RUNNING BACK Curtis Martin is having a terrific year, and quarterback Chad Pennington is the most important player on the Jets. No argument there.
But if this is to be a special season – a really special season – it will be the Jets defense that takes them into January, if not to Jacksonville.
The 2004 Jets defense may not be the ’85 Bears or the 2000 Ravens, but give them credit. Heading into today’s AFC East game at Buffalo, they have established themselves as one of the best young units in the NFL with a huge upside to get better each and every week.
Overall they rank ninth in the NFL, sixth in the AFC, but you get the feeling they’re just getting started on a destructive path that will make them a feared unit as the weather gets colder and offenses become more brittle.
“As long as we keep improving, we’ll be a defense to be reckoned with,” said linebacker Victor Hobson, part of a youth movement that added speed and hunger to a defense that in past years was old, slow and often ambivalent.
The Jets have yet to allow more than two touchdowns in one game this season. Their 120 points allowed is the third fewest in the NFL, but their most important statistic may be their plus-12 turnover ratio, fueled by 17 takeaways.
“We’re just trying to be an aggressive defense that gets the ball back,” cornerback Donnie Abraham said. “Turnovers are big in this league. Whenever you can create a turnover, it helps your team tremendously.”
These are all good signs for a defense that was introduced to a new coordinator (Donnie Henderson) and a new scheme during training camp. The scheme is much like Henderson: full of energy, always moving, and focused on results.
“I tell them it’s my scheme but it’s your defense, and they like that,” Henderson said. “They know there’s two-way communication. I might not do what they say, but they know it’s heard.”
It’s all part of building trust, one of Henderson’s primary goals. A defense that doesn’t have trust among its players will never reach its potential. It’s a word that comes up over and over again when the Jets talk about their unit.
“You can’t do your job and somebody else’s job,” Hobson said. “You have to trust that the guy next to you is going to do his job and that you’re going to do yours. That’s what we’ve been learning to do here.”
Said Henderson, “To be one of the best defenses out there, you’ve got to trust. You’ve got to give and take and sacrifice for the team. You’ve got to believe everybody is working for the same goal.”
The beauty of the Jets defense is that it’s a mixture of youth and experience, speed and brute force. A massive defense line compliments a swift and aggressive linebacker corps. They can be physical or make plays with finesse.
“You always want to be known as a physical defense, an aggressive defense, a defense that’s fast to get you and knock the [heck] out of you when you get there,” Henderson said.
Their next lesson comes today at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the Bills, who are coming off 38-14 win over the Cardinals and own a defense that is ranked No. 1 in the AFC. The Jets will have to be equally stingy.
“Our goal is to be fast and hit when we get there,” defensive tackle Jason Ferguson said. “We’ll stay upbeat regardless of whether it’s a bad play or a good play because we know we’ll get the next one. We’re still hungry and we’ll stay hungry.”
All the way through January.
Rank & roll
The Jets’ defense against the run has improved markedly this season, helping its overall rank reach the top 10 in the NFL for the first time under head coach Herman Edwards.
Here’s a look at those numbers:
Year Rush Yards Rank Pass Yards Rank Overall Rank
2001 134.6 28th 187.4 7th 19th
2002 123.3 18th 218.1 21st 24th
2003 143.4 28th 189.1 10th 21st
2004 101.6 8th 212.1 14th 9th