The Broncos won’t have veteran safety Kareem Jackson for the next two games, due to his latest illegal hit, a blow to the head/neck area of Packers tight end Luke Musgrave while he was in a defenseless posture.
On Thursday, Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was asked about the challenge of coaching players in a way that minimizes penalties.
“You coach it by lowering the pad level, keep the head out of contact, and don’t hit their head or neck area,” Joseph said. “That’s been coached for a long time. For the last, I would say, 10 years, we’ve coached that differently, but it still happens because guys catch the ball, and they are falling. You’re going in to hit his shoulder and he’s falling and now the neck is involved. It’s an ongoing discussion. I feel bad that [Jackson] is involved in this because he loves to play and loves his teammates, and we need him. He is trying to comply with the rules, he is.”
The Broncos will now have to adjust to not having Jackson for the next two games, after his suspension was reduced on appeal from four games.
“He’s a starter, and he’s a veteran starter who is very wise,” Joseph said. “Not having Kareem is not good for our defense, but we have young guys who we believe in and have played good football for us. Moving forward, that’s who we are playing with for a while. I have confidence in those guys, so no worries.”
It would still be better to have Jackson, especially with the Chiefs coming to town on Sunday. When he returns for the Week 11 game against the Vikings, he’ll have a chance to adjust his strike zone in the hopes of avoiding further punishment.