New York Jets Have One Major Issue That Needs To Be Cleaned Up Defensively

If the New York Jets want any chance to be competitive down the stretch, they need to fix this one weakness defensively.

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) breaks a tackle by New York Jets safety Jalen Mills (35) after a catch during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are a lot of factors that have played into the New York Jets being one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL in 2024.

The offense has not clicked as well as they would have hoped with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. With a 3-7 record, they are in a worse spot than either of the last two years with Zach Wilson making a majority of the starts.

And that is with Davante Adams being added to the mix. Since acquiring the star wide receiver from the Las Vegas Raiders, the team has gone 1-3.

Alas, arguably the most underwhelming aspect of the team this season has been their performance on the defensive side of the ball.

Coming into the year, the Jets were thought to have a championship-caliber defense. They were loaded with All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber players at every level, but this is a unit that has underperformed.

Injuries have certainly played a part, as Jermaine Johnson II suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3 and linebacker C.J. Mosley has been in and out of the lineup, appearing in only four games.

The defense has not looked the same without that leadership. Also making an impact was Haason Reddick holding out and not playing until Week 8.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich being elevated to interim head coach to replace the fired Robert Saleh has almost certainly had an impact as well. He cannot be as hands-on with that unit when overseeing the entire squad.

While there isn’t anything New York can do about the injuries, there are aspects of their defense they do control, such as tackling.

It has been a trouble spot for them all year, as the Jets cannot consistently get their opponents to the ground, constantly whiffing on tackle attempts.

As shared by Justin Fried on X, the average missed tackle percentage in the NFL is somewhere between 12-15 percent. New York has seven players well above the 15 percent mark, as leading pass rusher Will McDonald IV, who has 8.0 sacks, has missed 40 percent of his tackle attempts.

Gardner is at 33 percent, followed by Michael Carter II (28 percent) Jalen Mills (27 percent), Quinnen Williams (24 percent), Tony Adams (23 percent) and D.J. Reed (20 percent).

It has been an issue since Week 1, as drives continue when players miss tackles. Their young star cornerback had a really bad one against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 when he couldn’t get tight end Trey McBride to the ground.

IT'S A BIRD. IT'S A PLANE. IT'S TREY MCBRIDE HURDLING FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS SEASON!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/bBevRNvSnu

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 10, 2024

He would end up gaining enough yards to keep the drive alive on third and long. Seven plays later, the Cardinals were in the end zone of their third touchdown in as many drives to start the game.