The New York Jets suffered an all too familiar heartbreak on Sunday, losing a 29-27 contest to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was the Jets’ fifth loss of the season after leading with under two minutes to play. This eye-popping figure makes for a league-high ever since the onset of the 2024 campaign. Despite showing resilience by erasing a 17-point deficit to take a 27-26 lead with just 1:49 left on the clock, the Jets were unable to secure the victory.
Quinnen Williams, a veteran defensive lineman for the Jets, reflected on the team’s struggles in the locker room following the game. He appreciated the short window of opportunity. He insisted that the team is allowed to get worse as the year goes on. Williams is no stranger to rough starts, having experienced an 0-13 start in 2020. He understands how important it is to flip things fast.
The Jets returned all eight of those starting defensive players this season. Two former defensive backs coaches Aaron Glenn and Steve Wilks have been directing the unit. Collectively, they’ve got a little more than 30 years of NFL coaching experience under their belts. Glenn has always been clear that even if he’s not trying to reinvent the wheel on defense, there’s always room for improvement.
Well, we can’t overlook the points we’ve let get scored. It is not sustainable to keep getting positive in spite of that truth. As Glenn said when talking about the requirement for defensive adjustments,
In Sunday’s game, multiple issues plagued the Jets’ defense. Glenn noticed that a disproportionate number of defenders were falling to the turf trying to make tackles. This slippage resulted in some big chances lost vs Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield. Mayfield exploited vulnerabilities in the Jets’ secondary, with key plays coming from wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who beat safety Andre Cisco for a crucial 28-yard gain, and Sterling Shepard, who executed a wide receiver screen for 20 yards to set up Tampa Bay’s winning field goal.
“Despite these departures, Glenn doesn’t sound worried about his handpicked assistants and their prospects to lead the defense into the future. The teams that are the most resilient, that understand how to play in those situations, are the teams that usually win in those situations,” he stated.
The Jets’ special teams unit provided some bright moments during the game, notably with a blocked field goal attempt and a touchdown return. Will McDonald IV made a significant contribution, demonstrating the potential within the squad despite the overall defensive struggles.
As the team continues through their season, Williams said he believes they can only go in one direction — up. “The season is about to start rolling — it’s been rolling — and you don’t want to look up and be 0-10,” he said, indicating a desire for accountability and progress.
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