New York Jets Defensive Struggles Can't Carry Over to Week 3
Last year, it was the New York Jets defense that carried the team when the offense struggled to move the ball. Through two games this year, the Jets defense has struggled as much as their sputtering offense, a shocking drop in form for a unit that overachieved a year ago.
Despite numerous injuries to the unit in 2019, Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was universally hailed for getting the most out of his group. The Jets finished No. 16 in total defense last year and Williams was able to turn safety Jamal Adams into an All-Pro, creating a maverick role for the talented defensive back.
This year, however, the Jets defense has had a hard time in getting off the field. Penalties in the first week was followed by poor execution last week. Now against a balanced offense led by a top-tier quarterback in Philip Rivers, the 0-2 Jets have to get together in a hurry or risk another punch to their collective mouth.
“We got to improve our tackling, we got to improve on third down. Second halves, you know, scoring has been outstanding, second half third downs, but we got to start faster, we’ve got to do a better job in the ballgame and minimize some of those explosive plays,” Williams said.
“But you know, we improved in some areas from Week 1 to Week 2 and now we’ve got to do another big jump this week.”
With the offense struggling to move the ball – their 277 yards of total offense last week against the San Francisco 49ers was their most of the season – the defense has not stepped up as they did a year ago.
The Jets are allowing 58.4 yards per game more than last season. And while they traded away Adams this offseason, they still have a good unit. One that should be competent and capable of stopping drives and getting off the field.
In completion percentage allowed, they are No. 30. Time of possession? No. 31. And they are a discouraging No. 24 in points per game, allowing an average of 29 points as they enter Week 3.
Typifying their performance, the Jets allowed an 80-yard end run by 49ers running back Raheem Mostert on the game’s first play in Week 2.
“That’s the first play of the game that we practiced about five or six times during the week, we said that would be the first play of the game,” Williams said. “We had three new guys right there at the point of attack and it was a learning lesson for them, but you know we got to set the force faster, we’ve got to cap it faster and we got to run and hit, and that guy can break it and as you see, you know, we had the two runs in a ballgame that were frustrating, but in the next 27 we’re 1.7 per carry, you know. 1.7 yards per carry on the (other) 27 runs and that’s how we’re supposed to play all of them. And you just can’t let one of them pop, and we did, but they learned from it and grew from it and have done very well since then.”
