The Jets found a formula in Week 5, and it started with a defense that swallowed up the Browns in a 17-12 win. That effort snapped New York’s three-game skid, and the big men up front had a lot to do with it.
One of the names making noise early is T'Vondre Sweat. Through five games, the tackle has been a sturdy presence in the middle of the line, and his work against the run has stood out even when it doesn’t jump off the stat sheet. He has 12 total tackles, one TFL and four pressures, but his real value comes from the way he ties up blockers and disrupts plays before they get rolling.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sweat has a 74.2 overall grade, which ranks 16th among 132 graded defensive linemen, along with a 65.9 run defense grade that sits 29th among 132 graded defensive linemen. He’s doing plenty of the heavy lifting that doesn’t always show up in the box score, but the effect is obvious: linemen get shoved backward, runners are forced to adjust behind the line, and his teammates get cleaner looks.
Sweat even flashed more than once against Chicago, nearly recording an interception that would have ended the Bears’ interception drought before a penalty wiped it away. And even at 366 pounds, he has shown enough movement to make his impact felt all over the front.
The other side of this move hasn’t looked nearly as sharp for Tennessee. Jermaine Johnson has mostly disappeared through the early part of the season, and the numbers haven’t helped his case. He has 14 total tackles, two TFLs, one QB hit and one sack, with a 68.0 overall grade from PFF, good for 46th among 106 edge defenders, and a 51.1 run defense grade that ranks 99th among 106 edge defenders.
Johnson is also leading all Titans edge rushers with 201 snaps, which makes the modest production even harder to ignore. He is in the final year of his rookie deal at $13.4 million and is looking for an extension, after believing he would get one under former Jets coach Robert Saleh.
Sweat, meanwhile, is under team control for the next two years and has already settled into a rotational role in New York’s defensive tackle group. He ranks third in total snaps among defensive tackles with 165, yet his impact has been every bit as noticeable as Johnson’s - maybe more so. For now, the early returns make this look like a clear win for Darren Mougey and the Jets.
In Other News...
Braelon Allen Just Made The Jets Backfield A Real Debate
Breece Halls new three-year, $43.75 million extension was supposed to make the Jets backfield feel settled, but a right quad injury quickly changed the conversation. With Hall sidelined, Braelon Allen has stepped into a much larger offensive role and given the staff something it did not necessarily have before: a legitimate reason to keep leaning on him. His recent work in Weeks 4 and 5 has been strong enough to turn a temporary fill-in into a real part of the plan.
The Jets had expected Hall to sit atop the depth chart once he got back, but Allens production has made the picture less tidy than it looked a month ago. The most likely result remains a committee approach, with both runners involved when Hall returns, which gives New York flexibility but also creates a debate the team probably did not want this early in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Wilson Is Giving Jets Fans A Serious WR1 Debate
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What makes the discussion around Wilson so interesting is how much of his value is showing up in the details. He is consistently squeezing more out of every target than most receivers do, whether the throw is clean or contested, and that kind of efficiency can change the way an offense feels week to week. For a team still searching for stability, Wilson is making a convincing case that the debate over who the Jets' true WR1 is may already be leaning in one direction. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Patrick Just Gave Jets Fans A Reason To Believe In This Offense
After the Jets recent win, Tim Patrick sounded like a receiver who can see what the box score does not. New Yorks offense has been fighting through injuries and uneven production through five weeks, but Patrick pointed to the talent in the room and the sense that the group is slowly getting healthier, with other players stepping up in the meantime.
Patricks optimism matters because it comes from inside a unit that still has plenty to prove. The Jets offensive rankings remain near the bottom, yet the mood around the building is not matching the numbers, and that internal confidence is starting to feel like a real part of the story as the team works its way back toward full strength. [Read more 🡒]