The New York Jets' defense, which began the season ranked first in yards allowed through the first two games, has experienced a dramatic decline. This slump culminated in a recent loss to the Raiders, where the Jets became the third team in 45 years to allow their opponent to score on their first six possessions and still lose, according to ESPN.
The Jets' offense posted a rare 30-point performance, but the defense failed to contain the Raiders' Kirk Cousins and Brock Bowers, conceding four touchdowns, three of which occurred in the second half. Special teams also allowed a touchdown.
"Defensively, we got to do a way better job than what we did," Jets coach Aaron Glenn stated Monday. "But when you really look at this game, and see what it came down to, it was the third-down penalties that you can’t give any offense a second chance to get a drive on you, and those things happened to our defense."
Glenn specifically cited two third-quarter penalties. One involved Brandon Stephens being flagged for holding against Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in the end zone, extending a drive that led to a Raiders score. Later in the same quarter, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. was called for pass interference on third-and-10, another instance that allowed the Raiders to continue a drive ending in a touchdown.
Glenn indicated that addressing and correcting these critical penalties would be a focus for the team in the upcoming week, emphasizing the need to fix technique to avoid such situations.
Beyond the penalties, the Jets defense has struggled to force turnovers, going a second consecutive week without one. The team has recorded only one interception this season, and just one interception in the 25 games played under Glenn. Linebacker Demario Davis acknowledged the defense's responsibility in failing to create disruptive turnovers that could shift momentum.
The defense's statistical decline is further evident in yardage allowed. After holding their first two opponents under 200 yards, the Jets have surrendered over 300 yards in five of their last six games. They have also allowed 100 rushing yards in four of those contests.
Despite the Raiders' struggling run game, the Jets allowed Bowers to accumulate seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. The defense also had difficulty pressuring Cousins, who threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another. With only one sack and six hits on the quarterback, the Jets' pass rush failed to consistently disrupt Cousins, even with rookie edge rusher David Bailey sidelined.
"We’re not being consistent enough, I think, with disrupting the quarterback," Davis said. "That’s a big thing. When we’re disrupting the quarterback whether it’s hitting him, being in those passing windows, or forcing incomplete passes, we’re better."
Late-game defensive collapses have also become a pattern. In the closing minutes against the Raiders, the Jets allowed a nine-play drive culminating in a field goal, leaving their offense with insufficient time to mount a comeback. Similar long drives by opponents have sealed wins against the Jets in recent weeks.
The team also underperformed in situational football, with the Raiders converting 7-of-11 third downs and scoring touchdowns on all four of their red zone trips.
With challenging matchups against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, followed by Josh Allen and the Bills in the coming weeks, Glenn faces an urgent need to rectify the defense's performance.