Now that is how the Jets anticipated their protection to look.
Stifling towards the run.
Ferocious towards the go.
Not simply limiting the opposition, however shutting it down.
For the primary time this season, the protection carried out as much as expectations, holding the Patriots to a paltry 139 yards of offense whereas registering seven sacks and forcing a turnover in a 24-3 rout Thursday night time at MetLife Stadium.
The unit was overwhelmed by the 49ers in Week 1.
Six days later, it bent however didn’t break towards the Titans.
The one-sided victory over the Patriots was far more harking back to final yr’s protection that was solely held again by an anemic offense that couldn’t keep on the sector.
“Nice complementary soccer, clearly the offense possessing it, getting the two-score lead that we talked about throughout the week,” coach Robert Saleh mentioned Friday. “Then from there the D-line and the linebackers might tee off.”
It needs to be famous, nevertheless, they weren’t going through some form of offensive juggernaut within the Patriots.
New England was down two starters (left sort out Vederian Lowe and left guard Sidy Sow) on the offensive line, and its lack of playmakers at receiver enabled the Jets to blitz.
Nonetheless, the Patriots did rating 36 factors the primary two weeks of the season towards the Bengals and Seahawks, averaging 477.5 dashing yards and 4.7 yards per carry in these two contests.
Rhamondre Stevenson was a pressure in these video games.
Towards the Jets, he was a non-factor, held to 23 yards on six carries.
The Jets’ capability to utterly shut down the Patriots’ operating recreation was the largest optimistic on the defensive facet of the ball.
Keep in mind, the 49ers ran everywhere in the Jets and the Titans had success, too.
“To not say that it’s completely fastened as a result of there’s going to be video games the place issues pop open, however on the identical time, I do know our guys can cease the run,” Saleh mentioned. “It was useful for the offense to get us that two-score lead, to get them to steadiness out the place they needed to throw the soccer, however total our guys are relentless. … I believed we did very well towards the run towards Tennessee additionally, however it was good to see it towards a staff we knew was going to attempt to are available in right here and run the ball 30 instances.”
As well as, the Jets have been with out star center linebacker C.J. Mosley and this was the primary recreation they performed with out standout defensive finish Jermaine Johnson.
Mosley might return subsequent Sunday towards the Broncos as he works his means again from a bruised proper large toe damage, whereas Johnson is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
Will McDonald continued his early-season emergence, notching two sacks and 4 quarterback hits, whereas Jamien Sherwood carried out properly instead of Mosley, producing 4 solo tackles.
One main issue on this efficiency, as Saleh famous, was the Jets taking part in with a lead.
The protection was continuously on the sector for prolonged intervals final yr.
It not often had leads.
Not solely have been the Jets twenty ninth in scoring at 15.8 factors per recreation a yr in the past, they have been additionally twenty fifth in common time of possession at 25:02.
Within the win over the Patriots, the Jets managed the ball for an astounding 40:04.
The protection was contemporary, and it confirmed.
“[Having the lead] gave us a very totally different mentality and made it a unique ball recreation,” mentioned security Chuck Clark, extraordinarily lively all night time with seven tackles, a sack and a fumble restoration. “When the offense is conserving their drives alive, the opponent seems like they need to pressure it. It provides us confidence that we will simply go on the market and assault and be aggressive.”
