The New York Jets have given defensive coordinator Steve Wilks the axe. This decision follows a lackluster 48-20 onslaught against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. Wilks’ tenure with the team saw just 14 games. Their abrupt decision to move on from Staley now ranks as one of the shortest coaching stints in the franchise’s recent history. This move comes in the wake of one of the worst defensive seasons the Jets have ever seen.
The Jets’ defense has been a dumpster fire for most of this season, 30th in scoring and 28th in expected points added (EPA). They’ve come up with just two turnovers this year. With no interceptions recorded, they now share the longest streak without an interception in NFL history, tying the 2024 San Francisco 49ers at 14 games. If the team were to maintain its current average, they would finish the year having allowed 482 points, which would be their second-most ever.
Wilks inherited a roster that now boasts nine-game returning starters from last year’s stingy defense. Three key players—cornerback Sauce Gardner, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and nickelback Michael Carter II—were traded earlier this season, complicating his efforts to improve the unit.
Coach Aaron Glenn, who made the decision to fire Wilks late Sunday night, noted that he allowed Wilks to run his own system. He still voiced his frustration of no clear marked improvement on the defense a week later.
“Listen, I just thought that from last week going to this week, the improvement wasn’t there and I thought it was time to make a change,” – Aaron Glenn
The Jets have suffered through six straight seasons of double-digit losses, and this season is shaping up to be no exception. That defeat in Jacksonville ignited long-standing frustrations inside that organization. One key was how the Jaguars owned the game, scoring on eight of their first nine possessions. Glenn admitted the team’s frustration with the lack of defensive effort.
“They were pretty pissed off about the way the defense played,” – Glenn
To fill Wilks’ position for the remaining three games of the season, the Jets have appointed Chris Harris, a former NFL safety and current defensive backs coach. Neither will Glenn, who has pledged to closely assess Harris’ performance over these last three games before deciding how to proceed with the remainder of the team’s defensive alignment.
The jets are currently working through their defensive growing pains and they’re hungry to turn things around. We’re looking forward to seeing how, or if, Harris meets these challenges. The organization is hopeful this amendment will spark a reversal. Third, they are clamoring to end a tough season on a happier note.
Leave a Reply