jet safeties Maye & Adams shouldn’t change styles based on NFL rule
Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye spent the better part of their rookie seasons delivering bonecrunching, teeth-chattering hits that aren’t going to suddenly disappear in the wake of the NFL’s new controversial helmet-to-helmet rule.
The young engines of Todd Bowles’ defense made it clear that they won’t lose their aggressive edge now that the league has instituted a rule that will penalize, eject and potentially fine players for lowering their helmets upon contact.
“I’m not going to change the way I play,” Maye told the Daily News. “And I don’t expect the other safeties around the league to change the way they play.”
Although Maye ultimately conceded that he might have to adjust his play based on how closely officials stick to the letter of the law, neither he nor Adams should be more tentative for fear of laundrytossing zebras.
A significant part of the second-year safeties’ value lies in their ability to be enforcers.
“It’s a technique thing,” Adams told the Daily News. “You got to change your philosophy of hitting ... At the end of the day, you’re staying safe. A form tackle is chest up, eyes up, see what you’re hitting. That’s the nucleus of the game of football. Keeping your head up. That’s keeping everybody safe. So, that’s not going to take anything out of the game. Obviously, it’s going to take away the bigger hits ... but at the end of the day you can still be aggressive.”
Players across the league have voiced their displeasure about the new rule ostensibly born out of player safety. Niners cornerback Richard Sherman went so far as to proclaim that the NFL’s latest move would be worse than the oft-criticized Catch Rule and prove to ultimately be a “disaster.”
The Ravens were penalized twice for illegal hits under the new provision in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game against the Bears. Players and coaches will closely monitor how officials will administer the new rule over the next month to better tailor their adjustments on game days.
“We’re just as curious as you guys. Trust me,” Adams said about how liberal officials will be enforcing the new rule. “I’m not a ref, so I can’t really sit here and tell you how they’re going to call it. Obviously, we’re going to find out a little bit more in the preseason . ... They’re going to throw a lot of flags to see how we can judge it. It’s going to take time for us as a defense to sit there and understand what they’re looking for. But at the end of the day, you can’t lead with your helmet. You can’t lead with your crown. You can’t lead with your eyes down. You got to see what you hit.”
Player safety is paramount, but will the new rule turn into a flag fest that will adversely affect the product by slowing the game to a snail’s pace?
“It’ll be interesting here in the preseason to see how it goes ... and see how the referees adjust to it and how the players adjust to it,” Maye said. “Hopefully it’s not something that they call 10 times a game. But you never know.”
Officials have already met with the Jets – and will do so again before the start of the regular season next month – to provide further clarity for players and coaches. Although Todd Bowles maintained that “it shouldn’t affect us” because “we teach it the right way and they play the right way,” there’s always concern that some players will naturally slow down and thus not be as effective.
“You can’t go out there and be playing slow and thinking about it just because you don’t want to get fined or get a targeting penalty,” Maye said. “As far as defenders go, it’s part of our game, the way we play, the style of how we play and how we tackle ... I guess we got to find a way to keep our target in the right zone.”
Adams and Maye, who are expected to anchor Bowles’ defense, set the tone for everyone else. Their futures are promising, in part, due to their aggressive mindsets. Maye isn’t afraid to lay the wood on anybody at any time. Adams seemingly has a tracking device on opponents.
They play fast, physical and clean football.
They shouldn’t change their styles of play because of one new rule.