New York Jets Defense Get Sack-Happy Against C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

The New York Jets pass rush flooded the backfield against one of the best young quarterbacks in football.

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is tackled by New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95) and defensive end Solomon Thomas (94) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Jets were supposed to have one of the best pass rushes in football. And, at times this season, they have.

But on Thursday night against the Houston Texans, the Jets (3-6) did a number on Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

New York finished the game with eight sacks, their biggest single-game output of the season. It came at a critical juncture of the season. New York won the game, 21-13, and Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood said the win was “super critical.”

Stroud, in his second NFL season, had led the Texans to a 6-2 start in spite of losing wide receivers Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. Collins is expected back in the next week or two while Diggs is done for the year.

But Stroud is a dangerous player in his own right. The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year became just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards in his rookie season. He also became the third player in league history to lead the league in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown/interception ratio (4.6) in the same season.

Sherwood had two of the Jets’ sacks and said the key to slowing Stroud down was keeping him in the pocket.

“He's a great quarterback,” Sherwood said to SNY on the field after the game. “He's young, he's full of energy and speed. He sees the field well. When it's time for him to get out of the pocket he knows where his run lanes are. So the main thing for us was to contain him. He's a big player for them, he makes plays with his legs and he throws on the run like he did earlier in the game. The main thing for us was to keep him in the pocket and that's what we were able to do.”

Stroud was able to get some things done with his legs, as he rushed eight times for 59 yards. But he struggled from the pocket as he went 11-of-30 for 191 yards.

Micheal Clemons joined Sherwood with two sacks. Quinnen Williams had a huge first half and finished with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Cornerback D.J. Reed and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas also had a sack.

Haason Reddick — who ended his holdout two weeks ago and was playing just his second game of the season — picked up his first half-sack late in the game.

It was the Jets’ best defensive performance in weeks, one that also included 10 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and three pass breakups.

Now, Sherwood just wants his teammates to take the win and this performance and build on it.

“This is a great feeling you know?” he said. “We just want to keep winning, keep doing our thing for the rest of the season?”