Fierce Pass Rush Powers Jets' Preseason Shutout

Gang Green's defensive line dominates Carolina despite missing key pieces

The New York Jets' defensive front brought the heat on Saturday in Charlotte.

Highlighted by five sacks, Gang Green blanked the Carolina Panthers in a 27-0 preseason victory. The Jets limited the opposing offense to 165 net yards and a 3.4 yards per play average.

"Our D-line got after them early, and, really for all four quarters, made it hard for them to operate from play to play," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh.

The defensive line operated at a near-optimal level despite being without three important pieces. All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams along with veteran edge rushers Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers were all held out of the preseason affair.

"We had some guys sitting out today and to see what we saw, get ready," said second-year pro Jermaine Johnson.

Even with Williams, the Jets' 2022 sacks leader, inactive, the D-line rotation packed plenty of punch. Routinely disrupted on their drop backs, Panthers' quarterbacks Bryce Young and Matt Corral combined for 113 pass yards on 28 passes.

Johnson and first-round rookie Will McDonald both accounted for two quarterback hurries apiece. McDonald, Quinton Jefferson, Bruce Hector and Deslin Alexandre all recorded solo sacks on Saturday while Johnson and Bryce Huff met at the quarterback for a shared takedown.

"We like to say the team goes as we go," said Johnson about his position group. "That's high expectations, high standards, but everybody in that room's willing to live up to it. We take that as an honor. We look forward to doing that again, setting the tone."

Gang Green set the tone from the start, limiting quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, to 3.5 yards per pass. The Panthers managed only 32 yards on 18 first-half plays.

"Those guys absolutely love the game of football," said Saleh. "They play their tails off and they feed off another and they cheer for one another and they take pride."

At one point in the first half, the Jets halted three straight Panthers' possessions by sacking the quarterback on third down.

First, Jefferson dumped Young on a 3rd-and-4 play, which was the rookie quarterback's final snap of the day. 

Then, McDonald sacked Matt Corral to force a second consecutive three-and-out for Carolina. Johnson and Huff soon made it three straight Panthers' possessions without a first down with their shared sack late in the second quarter. 

Hector stepped into the act during Carolina's first possession of the second half. With Corral dropping back on 3rd-and-10, Hector completed the pass rusher trifecta. He came up with the sack, strip and fumble recovery.

McDonald forced a turnover on downs late in the third quarter, pressuring Corral on a fourth down incompletion.

"Those guys are psychos," said Jets' third-year quarterback Zach Wilson after the game. "The hardest thing for a quarterback to play efficiently is when you're getting pressure, especially pressure when they're not even bringing extra guys. When you have four guys up front that can get pressure on the quarterback, it's gonna be a long day."

Thanks to Johnson and Co., it was indeed a long day in Charlotte for the Panthers' offense.

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