The New York Jets defense is looking to put an end to its historic drought of interceptions after finishing the 2023 season without a single takeaway of that kind. The team set an NFL low, surpassing the previous record of two interceptions by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018. Cornerback Brandon Stephens acknowledged the team's goal.
“I tell myself that even in my sleep, man,” Stephens said. “That’s definitely something we have to do in order to win games. You have to take the ball away to give yourself an advantage. That’s definitely the focus. How could it not be?”
The Jets' defensive struggles extended beyond interceptions in 2023, which was the first season under head coach Aaron Glenn. The team allowed the second-most points per game (29.6), fourth-most rushing yards (139.5), and eighth-most total yards (355.6). Overall, they registered only four total takeaways, the lowest in the league.
Despite the difficult season, Stephens expressed a desire to move forward. “This is a new season to prove myself, prove ourselves as a team, so we have to continue to work at it out there,” he stated.
To address these issues, the Jets have made several changes, bringing in veteran players DeMario Davis (linebacker), Nahshon Wright (cornerback), and Minkah Fitzpatrick (safety). Head coach Aaron Glenn will also take over play-calling duties for the defense.
Glenn described his defensive philosophy for the upcoming season, emphasizing physicality and disruption. "Schematically, I don’t know if I want to go too far into that, but I will say this: physical, violent, disruptive, and I say disruptive from a quarterback, disrupt the skill players, and disrupt the pocket," Glenn said. "I’m looking for guys that can do that. So, I guess if you can sum it all up, men that are highly disruptive."
New additions like Fitzpatrick, who has 21 career interceptions, and Wright, who recorded five interceptions last season with the Chicago Bears, bring proven ball-hawking ability. Rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds also joins the secondary, bringing a history of seven interceptions in three seasons at Indiana and James Madison.
“There’s only one way to work on interceptions and punching the ball out: It’s by doing it in practice,” Stephens explained. “Whether that’s in individual drills or team periods, just always being conscious of the ball, where it’s at. Capitalizing when the opportunities present themselves.”
Azareye’h Thomas, a second-year cornerback competing for a starting role, stressed the importance of maintaining defensive integrity while pursuing turnovers. "Of course that’s a big factor, but we’re not going out there not doing our job, so we can go get the ball,” Thomas said. “Everybody has to do their job, and everything will take care of itself.”
Thomas also highlighted the impact of forcing turnovers on the offense. “It’s very important,” Thomas said. “As a secondary, you take the ball away, you give your offense more chances to go score, and for us to go win.”
The team believes the current roster has the potential to significantly increase their turnover production in the upcoming season.