WATCH: Analytics verify C.J. Mosley is undisputed glue for Jets defense
Le’Veon Bell grabbed all the headlines this offseason when he decided to take his talents to the Big Apple.
However, middle linebacker C.J. Mosley has arguably been the more impactful free-agent signing the New York Jets made this offseason and the team’s inexplicable 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills provides us with a perfect example.
The four-time Pro Bowler was at his very best against the Bills in Week 1, logging six tackles (four solo), an interception returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovery in a little under three quarters of play.
Unfortunately, the Jets would lose their defensive captain to a groin injury late in the third and the stop unit absolutely fell apart throughout the remainder of the game.
The Jets played the final 19:04 without Mosley calling signals and their stop unit looked completely lost without him. Up until that point, New York held Buffalo to just 195 yards of total offense through the first 40 minutes and as soon as he left, the defense allowed a whopping 175 yards of total offense.
“We didn’t handle the fact that we lost our middle linebacker very well,” Jets coach Adam Gase said the day following New York’s Week 1 loss. “That’s something we addressed today. We can’t lose our mind. It’s easier said than done, but that’s our job.”
| Split | Period of Time | Number of Plays | Total Yards | Yards Per Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mosley On-Field | 40:56 | 42 | 200 | 4.8 |
Mosley Off-Field | 19:04 | 21 | 170 | 8.1 |
Total | 60:00 | 63 | 370 | 5.9 |
While you’d expect New York’s performance to slip a bit after losing Mosley for the remainder of the game, the fact that they allowed Buffalo to almost double their total yardage on the day in under half the time the four-time Pro Bowler was on the field is incredibly concerning.
What’s even worse, however, is that the Mosley-less defense made Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen look like Tom Brady over the final third of Sunday’s game.
After being held to a 45.7 passer rating through the first 40 minutes, the sophomore signal-caller absolutely teed off without Mosley calling the defense, recording a 131.6 passer rating while he led the Bills on the three straight scoring drives that ultimately decided the game.
| Split | Period of Time | Completions | Attempts | Yards Passing | Yards Per Attempt | Passing Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mosley On-Field | 40:56 | 16 | 26 | 152 | 5.8 | 0 | 2 | 45.7 |
Mosley Off-Field | 19:04 | 8 | 11 | 102 | 9.2 | 1 | 0 | 131.6 |
Total | 60:00 | 24 | 37 | 254 | 6.9 | 1 | 2 | 71.2 |
Mosley’s adjustments on the afternoon did a great job of masking New York’s weaknesses on defense and without him calling the shots, things could get really ugly against Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns Monday night.
Gase hasn’t provided a clear update on Mosley’s condition this week, but the fact that he’s already missed two practices this week could be a subtle hint that he won’t be available against the Browns.
However, Gase said on Friday that Mosley is "progressing" and he shouldn't be counted out. That's encouraging because if there’s even the slightest chance that he’ll be healthy enough to play to some extent Monday night, it’s absolutely vital that he suits up.
I think we can all agree that, based on the above, a limited Mosley is better than no Mosley at all.
