NY Jets’ overall defensive struggles hide silver lining

Despite the victory, this should not be described as anything besides a putrid effort from the Jets’ defense. The offense’s Herculean effort (along with Aaron Glenn’s savvy game management) saved the defense from the ire it would draw if New York’s comeback fell short.

While the overall defensive effort was abysmal, not every facet of the unit had a rough outing in Cincinnati. In fact, the Jets got surprisingly great results from the position group that seemed to be the most overmatched entering the game: their cornerbacks.

Jets’ cornerbacks shine in Cincinnati

With Sauce Gardner sidelined, the Jets seemed to be in for a rough time. Brandon Stephens and rookie cornerback Azareye’h Thomas would have to match up with the Bengals’ elite wide receiver duo, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, one week after they combined for 257 receiving yards against the Steelers on prime time.

The end result was 38 points, but Chase and Higgins did not play as large a role in that number as one would expect. New York’s cornerbacks actually held up quite well against the explosive tandem.

Joe Flacco threw 21 of his 34 passes to the star receiver duo, and the Jets typically responded well in those situations. Across 21 targets, Chase and Higgins combined for 13 receptions and just 135 yards, which is mediocre efficiency: 6.4 yards per target with a 61.9% catch rate.

Compare those numbers to the duo’s career averages in games where both were active: 151.4 yards per game, 8.8 yards per target, a 65.8% catch rate.

Most of their career numbers were accumulated with Joe Burrow at quarterback, but even over the previous two games with Flacco, Chase and Higgins combined to produce 206.5 yards per game, 7.8 yards per target, and a 69.8% catch rate.

Without Gardner, the Jets held the Chase-Higgins duo comfortably below their career marks. That’s a big deal.

Chase was targeted 19 times, but the Jets allowed him to produce only 91 yards with his mammoth volume of chances, which is a paltry 4.8 yards per target. That’s barely more efficient than the league-average handoff.

Meanwhile, Higgins only drew two targets on the afternoon. One of those was a 44-yard touchdown reception against Thomas, but that was Higgins’ lone reception of the game, and the duo’s lone highlight-reel play.

Each member of New York’s cornerback trio held their own.

Brandon Stephens continued his recent run of excellent play, allowing 3-of-6 passes in his direction to be completed for 14 yards and no first downs. All of those targets were from Chase (5) or Higgins (1).

Thomas was solid outside of the one costly hiccup. New York’s third-round pick allowed 3-of-5 passes into his coverage to be completed for 68 yards, one touchdown, and one first down, adding a pass breakup. Four of those targets were to Chase, who caught two for 24 yards and one first down.

Slot cornerback Jarvis Brownlee sustained his standout play since coming over from Tennessee. Flacco went 5-of-7 for just 32 yards and two first downs against Brownlee, who recorded two critical pass breakups in the fourth quarter (including the game-winner).

The final numbers allowed by New York’s cornerback trio: 11-of-18 (61.1%) for 114 yards (6.3 per attempt), one touchdown, three first downs, and three pass breakups. Considering the competition, that is nothing short of fantastic.

So, how was the defense that bad?

If your cornerbacks play this well and you still allow 38 points with no takeaways, it highlights how poorly the rest of your defense played.

The Jets were abysmal in every area outside of cornerback play.

While the cornerbacks were solid in coverage, Flacco had a lot of success targeting other players, especially linebacker Quincy Williams, who allowed 6-of-8 passing for 73 yards, a touchdown, and three first downs.

New York’s tackling issues reared their ugly head. The defense was tagged for 17 missed tackles, per PFF, including five from the safety duo of Andre Cisco (three) and Malachi Moore (two).

The pass rush was non-existent. New York only registered one sack, which was a coverage sack late in the fourth quarter, and there was no semblance of consistent pressure in the pocket. Flacco was pressured on just 19.4% of his dropbacks, and besides the one sack from Will McDonald, the Jets only hit him one other time.

It was a silent day from the Jets’ big three up front. Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, and Will McDonald combined for five pressures on 96 pass-rush snaps. Micheal Clemons led the team with four pressures.

The Jets’ brutal pass rush heightens the impressiveness of the cornerback trio’s performance. They were forced to hang tight for long periods of time and still managed to keep Chase and Higgins in check.

The biggest crime of all, though, was the Jets’ run defense.

On just 23 carries, the Bengals racked up 181 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Cincinnati’s 7.9 yards per rush attempt ranks as the fourth-best mark in Bengals history. It’s the 11th-worst mark allowed by the Jets in franchise history.

Earlier today, we broke down how this game was one of the Jets’ best offensive line performances in team history based on rushing yards and sacks allowed. Well, the opposite is also true: it is one of the team’s all-time worst defensive line performances based on those same metrics.

This is just the second time in franchise history that the Jets allowed at least 7.9 yards per rush attempt while recording fewer than two sacks. The only other instance was Week 9 of the 2021 season, when Robert Saleh’s young defense was smothered on prime time in Indianapolis.

The Jets’ terrible run-stopping performance is made even more embarrassing by the quality of the opponent. Entering Week 8, the Bengals were last in rushing yards per game (68.9) and 29th in yards per rush attempt (3.7).

Everyone in the front seven can share blame for this type of output. Linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood consistently allowed big plays through their gaps, and the defensive line was getting mauled off the ball.

This outing was so inept that it almost completely extinguishes the defense’s progress over the previous two weeks. The Jets let the worst rushing offense in the league have one of the best rushing performances ever allowed by the franchise. It hardly gets worse than that for an NFL defense.

Steve Wilks and the Jets’ defense should be appalled at the tape from this game—except for the cornerback play.

Cornerback position provides long-term hope for the Jets’ defense

New York clearly has a plethora of major defensive issues to work out. Still, the cornerback position’s progress is a critical building block for the organization’s future.

Gardner’s absence yielded the opportunity for the Jets to evaluate their other cornerbacks in a challenging situation, and they rose to the occasion. The best part for New York is that each player can be a part of the long-term solution.

Stephens, 27, is in the first year of the three-year, $36 million deal he signed this offseason. If he continues his level of play over the last five games, he will be worth every penny of that contract.

Thomas is just 21 years old after being selected in the third round of this year’s draft. His road to a starting spot on the outside will be blocked if Stephens continues playing this well, but depth is extremely valuable at a position where a poor backup can lose a game quicker than any other spot besides quarterback.

Brownlee, chosen in the seventh round by Tennessee just one year ago, is under contract through 2027 on his rookie deal. If he keeps up his recent production, general manager Darren Mougey will have nabbed a 24-year-old long-term starter on a $1 million salary, all for the measly price of a sixth-for-seventh swap in the 2026 draft. It could go down as Mougey’s greatest coup of his debut season.

Every other defensive position on the Jets’ roster remains in flux, but Jets fans should feel good about the direction of the cornerback position, especially considering all three contributors from Sunday’s victory were acquired by the new general manager.

If you’re searching for optimism surrounding the Jets and their young GM, look no further than the cornerback position.