Hard Facts Debunk Foolish Narrative Surrounding Jets Defense

[JetNation]

Facts are a funny thing, aren’t they?  The way they can walk in to a room and completely destroy a narrative without warning?  So here’s one that obliterates a regurgitated assumption regarding the 2022 Jets defense.

Whether the Jets were facing a starting quarterback or another team’s second or third signal caller in 2022, they were a stellar unit.

In fact, the Jets faced six backup quarterbacks in 2022.  In those games, they surrendered just sixteen points per game.  An impressive number, but it does come with what one might call a mental asterisk.  After all, who cares what you do against Skylar Thompson and Trevor Siemien?  What can you do against starting quarterbacks?

Points allowed per game by the @nyjets defense in 2022 when facing backup QBs:

16.1 PPG

When facing starting QBs:

19.9 PPG

When facing starting QBs with defense only on the field (minus ST TD's)

18.6 PPG

Difference of less than a FG.

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) May 10, 2023

Well, that depends on how you view points allowed.  If you just scan the box scores and compile the points scored by other teams, you’d find that when facing actual starting quarterbacks, the Jets defense allowed a whopping 20 points per game.  Over a full season that would rank 8th in the NFL.

However, if you take a more honest look and don’t penalize the defense for points allowed by the Jets special teams units, a group that allowed touchdowns on returns against the Patriots and Vikings, led by Mac Jones and Kirk Cousins respectively, the number of points per game with the actual defense on the field drops to 18.6 ppg.  Oddly enough, that’s the number the Jets defense finished at on the season vs all teams and special teams points included.  A top 10 number.

In fact, after allowing some big scoring plays in the season’s opening weeks due to poor communication in the secondary, the Jets allowed 24 points or more just once over the season’s final 15 games.  That run included games against the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, a rejuvenated Geno Smith and a red hot Trevor Lawrence.

So while the narrative of a team beating up on bad quarterbacks is a fun one for opposing fans, the reality tells a much different story.

The post Hard Facts Debunk Foolish Narrative Surrounding Jets Defense appeared first on JetNation.com (NY Jets Blog & Forum).

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[AFJF]

Kinda fed up with the "The Jets were only good because they beat up on backup QBs" crowd.

 

Played at a high level vs 1s and 2s.

[JETS SB]

Wow. Actually comprehensive.  

[freestater]

@Facts

[chirorob]

You know what else will really help the D this year?   Having an offense that doesn't lead the league in 3 and outs.

Imagine that pass rush when they actually have leads, and actually get some time off the field to rest, because the offense is moving the ball.

[Sperm Edwards]

3 minutes ago, freestater said:

@Facts

[the Claw]

I’m sorry, they just were absolutely overrated last year. 

[AFJF]

39 minutes ago, the Claw said:

I’m sorry, they just were absolutely overrated last year. 

I'm equally sorry, but the numbers tell a different story.

[slimjasi]

Was there a team that played josh Allen better than we did? 

[slimjasi]

41 minutes ago, the Claw said:

I’m sorry, they just were absolutely overrated last year. 

Ohhhhhhhhhh, they were absolutely overrated? That changes everything!! 

[the Claw]

Then they have this next season to prove it. Until then, I can’t back them based on last year. Besides the cbs, they are the biggest strength of the team.

[slimjasi]

2 minutes ago, the Claw said:

 Besides the cbs, they are the biggest strength of the team.

huh?

[the Claw]

Just now, slimjasi said:

huh?

You don’t agree that the cbs are the biggest strength of the team?

[Jet Nut]

8 minutes ago, the Claw said:

Then they have this next season to prove it. Until then, I can’t back them based on last year. Besides the cbs, they are the biggest strength of the team.

Teams change from year to year so what does that have to do with last year? 
And since you don’t buy into the numbers how will you decide if they’re better, worse or the same?

[Beerfish]

2022 takeaway stats:

New York Jets: 29th

Interceptions: 20th

Fumble Recoveries: 31st

- Game changing needless roughing the passer penalty negating a huge pick six vs a div rival.

- Awful drive extending offside penalty when the whole world knew the other team was just trying to draw the D offside.

- Awfully getting duped, selling out on a running play and letting a 4th string TE to score a huge late long td

The Jets have a good defense, unless they dramatically improve the above they are not going to sniff 'elite'.

[Larz]

3 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

Teams change from year to year si worse what does that have to do with last year? 
And since you don’t buy into the numbers how will you decide if they’re better, worse or the same?

If the jets win the Super Bowl, he’s going to say, “just one?”

[John Blaze]

7 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

2022 takeaway stats:

New York Jets: 29th

Interceptions: 20th

Fumble Recoveries: 31st

- Game changing needless roughing the passer penalty negating a huge pick six vs a div rival.

- Awful drive extending offside penalty when the whole world knew the other team was just trying to draw the D offside.

- Awfully getting duped, selling out on a running play and letting a 4th string TE to score a huge late long td

The Jets have a good defense, unless they dramatically improve the above they are not going to sniff 'elite'.

https://twitter.com/minakimes/status/1656353117364174848?t=p4NhnM-SyD_v9ljCjos0lg&s=19

[slimjasi]

11 minutes ago, the Claw said:

You don’t agree that the cbs are the biggest strength of the team?

I legit didn’t even know what the heck you were saying. As a stand alone comment, it was hard to know for sure what that sentence meant - hence, the question mark. 

[Larz]

1 minute ago, John Blaze said:

https://twitter.com/minakimes/status/1656353117364174848?t=p4NhnM-SyD_v9ljCjos0lg&s=19

Lol oh snap. 
 

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

They need to do fumble recovery drills. Couldn’t land on one all season. 

[Jet Nut]

19 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

2022 takeaway stats:

New York Jets: 29th

Interceptions: 20th

Fumble Recoveries: 31st

- Game changing needless roughing the passer penalty negating a huge pick six vs a div rival.

- Awful drive extending offside penalty when the whole world knew the other team was just trying to draw the D offside.

- Awfully getting duped, selling out on a running play and letting a 4th string TE to score a huge late long td

The Jets have a good defense, unless they dramatically improve the above they are not going to sniff 'elite'.

Really helps explain that they gave up under 20 points all season 

[the Claw]

20 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

Teams change from year to year so what does that have to do with last year? 
And since you don’t buy into the numbers how will you decide if they’re better, worse or the same?

Teams don’t completely reform each year though, otherwise what would numbers be good for anyway? I pay some attention to numbers, but mostly I just watch the games. The defense improved from Saleh’s first year to the second but are still overrated around here, imo. They cant seem to create turnovers and they had numerous key blunders that cost momentum and wins last year. I think they are a middle of the pack defense with excellent corners.

[the Claw]

20 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

I legit didn’t even know what the heck you were saying. As a stand alone comment, it was hard to know for sure what that sentence meant - hence, the question mark. 

Oh I see, yeah, it was a really bad sentence. I meant it as an afterthought. My bad

[Barry McCockinner]

30 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

2022 takeaway stats:

New York Jets: 29th

Interceptions: 20th

Fumble Recoveries: 31st

- Game changing needless roughing the passer penalty negating a huge pick six vs a div rival.

- Awful drive extending offside penalty when the whole world knew the other team was just trying to draw the D offside.

- Awfully getting duped, selling out on a running play and letting a 4th string TE to score a huge late long td

The Jets have a good defense, unless they dramatically improve the above they are not going to sniff 'elite'.

Fumble recoveries we will revert to the mean naturally. It's completely random.

Playing with a lead will likely lead to more INT's. Teams were able to play really conservative on offense against us last year a lot of the time because they knew our offense wasn't going to score much.

[Raideraholic]

4 minutes ago, the Claw said:

Teams don’t completely reform each year though, otherwise what would numbers be good for anyway? I pay some attention to numbers, but mostly I just watch the games. The defense improved from Saleh’s first year to the second but are still overrated around here, imo. They cant seem to create turnovers and they had numerous key blunders that cost momentum and wins last year. I think they are a middle of the pack defense with excellent corners.

I say their defense line is the best unit on defense . They have one great Cb sauce and the rest cbs can be beat.     We will find out just how good that Jet defense is this year, as they have no cupcakes on that schedule this year.

[AFJF]

45 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

2022 takeaway stats:

New York Jets: 29th

Interceptions: 20th

Fumble Recoveries: 31st

- Game changing needless roughing the passer penalty negating a huge pick six vs a div rival.

- Awful drive extending offside penalty when the whole world knew the other team was just trying to draw the D offside.

- Awfully getting duped, selling out on a running play and letting a 4th string TE to score a huge late long td

The Jets have a good defense, unless they dramatically improve the above they are not going to sniff 'elite'.

I don't think anyone said they were elite.  They just played at a high level vs top QBs.

 

Still need pieces before they hit elite. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by AFJF

[JoeNamathsFurCoat]

Championship defenses take the football away and even score TDs

Jets went like 100 games without forcing a turnover 

[the Claw]

28 minutes ago, Raideraholic said:

I say their defense line is the best unit on defense . They have one great Cb sauce and the rest cbs can be beat.     We will find out just how good that Jet defense is this year, as they have no cupcakes on that schedule this year.

I can see that, I just think the line is too vulnerable to the run. The cbs are all three solid players. Reed was great last year.

[Cyberjet]

The only glaring weakness of the Jets defense I recall via the ‘eye test’ was they were vulnerable to the screen pass 

[Cyberjet]

13 minutes ago, JoeNamathsFurCoat said:

Championship defenses take the football away and even score TDs

Jets went like 100 games without forcing a turnover 

We got Will ‘Jujitsu’ McDonald this year! 

[extmenace]

1 hour ago, AFJF said:

I'm equally sorry, but the numbers tell a different story.

The numbers won’t show how offenses decided to play the jets though. The jets have a good defense, but let’s not pretend that teams weren’t coming out conservative against us. Huge difference playing a team like the cheifs knowing you need to put up at least 30 and playing a team like the jets knowing that 17 would likely win the game….

[extmenace]

22 minutes ago, JoeNamathsFurCoat said:

Championship defenses take the football away and even score TDs

Jets went like 100 games without forcing a turnover 

Because offenses went conservative against us. There was no point in teams being aggressive when they knew the jets offense would punt the ball right back.

[FidelioJet]

7 minutes ago, extmenace said:

The numbers won’t show how offenses decided to play the jets though. The jets have a good defense, but let’s not pretend that teams weren’t coming out conservative against us. Huge difference playing a team like the cheifs knowing you need to put up at least 30 and playing a team like the jets knowing that 17 would likely win the game….

This is correct. But on the other side - It's also tells the story why the turnover numbers were so low.  It goes both ways.

Teams will score more on the Jets this year - I have little doubt about that - but I also suspect the Jets D will force more turnovers.

[extmenace]

4 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

This is correct. But on the other side - It's also tells the story why the turnover numbers were so low.  It goes both ways.

Teams will score more on the Jets this year - I have little doubt about that - but I also suspect the Jets D will force more turnovers.

Yep, I agree with you there. Defense is a little over rated, but not because of which qbs they played. I believe it would have still been a top 10ish unit but I couldn’t have been the only one watching the later parts of games and thinking to myself that the opposing teams aren’t even trying to score.

[FidelioJet]

19 minutes ago, extmenace said:

Yep, I agree with you there. Defense is a little over rated, but not because of which qbs they played. I believe it would have still been a top 10ish unit but I couldn’t have been the only one watching the later parts of games and thinking to myself that the opposing teams aren’t even trying to score.

I think you and I are in agreement here. 

The D is solid, but has holes.  And the awful Offense the Jets had absolutely played a role is the low scoring games.