Getty Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb carries New York Jets tacklers in Week 2.
Victory Monday was all positive vibes for New York Jets fans but on Tuesday, we turn the page to Week 3. Yes, Gang Green found a way to get a win in Cleveland but there are some areas that need cleaning up if they want to keep the good times rolling.
While the offense and special teams units rebounded in Week 2, the defense took a major step back against a formidable Browns rushing attack. In the end, their efforts yielded 30 points against and if not for a miraculous comeback, it would have been their undoing.
An NFL analyst recognized this during his Week 2 recounting and he called out one position group, in particular.
NFL Analyst Rips Jets Linebackers for Week 2 vs. Browns
During an article with The Jet Press, NYJ columnist Mike Mitchell gave his seven takeaways from the victory over the Browns — and a few were negatives. One bullet point stood out, a section headlined: “The NY Jets defense fails to match last week’s positive efforts.”
“The Jets’ defense faced a much more daunting task slowing down Cleveland’s elite rushing attack than they did against Baltimore,” Mitchell began. “The Ravens came into last week with a banged-up offensive line and a makeshift backfield. As a result, New York held Baltimore to 63 yards rushing. Duplicating that same effort against Cleveland’s ground attack would be much more challenging.”
Mitchell determined that overcompensating against the Cleveland rushing attack threw the rest of the defense out of whack. “The Jets defense was out of position and outclassed [to start the game],” he voiced. “The Browns quickly strolled down the field, with Nick Chubb regularly breaking multiple tackles on each run.”
Later, he added that “the Jets linebackers were eaten alive throughout the entire game,” and he was right. C.J. Mosley, Quincy Williams and Kwon Alexander were some of New York’s greatest liabilities on Sunday, defensively speaking.
Williams earned a putrid 29.2 grade from Pro Football Focus over his 66 snaps. He was roasted in the passing game with five catches allowed on five targets for 49 yards. The former waiver claim was also charged with one missed tackle.
Alexander wasn’t much better over 31 snaps, with one missed tackle and two receptions allowed (23 yards). Mosley led the group with higher marks in run defense and tackling but his coverage score was just as poor as the pair above. The team captain allowed four-of-five catches for 39 yards.
That means altogether, the NYJ linebacker core allowed 11 of the Browns’ 22 receptions (50%) for a total of 111 yards. A lot of that came courtesy of the Cleveland running backs and tight ends — who accounted for the majority of the passing attack outside of No. 1 WR Amari Cooper.
“Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ate very well and feasted on the Jets’ defense more and more as the game progressed,” Mitchell concluded. “Luckily for New York, they got the last laugh. But there was nothing funny about the way the Jets D stacked up against the Browns runners.”
Cincinnati Bengals’ Offensive Attack
Looking ahead to Week 3, you have a different type of opponent on offense. The Cincinnati Bengals flaunted one of the most impressive passing attacks in the NFL last year but they have struggled with establishing the run in 2022.
Primary back, Joe Mixon, is currently averaging just three yards per carry. That has amounted to 139 rushing yards in two games. Quarterback Joe Burrow has run for another 73 himself but aside from that, backup Samaje Perine only adds six yards to the grand total out of the backfield.
The Cincinnati offensive line doesn’t pass-block well either, so this could be a good matchup on paper for the Jets defense — who will look to dominate this game at the point of attack. If their linebackers and pass rushers can disrupt the Bengals backfield both against the run and the pass, Gang Green could frustrate an offense that has had trouble replicating last season.
The one concern would be Mixon’s ability as a pass-catcher. Cincy doesn’t have a top-ranked tight end and you can expect defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to counteract their talented receiving corps with a whole lot of nickel coverages, but the running back could turn into a matchup nightmare through the air.
Mosley and Williams have been awful in coverage over the first two weeks and Mixon has proven to be a dynamic threat out of the backfield throughout his career.
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