Regardless of the document, the Jets may at all times depend on their protection to maintain them aggressive.
Nonetheless, that has not been the case to this point in 2025.
By means of two video games, the Jets’ protection ranks twenty third in yards and thirtieth in factors allowed.
“It is definitely frustrating for sure,” Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner mentioned. “Giving up [64] factors in two video games is loopy.
“So it is definitely frustrating and we gotta fix that for sure.”
Even with Aaron Glenn’s new teaching employees, together with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the Jets’ protection was supposed to assist carry the staff throughout potential rising pains this season. They returned eight starters on a unit that has completed within the prime 5 defensively the earlier three seasons.
Nonetheless, the Jets are giving up a median of 337 yards and 32 factors per recreation. That represents a drastic shift from the earlier three seasons beneath former coach Robert Saleh, together with the final 12 video games of 2024 with interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, throughout which the Jets allowed a median of 306.1 yards and 21.1 factors per recreation. Solely the Dolphins and the Bears have allowed extra factors per recreation this season.
The Jets are operating a unique defensive scheme than they did beneath the Saleh period. Glenn and Wilks are operating a blended scheme that features blitz pressures and a mix of man-to-man and zone protection. Within the earlier scheme beneath Saleh, the Jets used quite a lot of nickel formation that emphasised getting stress with their line of defense, whereas the secondary performed a zone-heavy scheme in hopes of complicated opposing offenses.
However this season, the Jets have typically overpursued ball carriers, missed tackles, dedicated penalties, and the protection at instances has been poor. The Jets had been anticipated to have a little bit of a studying curve due to the brand new scheme, however their protection is taking part in under its normal.
“Big ships turn slow,” Glenn mentioned. “Day by day we’re going to cut wooden to ensure we get it the best way we have to get it to, and I’m not anticipating this to be only a wholesale flip of occasions and we’ll be the primary protection within the league.
“But the thing that we’re going to do, we’re going to focus on those things we have to do to get better, and every day in practice we’re going to end up focusing on that.”
The speeding protection was additionally a problem in opposition to the Payments after giving up 224 yards, which is probably the most the Jets protection has allowed since 2021. The Jets rank twenty fourth in speeding yards allowed and have but to document a defensive takeaway.
“I don’t think anything in the first two weeks has been schematic,” Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks mentioned. “I believe I talked about this Day 1, like the basics, and to me, if you speak about pursuit, that’s fundamentals. We’ve obtained to guarantee that we’re chasing the close to hip, we will’t be following the identical coloration jersey, and that’s actually what occurred on the cutback landing run.
“And to be honest, looking at it on an evaluation from a coach perspective from the player, it should have never gotten out that we would execute the stunt that we ran up front. So those things that we know right now, as a lot of respect to the opponents, but a lot of what we’re seeing right now is self-inflicted, and those are the things that we have to correct.”
The duty for the Jets doesn’t get any simpler this week after they go to Tampa Bay in its residence opener on Sunday. The Buccaneers are usually not solely 2-0, however they’ve one of many stronger speeding assaults within the league.
Tampa Bay is ninth in speeding yards per recreation (135). So the stress will actually be on the Jets’ protection to include operating backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White.
Gang Inexperienced additionally hopes its protection can assist the offense with Tyrod Taylor beneath heart this week. He’s beginning instead of Justin Fields, who was dominated out on Wednesday and remains to be in concussion protocol after he was knocked out of Sunday’s loss in opposition to the Payments.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has had his share of battles in opposition to Glenn’s protection earlier than, when he was the Lions’ defensive coordinator for 3 seasons. So he expects the Jets to be aggressive in a essential recreation to keep away from a 0-3 begin.
“Obviously, Aaron being in Detroit, the way they’re coached overall under Dan Campbell and that philosophy of [having] a complete unit — physical, they play really, really hard,” Mayfield mentioned. “Their defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, is somebody I’ve been around in a couple of different places. They just fly around, do what they’re supposed to do, and do it at a high level.”
