Jets' Highly-Touted Defense Empty Handed Last Two Weeks

Gang Green has accounted for one sack and no turnovers since win over Buffalo

The wins have disappeared and so have the takeaways.

One common denominator from the New York Jets' back-to-back losses is the absence of turnovers. After forcing Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen into four giveaways during a Week 1 victory, the Jets have failed to take the ball away from the opponent since that season-opening Monday night.

Safety Jordan Whithead picked off three passes against Buffalo, but the secondary has come up empty-handed each of the past two weeks. Dallas Cowboys' field general Dak Prescott and New England Patriots' signal caller Mac Jones both played turnover-free football against the Jets' vaunted defense.

"I thought we played solid, but not good enough to win," said starting cornerback D.J. Reed one day after a 15-10 setback to New England. "I think that as a defense you want to generate turnovers and I feel like we didn't do that yesterday, so we have to be better."

Reed and the defense allowed only 13 points in Week 3, which is usually good enough to win, but the unit failed to deliver a desperately-needed momentum-changing play. Gang Green has forced one fumble over the past two outings but it was recovered by Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz. 

"It’s still a team game, offense, defense, special teams, and we’ve got to play better everywhere. Defense, we can create more turnovers," said third-year head coach Robert Saleh. 

The Jets' defense has seen 152 total plays over the last two games. The opponent has passed 67 times without being intercepted.

"Like I said earlier, just think of ways we individually could have impacted the game, we have to be our toughest critics, the biggest critics," said All-Pro Sauce Gardner, who has made two interceptions over 20 career games.

The Green & White pass rush, which flustered Allen in Week 1, has also disappeared.

Prescott took one sack in the Cowboys' 30-10 win and Jones subsequently took none. The Jets managed to put five hits on Jones but could not force the Patriots' quarterback into a mistake. 

The defense has also permitted 17 total third-down conversions during the two-game slide.

READ MORE:

Quinnen Williams Scores Ultra High Rating from NFL Next Gen Stats

Jets Plummet in Sports Illustrated's NFL Power Rankings

Jets Create Practice Squad Spot amidst Reports of Siemian Signing

Jets Deliver Offensive Dud, Fall to Patriots for 15th Straight Time

What Jets' Teammates Are Saying about Zach Wilson