C.J. Stroud seems to bring out the best in the New York Jets’ defense.
The difference this year, though, is that the Jets’ performance was more unusual.
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In 2023, the Jets stymied Stroud to the tune of a 10-for-23 stat line (43.5%), 91 passing yards, 4.0 yards per attempt, a 48.2% pressure rate, and a 54.2 passer rating. To add injury to insult, Stroud went down with a concussion and missed the next two games.
In 2024, the Jets’ defense doubled down, pushing Stroud to 11-for-30 (36.7%), 191 passing yards, 6.4 yards per attempt, a 55.6% pressure rate, and a 59.2 passer rating. His 36.7% completion percentage was the third-lowest by a quarterback in a game this year.
In both games, though, it was not the Jets’ pass rush alone that wreaked so much havoc. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Stroud’s time to pressure in each game was 2.87 — well longer than the league game-by-game average of 2.67 over the last two seasons. In other words, Stroud had a lot more time to throw than average before he was pressured.
That reveals something about the Jets’ coverage. Although no particular player’s coverage statistics stood out, Stroud could not find anywhere to throw, giving the pass rush time to get home.
Of course, you can blame this on the Texans’ injuries in their receiving corps. Nico Collins is still on injured reserve, and Stefon Diggs went down for the season with an ACL tear. That left 2023 third-round pick Tank Dell and pretty much a bunch of no-names in the receiving corps.
Still, the Jets’ defense won’t apologize for shutting down a lackluster cast of characters. Dell made noise in the game, too, catching six balls for 126 yards. However, Stroud’s 26.7% passing success rate was still a testament to the stout back seven.
Remember, the Jets are dealing with many injuries of their own. They are playing their third and fifth-string safeties. Isaiah Oliver converted to the position in the offseason, and Jalen Mills first joined the Jets’ practice squad on September 24.
The Jets’ run defense continued to scuffle. They allowed 187 rushing yards (38 over expected) and a 5.2 yards-per-carry average against Houston and missed 10 tackles in the run game. However, their stout pass defense allowed them to hold down the Texans’ offense.
This was the formula the Jets followed over the last two seasons. Their run defense was far more spotty than most fans remember even as it finished average in DVOA (11th in 2022, 14th in 2023). It’s certainly a bigger problem this year, but nonetheless, if the pass rush and coverage do their thing, they will keep opponents’ scoring down.
The Jets have done this at times during the season. Their pass rush and coverage fed off each other in the first Patriots game, the second half against Minnesota, and most of the Denver game. But too often, especially in recent weeks, the pass rush has gone silent even when the coverage is sound, and the coverage has let down the pass rush.
Perhaps the Jets’ pass rush turned a corner in this game. Quinnen Williams had a monster game, racking up eight pressures and 1.5 sacks against the Texans’ league-worst interior offensive line. He’s been far more active over the last four games after a rough start, posting at least five pressures in three of the four. Will McDonald (7 pressures) and Haason Reddick (8 pressures, 0.5 sacks) contributed heavily, as well.
The Jets won’t be able to sustain a 55.6% pressure rate, but they need better than the 30.8% they had in the loss against New England or 15.8% against Buffalo.
Ultimately, the Jets will need more games like this from their pass rush to have a chance of making a run. And they’ll need their coverage to bail out the pass rush at times, too. If one of those elements is not doing its job, the overall defense is in trouble because of the run defense problem.
But if they can build on this performance against the pass, the Jets will have a good chance to turn this season around.
