At many points during the New York Jets’ 15-year playoff drought, it felt as if the defense was not the problem.

In fact, more often than not, the Jets’ defense has ranked in the top quarter of the NFL in terms of yards allowed. Over the last 15 seasons (2011-25), they have managed eight top-8 finishes in total defense:

  • 2024: 3rd
  • 2023: 3rd
  • 2022: 4th
  • 2019: 7th
  • 2015: 4th
  • 2014: 6th
  • 2012: 8th
  • 2011: 5th

Across this decade-and-a-half span, the Jets have allowed 338.1 yards per game, ranking eighth-best in the league. They place ahead of franchises like the Patriots (10th, 339.2), Eagles (12th, 341.4), and Rams (13th, 341.8).

But should we really use these numbers to claim the Jets have played better defense than perennial championship-contending franchises like New England, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles over the last 15 years?

Of course not.

That’s because “total defense” is a phony stat that tells us nothing about how well a team is truly playing defensively.

Yet, it is the stat that the Jets have long hung their hats on when it comes to touting their defensive excellence. From Rex Ryan’s later years to the “bend-but-don’t-break” Robert Saleh defense, the Jets have fielded plenty of defenses that excelled at preventing yards, only to continuously lose games regardless.

Of course, that has much to do with New York’s inept offense, but it’s also because the Jets have struggled mightily at the aspect of defense that can flip losses to wins: taking the ball away.

Over the same 15-year span in which they ranked eighth-best in total defense, the Jets placed 31st in takeaways, averaging barely over one per game (1.16). Only the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (1.13) fared worse over this span.

Neither team won a playoff game over these 30 combined seasons.

While the Jets’ offense deservedly draws most of the blame for the team’s playoff drought, the defense deserves plenty of flak for its ineptitude at forcing turnovers. The turnover margin determines most NFL games. The Jets’ last 15 seasons have shown that it doesn’t matter how good a team is at “bending but not breaking” if they can’t take the ball away.

Moving forward, the Jets organization needs to shift their defensive mindset. The primary goal shouldn’t be to limit yards. Rather, they need to focus on generating game-tilting plays.

So, how well have the Jets done in this regard during the 2026 offseason?

Will the 2026 Jets force takeaways?

The Jets’ turnover allergy reached its apex in 2025, when they finished with a league-low four. This ghastly performance shed a blaring limelight on the franchise’s main defensive issue over the last 15 years, prompting the front office to make it a priority in the offseason.

Starting in the secondary, the Jets have added plenty of players with a penchant for forcing turnovers. They began with All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has 21 interceptions, six forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries in his career.

Fitzpatrick’s interception production has declined in recent years, but that had much to do with a role shift, as he spent more time playing near the line of scrimmage. In New York, Fitzpatrick is expected to return to his roots as a deep safety, increasing his opportunities to pursue interceptions.

Free agent pickup Dane Belton, who will compete to start alongside Fitzpatrick, has a knack for finding the football. Despite starting just 22 of his 66 career games, Belton has racked up six interceptions, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.

The Jets also signed cornerback Nahshon Wright, who secured five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in his 2025 Pro Bowl campaign. It was an outlier for Wright, who had one combined INT/FF/FR in 33 career games before last season, but he set a high ceiling.

While it helps to have ball hawks in the back end, no team can force a plethora of turnovers without putting pressure on the quarterback.

This is where No. 2 overall pick David Bailey comes in. Bailey’s status as a proven, highly-developed speed rusher off the edge should make him an instant-impact player when it comes to producing the type of pressure that facilitates turnover-worthy throws.

On top of teeing up interceptions, Bailey projects as a player who could force plenty of fumbles.

Bailey forced 10 fumbles in 46 college games, including eight in 26 games over the last two seasons, a rate that would project to 5.2 forced fumbles in 17 games. With an explosive first step (4.50 forty, 129-inch broad jump) and good arm length (33.75 inches), Bailey is tailor-made to bend the corner and knock footballs out of the quarterback’s arm mid-throwing motion.

The exciting news for the Jets is that they have another edge rusher with a similar profile in Will McDonald. If McDonald can put everything together and become a three-down player, the Jets could have a turnover-forcing machine on both sides of their defensive line from series to series.

Moving forward, the Jets need to re-focus their defensive approach toward forcing as many turnovers as possible. If that costs them some yards, so be it. We’ve seen 15 years of the Jets doing a damn good job at limiting yards, and it got them nowhere.

It’s time to take the football away—and it seems like New York has the horses to do it.