When asked about the Jets‘ defensive performance in the 32-19 loss to the 49ers in Week 1, pass rusher Jermaine Johnson didn’t hold back his thoughts.
“That’s not our standard,” Johnson said. “That’s not the norm for us and nevertheless, we put that on tape.
“Obviously, you get embarrassed, whatever, it’s out there. It is what it is. Now, how are you going to take it? Are you going to be a finger pointer or a thumb pointer?”
The Jets, at least on paper, entered the season as one of the best defensive units in the NFL. During the previous two seasons, they ranked in the top five in total defense. Last year, the unit finished third in yards allowed.
But Gang Green looked anything but one against the 49ers. Not only did San Francisco rush for 180 yards without star running back Christian McCaffrey, but the team scored on eight consecutive possessions.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley believes it’s a copycat league, and other teams will try to attack the Jets like the 49ers did until they can consistently show they can stop the run.
“It’s no secret, you know, getting on our perimeters, that’s the best way to be successful against us in the run game,” Mosley said. “If you think about Miami, you think about Cleveland, those types of teams, especially when they start blasting and putting extra people on the outside.
“That’s when it’s not really you know, fitting and getting to the right spot. It is about going and getting that player. A few of those plays, maybe we were trying to fit the ball too good.
“Once the ball gets outside especially on the numbers, especially on the numbers, you know, everybody just got to get to it and turn it back for the defense. So whether it’s scheme or just some players not being in the right spot, we’ve got to make sure we handle that on the field.”
The Jets’ stout rushing defense wasn’t the only aspect absent in their Week 1 loss to the 49ers. Gang Green recorded three sacks on San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, but only one came from a defensive lineman Micheal Clemons
This allowed Purdy to complete 19-of-29 passes for 231 yards without hardly any resistance. The absence of Haason Reddick, who has been holding out since the start of training camp in July, continues to loom large.
Reddick is in the final year of a three-year, $45 million contract he signed in 2022. The Jets acquired him in late March, but Reddick has only been to the team facility once to take his physical and have his introductory press conference on April 1. Reddick skipped mandatory minicamp and didn’t report to training camp with the rest of the team on July 23.
The Jets could use his pass-rushing prowess as Reddick registered 50.5 sacks from 2020-23. Without Reddick, the Jets defensive line hopes to find production from players like Clemons and Will McDonald.
The Jets will visit the Titans, who are also looking for their first win of 2024. Tennessee lost to Chicago, 24-17, but the team rushed for 140 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry.
“It wasn’t good enough,” Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said about the game against the 49ers. “That was not to our standard by any means and that’s everyone involved.
“That’s coaches, that’s every single player, that’s the call, that’s all of it and it starts with me. We gotta be better and we will be better.”
MCGOVERN FLIRTED WITH RETIREMENT BEFORE SIGNING
Connor McGovern wasn’t officially part of the Jets organization when watching the team’s season opener against the 49ers on Monday night.
But the 30-year-old still rooted for his old teammates before his scheduled workout with the Jets on Wednesday.
“My wife was like, ‘You aren’t even on the team yet,’” McGovern said. “‘Yeah, those are my boys out there.’ I feel so much a part of this team and this organization and I’ve always been a Jet with a lot of pride and really enjoyed my time here.
“The only team I would be willing to come back and be on the p-squad with is this one for sure, with these group of guys.”
McGovern returned to the Jets on Wednesday after the team signed him to their practice squad. After spending his first three seasons with the Broncos, McGovern signed with the Jets as a free agent in 2020 and was a mainstay on their offensive line and their starting center.
Before signing to the Jets practice squad, McGovern considered retirement after dislocating his kneecap and suffering MCL damage from a knee injury in 2022. He missed the team’s final 10 games of last season.
After his injury, McGovern called his wife and told her he was considering retirement. However, his agent told him to be patient and that an opportunity would come.
“The last time I got hurt, it was a little easier,” McGovern said. “It’s funny what two or three years will do when you hit that 30 mark on how fast you recover.
“There were some plateaus on there I wasn’t expecting. A little bit of a longer journey than I originally had anticipated. I think that just comes with age and everything.
McGovern hoped to land on a team with a younger center and one that needed a veteran presence on the offensive line. The eighth-year veteran didn’t find any of those opportunities around the league.
But because of his relationship with Jets head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, they kept the door open for McGovern to return. Although the Jets only offered him a practice squad spot, McGovern missed being around his teammates and being back in the building around the organization.
“It’s a special team,” McGovern said. “You can see it, feel it. I’ve been a part of this for a long time.
“I would be sad if I wasn’t here when the thing flips and the Jets are back on track.”
