Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram
Jet X Graphic, Getty Images

Which teams will be trouble for the revamped New York Jets offensive line?

13. Seattle Seahawks

Italicized players were added in the 2020 offseason.

If the Seahawks do not find a way to bring back Jadeveon Clowney, there is a decent chance that they field the worst defensive front in the NFL.

Seattle already had the league’s 26th-ranked run defense according to DVOA. Now, their three best run-stoppers on the defensive front are gone. Clowney may be the best run-stopping EDGE in the league. Defensive tackles Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods – off to Buffalo and Jacksonville, respectively – each ranked top-25 out of 100-plus qualifiers in Pro Football Focus’ run defense grade.

Bruce Irvin will likely be taking many of the snaps left behind by Clowney. Irvin was graded by PFF as the eighth-worst EDGE against the run in 2019.

It looks like the elite linebacker duo of Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright will have a lot of bailing out to do.

On the plus side, young Poona Ford – just 24 years old as he heads into his third season – provides a ray of hope for Seattle’s run defense. He ranked fourth among 64 qualified defensive tackles with a run stop rate of 10.5% in 2019 (23 stops on 219 snaps against the run).

Things are not peachier in the passing game. Seattle’s edge rushers ranked 31st in pressure rate (8.5%) among all EDGE units in the league while their interior defensive linemen ranked 26th (6.8%) among DL units. Each group’s leader in pressures – Clowney (48 pressures, T-32nd among EDGE) and Jefferson (39, T-17th among DT) – are now gone. The most productive pass rusher on the current roster in 2019 was Irvin, whose total of 36 pressures ranked 51st among edge defenders and 71st among all players.

With a defensive front light on talent and a crowd that will be much smaller than usual (if it is there at all), the Seahawks’ home-field advantage in 2020 will most likely be far less profound than the league has become accustomed to.

If the Jets’ rebuilt offensive line is the real deal, it should have no problem giving Sam Darnold a chance to shine in Seattle.


Jets X-Factor Membership
Sorry, the content stops here if you’re not a Jet X Member, not currently logged-in, or viewing from an outside source such as Google AMP or an RSS Feed where logged-in status is not possible.

Get Started with the button below to access this Jets X-Factor article and the best damn New York Jets content in the world for free (after becoming a member, search for this article near the bottom of the Membership Confirmation page):
Jets X-Factor Membership, Get Started
Log In with the button below if you’re already a member:
Jets X-Factor, Log In
Connect with the button below if you’d like to create a free account first:
Jets X-Factor, Register, Connect

Audio Version available to members only: Learn more here

Download Jet X Mobile on the App Store and Google Play.

Want More NY Jets News & Jets X-Factor Content?

Download the free Jet X Mobile App to get customizable notifications directly to your iOS (App Store) or Google/Android (Google Play) device.

Add Jets X-Factor to your Google News feed to stay up to date with the New York Jets.

Follow us on Twitter @jetsxfactor for all the latest New York Jets news, Facebook for even more, Instagram for some of the top NY Jets images, and YouTube for original Jets X-Factor videos.

Join the official Jets Discord community to connect with likeminded fans.

Michael Nania is one of the best analytical New York Jets minds in the world, combining his statistical expertise with game film to add proper context to the data. Nania scrapes every corner, ensuring you know all there is to know about everyone from the QB to the long snapper. Nania's Numbers, Nania's QB Grades, and Nania's All-22 give fans a deeper and more well-rounded dive into the Jets than anyone else can offer. Email: michael.nania[at]jetsxfactor.com - Twitter: @Michael_Nania
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments