Jon Gruden Sees 'Aggressive' Jets Defense as a Headache for His Raiders

They may be 3-7, but the New York Jets are a solid team according to Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.

And while coach-speak about an opponent is nothing new around the NFL, Gruden did cite specifics about the Jets that clearly show he has a respect level for the talent that will face him this Sunday at the Meadowlands. Winners of two straight, Jets running back Le’Veon Bell said on Wednesday that the team has some momentum.

It poses a difficult problem for Gruden and the Raiders (6-4). The Jets clearly have confidence and are emerging as a team whose pieces are slowly, if somewhat painfully, coming together.

In recent weeks, second-year quarterback Sam Darnold has progressed, throwing for five touchdown passes combined over the past two games against just a single interception.

“They have a lot of good players, they put a lot of good players on that roster,” Gruden said on Wednesday about the Jets.

“Darnold is getting healthy and playing good. Defensively, they’re playing with confidence and a very, very aggressive style of play.”

Gruden cited the Jets defense as an area for concern, and rightly so as it is a match-up nightmare for his team. At one point, the Raiders head coach called safety Jamal Adams a “defensive back deluxe” for his performance over the past two weeks that includes a staggering five sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery plus a touchdown scored.

Last week in a 17-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Raiders allowed eight quarterback hits on Dereky Carr and three sacks. Given that the Jets have consistently brought pressure all season long, it is an area where the Raiders must be concerned given their struggles in Week 11 to protect Carr.

“It’s a very aggressive defense, let’s start there. They all can run, they all can hit and they all can tackle. They have a very aggressive scheme,” Gruden said.

“They’re not afraid to load the box with the BEAR defense, that’s Gregg Williams style. They keep their corners in run support and they’ll tackle you.”