NY Jets run defense show up vs Patriots in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football which saw him miss the season actions due to…
The NY Jets defense allowed 180 yards rushing in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers and 130 yards rushing in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. This week the Jets face a rushing attack that, while maybe less of a threat on the ground, is every bit as prolific as those two teams. The New England Patriots are without a doubt going to try to establish the run early and often.
New England knows where their bread is buttered. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has only thrown the ball a total of 51 times in two games this year. He may keep them in games, but he won’t win them games. Their running backs, Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, who have combined for a total of 64 carries thus far, are where the Patriots will find any success.
The Jets should not have any trouble against Brissett, their struggling offensive line, or their receivers who have yet to crack 90 yards combined so far this season. The ground is where they could be tested. So this week’s biggest key to victory is shutting down the Patriots rushing attack.
The Patriots have run the ball a total of 75 times, which ties the Eagles for third in the NFL through two weeks. They are averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, which ranks 13th in the league. So while they run the ball a lot, they are far from unstoppable. They are definitely formidable but not invincible.
The one thing they definitely are though, is hot. In Week 2 against the Seahawks, the two running backs combined for a total of 177 yards on 32 carries, an average of 5.5 yards per carry.
This included a huge 45-yard trot from Antonio Gibson late in the fourth quarter, which put the Jets up 3 points. They will no doubt try to ride the hot hand and run the ball all day, which is where the Jets’ run defense comes in.
Things would be a lot easier for the run defense if they still had C.J. Mosley. He is questionable with a toe injury for TNF, but I think we should all assume he won’t be playing. This leaves linemen Quinnen Williams and Javon Kinlaw, as well as linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood, with a lot of responsibility on Thursday.
The NY Jets must neutralize Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson
As of this moment, they have not held up their end of the bargain. The run defense has been putrid, getting gashed consistently in Weeks 1 and 2. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why that is, being that the talent is there.
The 49ers seem to always be able to run the ball, but the Titans should not have had as much success as they did. And now without Mosley, the Jets will need Quincy Williams to pick up more of the slack on the interior than he is used to and Jamien Sherwood will have to increase his snap load.
Sherwood played solid enough on Sunday, and Quincy Williams appears to thrive in any circumstance. They will need to have a big impact on Thursday, and so will Quinnen Williams and Javon Kinlaw.
Of course, you would hope that Will McDonald, Micheal Clemons, and company will also play their part. But the responsibility of neutralizing the run falls on the interior first and foremost.
