{"id":687652,"date":"2026-01-19T01:38:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T01:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/687652\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T01:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T01:38:21","slug":"jim-leonhards-smart-broncos-pass-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/687652\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Leonhard’s smart Broncos pass coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jim Leonhard\u2019s name invokes the very best of diehard New York Jets fandom. It\u2019s inarguable, really, and it\u2019s time for some Jets film room<\/a> to showcase that very sentiment\u2026<\/p>\n

Not only did Leonhard\u2019s status as a Jets safety coincide with the last time the organization enjoyed playoff success (2009-2011), but he\u2019s forever connected to one of the most popular head coaches in franchise history. Rex Ryan signed Leonhard the moment Woody Johnson tabbed him as Eric Mangini\u2019s replacement, and the safety helped lead the Jets\u2019 defense to top billing that season.<\/p>\n

The man who served as Rex\u2019s on-field extension helped lead the Jets\u2019 defense to the best unit in both yards and points allowed in 2009. Of course, the 2010 team, which finished 11-5 and also qualified for the AFC championship game, was forced to do it without Leonard\u2019s services \u2014 who hit IR in December \u2014 but the Wisconsin product\u2019s place in Jets history lives today. <\/p>\n

Naturally, when Jets fans hear Leonhard\u2019s name as a potential defensive coordinator<\/a> under head coach Aaron Glenn, thoughts of those Rexian glory days surface. Thus, thoughts of elaborate blitz schemes and quarterback pressure enter the mind,\u00a0much as Rex introduced himself to the NFL head coaching ranks in 2009. <\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s likely Leonhard would offer a similar playstyle if given the chance to call defensive plays, that\u2019s not how it would happen. These days, thanks to the quick-trigger nature of the passing game, the unique blitzes Ryan brought to the table are nearly obsolete. <\/p>\n

Anything with a delayed reaction from the second level (linebacker, defensive back) doesn\u2019t hit home in time. It\u2019s part of the reason why every NFL defense \u201cmugs\u201d gaps in passing situations; defensive coordinators have no choice but to \u201cshow\u201d blitz, if only to make the quarterback and offensive line think twice about fully committing to a specific pass protection. <\/p>\n

In Leonhard\u2019s case, it\u2019ll be impossible to know what type of play-caller he\u2019d be. As the Denver Broncos\u2019 defensive pass-game coordinator under Vance Joseph, there\u2019s no way of knowing. <\/p>\n

At the very least, however, we can get a feel for his mindset and overall defensive feel while breaking down the Broncos\u2019 pass coverage.<\/p>\n

Video breakdown<\/p>\n

The video breakdown below highlights the Denver Broncos\u2019 pass coverage across various situations. Take note of the overall discipline Jim Leonhard\u2019s group showcases against the pass.<\/p>\n

The opponents in the breakdown include the Buffalo Bills in this past weekend\u2019s divisional round, the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the New York Jets.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Member-only bonus breakdown<\/p>\n

The member-only content offers insight into some of Jim Leonhard\u2019s pass coverages, some of which tilt the field away from Patrick Surtain (similar to Darrelle Revis under Rex Ryan). Plus, one of the plays features an incredibly valuable coverage technique that disrupts the offense\u2019s timing.<\/p>\n

Sorry, this section of the page\/article contains premium content and requires a Jet X Membership.<\/p>\n

\"Jet<\/a><\/p>\n

Get Started<\/a> by checking out the Jet X Membership options, which include a 30-Day Free Trial, a Monthly Option, and a Yearly Option.<\/p>\n

Jet X Members receive unlocked access to all premium content on the site, a completely ad-free experience, and the ability to use Jet X Simulators.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jim Leonhard\u2019s name invokes the very best of diehard New York Jets fandom. It\u2019s inarguable, really, and it\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":687653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2051],"tags":[1585,258,198,7,3228,226,90259,1917,255,2321,2097,6,4403,14401,7823,13127,26061,57083,3234],"class_list":{"0":"post-687652","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-jets","8":"tag-aaron-glenn","9":"tag-denver-broncos","10":"tag-featured","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-free-content","13":"tag-jets","14":"tag-jim-leonhard","15":"tag-new-york","16":"tag-new-york-jets","17":"tag-newyork","18":"tag-newyorkjets","19":"tag-nfl","20":"tag-ny-jets-coaches","21":"tag-ny-jets-film","22":"tag-ny-jets-image","23":"tag-premium","24":"tag-rex-ryan","25":"tag-sabos-sessions","26":"tag-standard"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115919212114867344","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}