The New York Jets' defense has been in freefall this season, and the numbers don’t lie. With struggles across the board, head coach Aaron Glenn made a decisive move this week, parting ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and handing the reins to interim play-caller Chris Harris. It’s a bold shakeup, and frankly, it had to happen.
Let’s start with the stat that’s been haunting this unit all year: zero interceptions. That’s not a typo.
The Jets are the only team in the NFL without a single pick through 14 games. Every other defense in the league has at least five.
It’s a staggering figure in a league where even the worst secondaries manage to stumble into a turnover or two. But as rough as that number is, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The pass rush - or lack thereof - has been just as problematic. With only 22 sacks on the season, the Jets rank 31st in the league.
That’s not just a little off - it’s a major red flag. And it’s not just the raw sack total that’s concerning.
According to ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric, the Jets sit at 33%, good for 26th in the NFL. That means even when they’re not getting home, they’re not consistently winning their matchups up front.
For a defense that was expected to be a strength, those numbers are hard to stomach.
Week 15’s blowout loss to the Jaguars only underscored the issue. Defensive end Will McDonald IV managed four pressures and a quarterback hit, which sounds decent - until you look at the impact.
Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence was still effective on those plays, per TruMedia, and the pressure didn’t disrupt the flow of the game. Meanwhile, Jermaine Johnson was a ghost.
No pressures, no hits, no sacks - and he hasn’t registered a QB hit or sack since Week 11. Johnson’s trying to work his way back from last year’s Achilles injury, but the Jets need more than a work-in-progress at one of their most important positions.
Looking ahead, both McDonald and Johnson are under contract and will be part of the equation in 2026. But banking on a breakout from either can’t be the only plan. The Jets need reinforcements - and they need them badly.
That means general manager Joe Mougey has to make edge rush a priority this offseason. Whether it’s free agency or the draft, New York has to find players who can consistently collapse the pocket.
The urgency is even greater after the trade of Quinnen Williams, which leaves a major void in the middle of the defensive line. Interior pressure can be just as valuable as edge disruption, and right now, the Jets don’t have enough of either.
Bottom line: if the Jets want to turn things around in 2026, it starts with getting after the quarterback. No more waiting on potential.
No more hoping for development. It’s time to bring in proven disruptors and build a defense that can actually make life difficult for opposing offenses.
Because right now, the only thing the Jets are disrupting is their own season.