NY Jets defense struggling, yet progress is evident in 2 key areas

The New York Jets’ defense has been a significant disappointment through the first three games of the 2025 season.

Under head coach Aaron Glenn and veteran play-caller Steve Wilks, the Jets have struggled with many of the same issues that have plagued the unit in recent years, most notably, missed tackles.

The Jets currently rank 28th in points allowed per game (31.0) and 22nd in yards allowed per game (340.3). After years of being among the top five in those categories, the Jets are searching for answers to get their defense back to the elite ranks.

Despite the struggle, Glenn made it clear that the unit continues to improve in two key categories.

The NY Jets defense is turning a significant page

Regardless of how the defense plays overall, games can be won on a weekly basis if the unit thrives on third down and in the red zone.

While the Jets aren’t perfect in either metric, Glenn is seeing significant improvements in both areas.

“I think third down, we’re in the top 10 in third down, we’re in the top 15, I think, in redzone, so there’s improvement that’s going exactly how we need to go,” Glenn detailed. “We just got to continue to trend in that direction, and every week, that’s what I look for.”

Officially, the Jets are ninth-best on third down (35.1% conversion rate) and 11th-best in the red zone (50% touchdown rate). Both numbers have improved drastically over the last two weeks after allowing Pittsburgh to convert 50% of third downs and go 3-for-3 in the red zone in Week 1.

In addition, Glenn believes the Jets are communicating better on defense.

“There’s a number of things that I’m encouraged by when it comes to how we’re doing on defense,” Glenn said. “The one thing I think our guys do a really good job of is really understanding exactly where we are and how we need to respond to certain situations.”

The numbers are what they are. New York has been trying to marry Glenn’s man-coverage defensive philosophy with Wilks’ zone-heavy philosophy. That has led to some confusion and breakdowns in coverage. As each week passes, though, the coaches insist that communication and cohesiveness are improving.

The Jets must translate Glenn’s words into results on the scoreboard, but the foundation is in place. If the team builds on its third down and red zone defense, the group will be much better as the season progresses.

Monday night’s contest against a struggling Miami Dolphins offense will serve as a pivotal test to see if the defense is truly turning a corner.