After a 27-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, the New York Jets stand as one of only three winless teams in the NFL at 0-4.
A major culprit behind the stumble has been the defense.
Expected to be the team’s strength entering the season, the unit has instead ranked among the league’s worst, significantly contributing to New York’s brutal start.
If the Jets hope to spark improvement and secure their first win, head coach Aaron Glenn must shake things up in the secondary.
At the top of that list: benching safety Tony Adams.
The NY Jets must bench Adams
Adams’ start to the season has been nothing short of embarrassing.
His 48.4 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus is the lowest among the team’s safeties and trails only cornerback Michael Carter II for worst among defensive starters.
Adams has fared no better against the run. He owns a 45.6 grade in run defense from PFF, one of the bottom marks among qualified safeties, and has missed more than 21% of his tackle attempts, an alarming rate for a starting safety.
In coverage this year, he has allowed receivers to gain an average of 15 yards when passes are thrown in his direction, the 15th-worst mark among 103 qualified safeties this season.
There is no justification for why Adams played every defensive snap for the Jets in Monday’s loss to Miami.
At this stage of his career, the former undrafted free agent has shown he is best suited as a depth option. Keeping him in the starting lineup offers neither upside nor stability for a defense that has been among the league’s most disappointing units.
Head coach Aaron Glenn, who has repeatedly preached accountability, would be wise to turn to rookie Malachi Moore. The fifth-round pick filled in for Adams in Week 3 while Adams managed a hip injury and flashed some promise, earning a 62.1 defensive grade from PFF along with a 79.0 tackling grade.
The Jets traded up to draft Moore for a reason. With New York sitting at 0-4, there is little justification for keeping Adams in a role he has struggled to fill.
Playing Moore not only aligns with Glenn’s message of accountability but could also provide a clear upgrade at a position that has hurt the team immensely to start the season.
“I think he did a pretty good job,” Glenn said of Moore’s Week 3 performance. “There’s always room for improvement, he’s a rookie & he made some rookie mistakes, but he’s gonna be a damn good player for us & I’m looking forward to the way he progresses as these weeks go by.”
For a defense desperate to find their footing before the season is entirely off the rails, there is a simple solution: sit Adams, play the rookie, and give the Jets their best chance to climb out of a horrendous 0-4 skid, finally.