Same Car, Different ModelSunday's regular season opener will mark the seventh time Marvin Lewis has faced the Jets as Cincinnati's head coach, but it will be his first time against a Todd Bowles-led club.
"They've done a really good job of putting the football team together," Lewis said of the Jets during a conference call. "The offensive guys have come from different routes, from different teams and so forth. The defensive guys are a lot of homegrown guys. They're very good players, athletic, explosive and they're impressive to watch on tape."
QB Andy Dalton made one career start against the Green & White, throwing for 5 TDs and 325 yards in a 49-9 blowout win back in Week 8 of the 2013 season. But the six-year veteran knows that result won't mean anything come Sunday as he faces a Jets defense that finished No. 4 overall last season.
"When I played against them, there was a different head coach and different coordinators. It was obviously a little bit different," he said. "They're a really good team up front, they have guys on the back end that can play really well and they have one of the top corners in (Darrelle) Revis. You just have to be prepared for the different stuff they throw at you."
Thoughts on the IslandThrough the years, Lewis has seen plenty of cornerback Darrelle Revis. Entering his 10th NFL season, Revis shut down Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco in Week 17 of the 2009 regular season as the Jets clinched a playoff berth, Then Revis had an INT against the Bengals the following week in a wild card win. Last season, Revis led the Jets with 9 takeaways.
"Darrelle has been an exceptional player since he came into the league, which I guess was 2007," Lewis said. "He's been so consistent, done such a great job and he's always fun to watch. He's a great lesson for young players to really try and mimic as a young cornerback. We've drafted a lot of young cornerbacks around here, and how he plays, his patience, his ability to work around the receiver, there are a lot of good things to learn from."
Organized ChaosTodd Bowles has installed a complex defense reliant on different looks and multiple sub-packages, which has been the focal point of Dalton's film sessions.
"The Jets are a versatile team, they do a lot with their blitz packages and different fronts, so there's a lot that you have to look at," he said. "Being the first game, you've got a whole season to watch so you see all of the different things that they did last year. You watch preseason and you try to get as prepared as you can for the stuff that they do."
Lewis echoed similar thoughts, highlighting the D-line.
"They are big physical guys, so you have to be consistent, you have to just put on your hard hat, strap it down and go to work," he said. "You know it's going to be an all-day sucker each and every time you go play them."
