Jets' 'embarrassed' defense out to prove its woes against the running game will be fixed in a hurry

Published Sep. 13, 2024 4:37 p.m. ET

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jermaine Johnson and the rest of the New York Jets' defense were stunned, frustrated and angry.

The San Francisco 49ers had just run all over them, rolling up 180 yards on the ground in the season opener Monday night. And Christian McCaffrey didn't even play. Instead, backup Jordan Mason filled in and rushed for a career-high 147 yards, constantly leaving bewildered Jets defenders in the dust.

“That just wasn't our standard,” Johnson said this week. "You know, obviously you get embarrassed. It's out there. It is what it is. Now how are you going to take it?

“Are you going to be a finger pointer or a thumb pointer? That's something I take very seriously.”

Johnson, the Jets' top edge rusher — especially with Haason Reddick remaining a contract holdout — blamed himself. Several of his teammates shared blame. As did coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

“It wasn’t good enough,” Ulbrich said, also adding that the defense didn't play to its standard. “And that’s everyone involved. That’s coaches, that’s every single player, that’s the call, and it starts with me, so we've got to be better and we will be better.”

They'll get the chance to prove it Sunday at Tennessee when they face the Titans with both teams looking to rebound from 0-1 starts.

“A response,” Ulbrich said of what he expects to see from his defense. “A response to what happened. And our standard be revealed, and it is really our style of play, more than anything.”

But it won't be an easy task. Tony Pollard ran 16 times for 82 of Tennessee's 140 yards against Chicago last Sunday, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. And several Jets players and coaches acknowledged it's “a copycat league,” meaning until New York shows otherwise, opponents will try to exploit what appears to be a weakness.

“Edge setting was a thing that needs to improve,” Ulbrich said. "The perimeter run game is what the majority of the yards came from and we weren’t setting the edges that we’re accustomed to around here."

The Jets were ranked No. 3 in overall defense last season, but were 25th against the run. That number is a bit misleading, though, because the offense struggled mightily without the injured Aaron Rodgers at quarterback — leading to a weary defense logging lots of time on the field and opponents running the clock down at the end of games.

With Rodgers back, New York was able to move the ball a bit against San Francisco. But the Jets couldn't establish any consistency because the defense was uncharacteristically gashed early. The 49ers were 6 of 13 on third down and had 70 offensive plays compared to the Jets' 49.

“They ran the ball well and when the teams run the ball well, it’s hard to stop them,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “And we didn’t go off the field on third down. So, two key parts of the defense that have been successful and we weren’t able to do that.”

And it didn't look much better when the defense watched the game film.

“Yeah, we just tell the truth,” Ulbrich said. “We tell the truth, acknowledge what happened, learn from it, grow, and keep it moving.”

Saleh thought a big reason for the breakdowns was players deviating from the game plan and their individual assignments.

“It’s not that I was bothered, it was a little surprising because we pride ourselves on discipline and doing our jobs,” the coach said. "It felt like we kind of got a little out of whack in that regard. Not going to get into specific details that we need to get fixed, but at the same time, I know we are capable of much more.

“And it wasn’t a physical thing. It was more of guys just trying to do a little bit too much.”

It all led to the Jets allowing the 49ers to score on eight straight possessions Monday night, bookended only by an opening-drive punt and a kneel-down to end the game.

“It's not the first time we have gotten punched in the mouth here on defense and I felt like we have always responded,” Saleh said. “So, they will respond.”

NOTES: CB D.J. Reed (knee) is questionable to play after not practicing. He was limited the first two days of practice. Before Friday's session, Saleh didn't anticipate Reed not practicing. ... DL Micheal Clemons (triceps) was also questionable, but fully practiced. ... DL Javon Kinlaw was limited after missing two practices for the birth of his son. He'll be ready to play. ... CB Michael Carter II (ankle) was a full participant after being limited Wednesday and Thursday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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New York Jets