The New York Jets finished with a flurry in the second half of the 2019 NFL season under first-year head coach Adam Gase. The team won six of its last eight games, finishing 7-9 and two games short of a postseason berth.
Gase, who joined the Gang Green franchise in the offseason from AFC East division rival Miami Dolphins, had issues incorporating newly-signed running back Le'Veon Bell and saw then-second-year quarterback Sam Darnold go down with mononucleosis, missing three games early in the campaign.
One of the worst issues for the Jets, though, that still needs to be addressed is their flimsy pass rush.
The pass rush has a lot to be desired
The Jets finished with the 23rd-ranked number of sacks in the NFL in 2019, 35 total across 16 games. Linebacker Jordan Jenkins, who re-signed this offseason, led the team with eight in 14 games while star defensive back Jamal Adams, the face of rumors swirling about his dissatisfaction with the lack of a contract extension, recorded 6.5. Both players led the defense with 13 quarterback hits each.
Meanwhile, despite a consistent, playmaking pass-rush attack, the Jets' defense was quite good in 2019 (in part thanks to Adams). New York gave up the seventh-least number of total yards to opposing offenses, while ranking in middle of the pack in passing yards allowed and second-best in rushing yards given up. With all of the adjustments on offense this offseason, notably selecting two offensive players in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, it's resulted in the defense being a work in progress and just a few pieces away from truly dominant.
It's evident that, unless one player stands up in a big way, the Jets are not going to see their pass rushing improve greatly in 2020. This hampers the development of Darnold due to losing the time of possession battle, weakening the defense that has to stay on the field longer.
The only pass-rushing player the Jets selected in the NFL Draft in April was Florida's Jabari Zuniga in the third round; in free agency, New York inked ex-Ravens linebacker and former undrafted player Patrick Onwuasor.
Maybe looking at the big picture clouded our judgment, though, as the Jets get back one key piece of the defense that missed nearly the entire 2019 season in C.J. Mosley. Mosley, a 28-year-old four-time Pro Bowler and another former Ravens linebacker, only appeared in two games in his debut season with Gang Green last year. A nagging groin injury prevented Mosley's appearance in the middle of the Jets' defense all year. His debut game saw him score on a pick-six against the Buffalo Bills and recover another fumble to go with six combined tackles.
But beyond Mosley (who is a better linebacker in coverage than pass rusher), the Jets' pass rush is very thin and should present itself as another clear problem going into 2020. It's an issue that stops New York's defense at good instead of great.
Follow Us
Subscribe