Woody’s Comments Overshadow Vastly Improved Jets Defense

When New York Jets owner Woody Johnson met with the media at the league’s annual owners meeting and put Justin Fields in his crosshairs, the comments weren’t only unexpected, but poorly timed.  Of course Johnson rarely speaks to the press so he’s free to say what he likes about the team he owns, but the comments became a dominant story, perhaps distracting some from some very real progress that the Jets have made on defense.

After giving up a whopping 26 points per game over the first five contests of the season, Gang Green’s defense has allowed just 13 points in each of their past two matchups.  One of which came against a Denver Broncos team that put up 33 points against a good Giants defense this past Sunday.

Because the Jets playoff drought is about to hit fifteen years and the team is the last winless team in the NFL, it’s hard to take a step back to find any positives, so we’re going to do it for you.

Make no mistake; this is not to excuse the many poor decisions made up and down the Jets chain of command in recent months, but merely an opportunity for you to take take a ten minute break from being angry about this team’s very existence.  There has been some good…and here it is.

DT Quinnen Williams: Fantasy football fans are upset about Williams’ lack of sacks, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been a monster up front this season.  Williams was lauded multiple times last week against the Panthers for making several key plays up front.  If you watched Williams, you weren’t surprised to see him grade out as the top Jets player per PFF at 84.7.  Williams also leads all NFL DT’s with 24 stops to go along with 14 pressures, a sack and a pair of forced fumbles.  Williams may become trade bait in the coming weeks, but if he sticks around, he gives the Jets an elite defender who is still just 27-years-old.

CB Sauce Gardner: Because of the impossibly high standard Gardner set for himself by being a two-time all-pro, fans give him flack for merely being a top-tier starter.  Gardner has allowed more than 40 yards through the air just twice in seven games and hasn’t allowed a single catch in two weeks.

CB Brandon Stephens: Because Stephens was so poor in week 1, it seems some fans are unwilling to look at what he’s managed to do since then, where his improvement has been dramatic.  Since allowing sixty yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air in week 1, Stephens has held all opposing receivers under 35 yards and only 1 score.

DE Jermaine Johnson: The subject of constant trade rumors of late, Johnson took to twitter to let fans know that he’s not going anywhere, sharing the always popular Wolf of Wallstreet in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character says repeatedly that’s he’s erm…”not going anywhere”.  Johnson’s return to the lineup two weeks ago was immediately apparent as the tone-setting defensive end made multiple impact plays.

DT Jowon Briggs: Perhaps Darren Mougey’s best move as GM, the Jets trade for Jowon Briggs has been a boon.  Added in exchange for a late day 3 pick, Briggs has been stellar up front and looks to be a future starter, or at the very least a high-level rotational DT.  It shows up on film every week, and PFF has Briggs graded as the team’s third-best defender at 77.6 overall.

S Malachi Moore: Moore seemed to be the consensus best “value” pick for the Jets following the draft and that’s how things appear to be shaping up.  Many believed that Moore would take over the starting safety job sooner rather than later, and now he’s managed to do it.  It’s no coincidence that as Moore took over as a starter for Tony Adams two weeks ago, the defense has improved significantly.  It appears the Jets did indeed find a long-term starter in the fourth round.

LB Quincy Williams: While Williams has been out for most of the season, he was off to a great start in the Jets new scheme before landing on short-term IR.  He gives the Jets another All-Pro defender with no downside.  He’ll either ink a new deal and hang around for a few more years, or get dealt before the deadline to give the Jets more draft capital.

And for a bit of balance, let’s give credit where it’s due on offense.  The group has been held back by putrid quarterback play, but that doesn’t mean all 11 guys are coming up short.

The O-Line: The Jets can’t score any points right now, but don’t blame the offensive line.  Because Justin Fields has been one of the worst passers in the NFL this season, teams are able to load up against the run while the passing game shuts itself down.  Fields continues to hold on to the football for far too long while missing the chance to make plays when the opportunity presents itself.  With a more competent QB, the Jets offense would be performing far better behind a good offensive line.

Garrett Wilson: The only true threat at wide receiver, Wilson has 1,500 yard potential but won’t hit that mark until he plays with a quality NFL starter he loads him up on targets.

TE Mason Taylor: Evaluating the play of any pass catchers playing with Justin Fields isn’t easy, but Taylor looks to be the real deal.  Having failed for years to find a credible threat at tight end, Taylor has posted a pair of games with 60 yards receiving despite playing in a largely dysfunctional offense.

RB Breece Hall: As mind boggling as it may seem, Hall is being underutilized yet again despite the change in coaching staffs.  Hall is still a very talented player who will likely move on and shine elsewhere at some point, but until then he remains an option for the Jets if they ever decide to maximize his potential.

There are other players who have flashed, but in a far more limited capacity.  Rookie defenders Franciso Maugoa and Azareye’h Thomas have made their presence felt at times.  We also shouldn’t allow Arian Smith’s lack of production to suggest his speed won’t translate at the pro level.  The receiver has managed to get open deep down the field multiple times, but the QB play has failed to make it matter up to this point.

Things are bad, Jets fans.  There’s no getting around that.  The film tells us that.  The 0-7 record repeats it.  But that isn’t to say things can’t turn around in a hurry if (and yes, this continues to be the world’s biggest if) the Jets get it right at QB come draft time.