Among the most prominent narratives surrounding the New York Jets in Week 1 was their pass rush without Haason Reddick. They failed miserably against a below-average offensive line.
Against the Titans, they have a chance to redeem themselves. In fact, if they don’t, it may be time to start panicking.
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The Titans have the perfect quarterback and the perfect offensive line to rack up pressures and sacks against. The question is if the Jets can take advantage of it.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Levis had the second-highest pressure rate of any quarterback in Week 1 (47.4%). This was despite an average blitz rate (23.7%, 16th). His time to pressure was the second-fastest (2.37). This suggests the offensive line was usually beaten quickly by four pass rushers.
Pro Football Focus grades indicate that the primary culprits were the Titans’ first-round picks from the last two seasons. Peter Skoronski, the left guard who was taken No. 11 overall in 2023, had the third-worst pressure rate among guards in Week 1 (12.8%). This was after a rookie season in which he posted a 6.1% pressure rate, ranking 54th out of 72 qualifiers.
Meanwhile, the No. 7 overall pick this year, left tackle JC Latham, had issues of his own. He allowed five total pressures, including a sack and two quarterback hits. Latham played only right tackle in college, so perhaps the switch to the left side was a big adjustment. Regardless, his 13.2% pressure rate ranked 60th out of 66 tackles.
These struggles dovetailed with a quarterback who has a penchant for taking sacks. Levis took 34 sacks on 331 dropbacks in his final season in college, a 10.1% sack rate that ranked fourth-worst among 121 passers (min. 200 dropbacks). His 37.8% pressure rate was 11th-worst. Quarterback pressure and sack rates tend to remain stable from college to the NFL regardless of pass protection, which means this is likely part of Levis’ MO.
Indeed, it has carried over to his first nine games in the NFL. Levis has been sacked 31 times on 330 dropbacks (9.4%), an eerily similar stat to his 2022 college season. From 2023-24, his 44.8% pressure rate is the second-worst among passers, trailing only Justin Fields.
In other words, Levis gets pressured a lot and he gets sacked a lot. If there is any quarterback the Jets should be able to harass, even with a compromised defensive line, it is Levis.
In Week 1, the Jets did not take advantage of a team with subpar pass-blocking. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Brock Purdy faced pressure on 28.1% of his dropbacks, ranked 11th-best among passers. His 3.17 time to pressure was the fourth-longest, meaning the Jets took a long time to get to him even when they did generate pressure. Players such as left guard Aaron Banks, center Jake Brendel, and right tackle Colton McKivitz far outperformed their 2023 numbers, combining to allow just four pressures.
Not a single Jets pass rusher performed up to standard. Jermaine Johnson was credited with three pressures on 28 pass rush snaps. His 11.5% rate would have been average last season, but it is hard to identify those pressures on the film. Quinnen Williams managed just two pressures on 26 snaps (7.7%).
Javon Kinlaw (9.1%), Will McDonald (11.1%), Micheal Clemons (15.3%), and Takk McKinley (10%) were like Johnson — they were credited for some pressures, but on film, it did not look like they actually made much of an impact.
The Jets need much better from their pass rushers in Week 2. The setup is there. Instead of facing Trent Williams at left tackle, Johnson faces a rookie who struggled mightily in his NFL debut. Quinnen Williams will undoubtedly face double teams in the middle, but Kinlaw must win his one-on-ones against Dillon Radunz (7.1% pressure rate in 2023).
Clemons, McDonald, McKinley, and the rest of the edge rushers will face Nicholas Petit-Frere, who has a 7.9% career pressure rate and barely played last year after starting as a rookie. If they can’t generate pressure against him, whom can they beat?
Perhaps the Jets can emerge victorious without a good pass rush. It’s not as if Levis looked good in Week 1 when kept clean, either; he averaged just 3.6 yards per attempt on 21 attempts with an average depth of target of 5.7. In 2023, Levis was one of the most turnover-prone passers in the league even when kept clean, posting a 4.1% turnover-worthy play rate (31st/33), albeit with an average depth of target of 10.1.
Still, winning this game is not enough. After a demoralizing loss to the 49ers, the Jets need a dominant showing against an inferior opponent. Most importantly, their defense must recapture its standard from the last two seasons. Stopping the run is a whole different ballgame, but the Jets cannot go another week without pressure from their front four.
This is the week to right the wrongs. If not, things could get out of control quickly for the all-or-nothing Jets.
