can jets improve on No. 4 ranked defense this season ? ? ?

[kelly]

— In their second year running Todd Bowles’ and Kacy Rodgers’ defensive schemes, the Jets expect to make a leap.

How high?

“Sky’s the limit,” free safety Marcus Gilchrist said Wednesday after the Jets checked in for the start of training camp.From a statistical standpoint, improving on last year’s defensive success won’t be easy. The Jets went 10-6 and narrowly missed the playoffs behind a defense that ranked fourth in the NFL allowing 318.6 yards per game. The Jets were even better stopping the run, ranking second at 83.4 yards per game.

They were ninth with 19.6 points allowed.

“I think we got a lot of the core guys back from last year, and [we’ll] try and build off what we did last year,” Gilchrist said. “We understand that it’s a new year, a new team, a new schedule, but I think we did some good things last year and we’re just trying to progress and build off what we did.”

Losing nose tackle Damon Harrison to the Giants could hurt the Jets against the run. But the defense received a boost two weeks ago when Muhammad Wilkerson and the Jets agreed on a five-year contract worth up to $86 million.“I love playing behind Mo,” linebacker Erin Henderson said. “He does a great job for our defense and for our defensive line. He does a good job keeping me clean, allowing me to make plays, so I look forward to him getting back out there.”

“It was well-deserved,” linebacker David Harris said of Wilkerson’s contract. “He’s been a stalwart for this defense and this team for the five years he’s been here. You want to see a guy like that be compensated. Everybody’s happy that he’s here, and I’m pretty sure he’s happy all that’s in the past and he can get back to football.”

The Jets’ first-round pick, linebacker Darron Lee, reached a contract agreement with the team on Wednesday.“He’s a guy who’s always asking questions, wide-eyed,” Harris said. “He’s alert in meetings. He’s trying to get everything down as fast as he can because there’s a lot of expectations on him because he is a first-round pick. He knows that.”

Though there have been some changes to the defensive personnel -- Steve McLendon is expected to be Harrison’s replacement -- there are plenty of returnees. That, Harris said, will help the Jets take the next step as they begin their second season under Bowles.“Guys know what to expect,” Harris said. “They know what type of person he is, what type of coach he is and the way he runs things around here.”

> http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/can-jets-improve-on-no-4-ranked-defense-this-season-1.12099675

[Fibonacci]

This year schedule is tougher than last year. We will play 5 games against Superbowl winning QB's in Brady,Russel Wilson, Rapist, Joe Flacco and we will have above average QB's like Luck, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer etc. 

For a lot of reasons, this season will be telling. It will tell us about Bowles, it will tell us about some young pieces in defense. Can't wait. Playoffs or no playoffs, this season will be fun. We have an above average defense and above average offense. Let's surprise the world and win the division. 

[BigRy56]

Without a doubt we can. We have cut some dead weight in Cromartie and Davis/Pace and gotten much faster and more athletic along all defensive fronts.

Let's go!

[Ken Schroy]

I'm counting us being better overall, and better against the pass.

[nyjunc]

we weren't as good as our ranking last year, I expect we will be much better on D but I have no idea what the ranking will be.

[LIJetsFan]

An upgrade at ST (hopefully) will enable both the O and D to be more productive, i.e. field position, momentum, fighting spirit, et al.  Year two will be a definite improvement over a better than expected year one.          

[Smashmouth]

Todd Bowles Defensive strategy is to blitz and blitz often. In this respect his Defense was a bit handcuffed last year with little to no speed at LB until Mauldin started getting more reps. Now we have added 2 fast LB's that Bowles will insert all over the field and I think that will be the biggest factor toward us becoming an elite defense. If these two guys (Lee Jenkins) turn out to be real football guys rather than Combine speedsters our LB corp will improve by a large margin as will our sack totals and QB pressures. I feel Pryor is also about to break out and turn into an elite safety in the box and apply a lot of pressure to disrupt offenses.

Of course you need a little luck and for all these players to work out, but getting to the QB will take some of the  pressure off our Corners and allow a guy like Revis the ability to work in a small window like he did in 09 and 10 when we were getting pressure very quickly allowing Revis to maximize his talents. Revis works insanely good in that 15 to 20 yard box and makes it extremely difficult on receivers and QB's, if he has any weakness at all its when plays are extended especially at this stage in his career. With that being said Skrine and the other 3 corners ( Williams,Milliner,McDougale) trying for a starting spot will benefit from this scheme as well. Of those 3 corners I would like to see Williams not because of his coverage skills but because of his aggressive style and his propensity to create tuenovers. if we have a good enough Pass rush Williams will become that much better IMO and is probably better at intercepting the ball than the other 3 competing for the job that puts Skrine in the slot/nickel where he belongs.

IMO this team has the talent to be the best defense in the NFL this year, if they stay healthy, that along with an offense that can control the clock and not turn over the football can = only one thing and that's SB contention.

Yes our first 6 games are tough but keep in mind we are just as good a football team as any of those teams if we can come out of that rough patch at 3-3 or 4-2 watch out. Its also about the match ups I think we match up well against those teams. I can't wait for this season to start lets just hope some of the luck that you need to win a SB finally comes our way

[Integrity28]

3 hours ago, nyjunc said:

we weren't as good as our ranking last year, I expect we will be much better on D but I have no idea what the ranking will be.

I actually agree with this.

The defensive personnel changes were good, imo.

If the offense can avoid those 1-2 quarter spells where they just keep putting the D back out there, that'll be a HUGE difference maker. I hope this is where Forte and more pass catchers behind Decker/Marshall comes into play.

[Jetster]

Like others have said, this Jet defense has been the victim of horrific special teams play. You look at teams with elite special teams play like Seattle & that helps your team tremendously. 

Put yourself in the opposing fans shoes when they play the Jets. We've all been there when we f*ck up on specials & the offense is always starting DEEP in their own territory. You watch with your hands over your eyes peeking through your fingers on 3rd & longs on your own 12 yard line. If our offense can 1- move the ball. Even if it's just flipping the field a bit & 2- our new punter & gunners can keep opposing teams pinned deep, it wears on the opposing offense to NOT MAKE A MISTAKE, instead of playing with confidence or reckless abandon. 

Chans gonna let Fitz push it more if we're fielding punts between our own 30 to the 50 yard line. We have the skill players to press opposing defenses & wear them down a bit.

[jgb]

I'm just glad the "never bend but break" defense of the Rex error is gone. Can't count the number of times that defense gassed out and gave up a backbreaker in the 4th quarter. Wanted to hulk smash TV when at the post-game presser Rex would brag about holding their top guy to 30 yards.

[kelly]

The Jets’ defense was formidable in 2015.

That group finished fourth in the NFL in overall defense, second against the run and had 30 takeaways, third most in the NFL.

The 2016 version might be even better.

The Jets’ defense looks ferocious on paper and has lived up to its billing during the first four days of training camp. This group looks much faster than last year’s and has already forced 19 turnovers in just four practices in team and 7-on-7 drills. This unit has done it without some of its biggest stars, too. Darrelle Revis (wrist) and Muhammad Wilkerson (leg) have not practiced at all. Sheldon Richardson has missed the last three days for the birth of his child.

When this group gets together, watch out.

“We just want to take what we did last year and carry it over into this year and just get better,” cornerback Buster Skrine said. “You can tell people are a lot more comfortable in the second year in the system. We want to build off of that.”Skrine said the key for the Jets this year is eliminating mental errors, or “MEs” as they call them in practice and limiting explosive plays. Last year, the Jets gave up 59 passes of 20 yards or more, the fourth most in the league.

“A lot of times we would hold a team and then give up an explosive [play],” Skrine said.

The strength of the Jets’ defense remains up front. Wilkerson and Richardson have both been Pro Bowlers. Leonard Williams appears poised for a breakout season in his second year. Williams has been in the offensive backfield since camp started. The 302-pounder looks faster and more confident this year.“He was dominant last year,” Skrine said. “He can only get better in his second year. It’s not like he’s a quarterback who could have a sophomore slump. Leo works every day. That’s one thing I’ve noticed about him. He’s so mature for being that young. I think he’s going to have a great year.”

The back end benefits when the front end is rolling.

“Our front end is great,” Skrine said. “It makes the quarterback make bad decisions or get the ball off early. It’s a team sport. If the front end is not good, more than likely the back end won’t be good because the quarterback will get perfect throws. Our front is so good, a lot of the times the quarterback is rushing his throw.”This year’s secondary looks a lot like last year’s. Only Antonio Cromartie is gone, with Skrine, Marcus Williams and Dee Milliner fighting for that spot. Revis is back, and I think he will be playing with a chip on his shoulder after hearing critics dissecting his 2015 season and questioning if he took a step backward.

Safety Marcus Gilchrist may have been the most underrated Jet last year, serving as an extension of coach Todd Bowles on the field. Fellow safety Calvin Pryor made a big leap in 2015 and could make a Pro Bowl push this year if the makes another.“I definitely think we have some good pieces on this defense,” Pryor said. “The more we play together, the more we love the scheme, I think we’ll be well off. We have guys who are flying around. It’s fun.”

The linebacking corps is where you really see the jump in speed. David Harris remains the leader in the middle but gone are Calvin Pace, Demario Davis and Quinton Coples. Rookies Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins have given the defense an infusion of youth along with second-year linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin.“We picked up [Darron] Lee, a linebacker that can run 4.4,” Skrine said. “Our other rookie [Jenkins] from Georgia, he plays fast. I don’t think he ran a fast 40, but if you watch him play, he plays fast. I definitely think we got faster.”

The tests come fast for this defense. The Jets face six teams that finished within the top 15 on offense in their first seven games.That opening stretch is viewed as the Jets’ biggest problem this season, but this defense might have something to say about that.

>    http://nypost.com/2016/07/31/jets-defense-isnt-even-whole-and-its-already-terrifying/

[kelly]

JETS' DEFENSE HAS ITS WEAKNESSES

In Todd Bowles' first season, Gang Green was downright dominant against opposing wide receivers, but running backs and tight ends gave them more trouble.

 

> http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets