NY Jets: Defense comes up big in win over Dolphins

The NY Jets got back to the basics this week which included getting back to playing stellar defense which led them to their 6th win of the season.

Over the past 5 weeks the Jets were 1-4 with losses to the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans as they always found ways to lose. Whether it was a dropped pass, blown coverage or simply getting beat on the deep ball, the Jets had to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror before a critical match-up with the Miami Dolphins that held significant AFC playoff implications.

The Jets’ defense was hyped with all the moves they made in the off-season and after the 4-1 start they almost seemed destined for another deep playoff run. But then the Jets lost their identity and got away from running the football and playing good defense. Which inevitably led to multiple losses that had the potential to derail the entire season, but they got back to the basics in Week 12.

The Jets stifled the Dolphins all-game conjuring memories of their first match-up across the pond in London during Week 4 of the NFL season. But this time the Jets’ defense had no Darrelle Revis who made a clutch interception in the red zone the last time these 2 teams met, what would happen with Marcus Williams in his place? Of course it was status quo for the Jets and their mantra of “next man up.”

Williams intercepted his 5th pass of the season (which is tied for the league lead) and returned it 20+ yards, unfortunately he was injured on the play and didn’t come back into the game. Williams is listed as day-to-day with a knee sprain. Muhammad Wilkerson continued his career year adding another sack to his season totals, bringing it to 8.0 sacks.

One of the underlying storylines was Quinton Coples‘ surprise release from the team this past Monday and of course in typical fashion he was scooped up by the Dolphins. Well Coples had an uneventful return while the beneficiary Lorenzo Mauldin took advantage of the extra playing time by getting another sack himself. The Jets now have 25 sacks on the season which ranks in the top half of the league in that category.

The Jets’ rush defense continued to dominate as they held the Dolphins to 12 yards rushing on 9 attempts for a grand total of 1.3 yards a clip. Which will more than likely bring the Jets back to the #1 ranking after Week 12 is all wrapped up.

Sack ocho. Mucho highlights: WATCH >> https://t.co/BwOffjlTl0 pic.twitter.com/7ii4yJozaE

— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 30, 2015

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The Jets’ defense has been a roller coaster this season, effectively a microcosm of what the Jets season has been thus far. The Jets will have to continue to rely on their defense to keep opposing offenses scoring down. If the Jets defense can do that this Jets team will be a dangerous one if they can make the big dance. A team that can play great defense, run the ball, and not turn the ball over is a recipe for a deep playoff run.