Breaking Down the Packers Opponent: New York Jets

New York Jets defensive end

(96) asks for crowd noise against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE

The Jets defense is a tough group, anchored by a solid front seven. Last week, they held the Raiders to only 133 yards passing and 25 yards on the ground.

In 2013, the Jets finished 11th on defense, only allowing 334.9 yards per game and 19th in scoring, allowing 24.2 points per game. With a solid defensive line, the Jets were great against the run, finishing third in the NFL and allowing only 88.2 rushing yards per game.

The Jets defense did struggle against the pass last year, allowing 246.7 yards through the air per game. To complicate this issue, the Jets lost their top defensive back and playmaker, Antonio Cromartie, to Arizona in the offseason.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense will certainly test New York’s young and inexperienced secondary.

Defensive Line

The Jets tallied 41 sacks last year, and at the heart of their quarterback pressure is defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Wilkerson is one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL and dominated at the line of scrimmage last season, recording 10.5 sacks and 52 pressures.

The Jets will move Wilkerson all over the line and try to find the most favorable matchup for them to exploit.

The other two starters on the line, nose tackle Damon Harrison and end Sheldon Richardson, are stalwart run defenders, both earning top grades in run defense–Harrison at +33.2 and Richardson at +22.4, according to PFF.

Richardson also brings some ability as a pass rusher. He recorded 3.5 sacks and 33 QB pressures as a rookie, and the Jets defense expects him to make a big jump in this area this season.

Linebacker

The Jets don’t have any players at linebacker that really jump out, but they have a few guys that can generate quarterback pressure. Veteran Calvin Pace and third-year man Quinton Coples are the starters at outside linebacker and are decent pass rushers in their own right.

Pace is an eleven-year veteran who’s had a hot-and-cold career. He’s only totaled 52 sacks over his career, but had perhaps his best season in 2013 with 10 sacks and 35 pressures. He has decent size at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds but isn’t as quick as he used to be off the edge. He’ll more than likely face off against Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari.

The Jets are expecting a lot out of Coples this season. Physically, there aren’t a lot of other outside linebackers like him in the league. Coples towers at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds and ran a 4.69 forty time coming out of college. The closest comparison would be the Packers’ Julius Peppers.

Coples can be a handful on the edge for an offensive tackle, but up to this point, the former Tar Heel defensive end hasn’t had the production in the NFL many thought he would coming out of college.

Coples has only totaled 10 sacks over the past two years and hasn’t been dominant by any means. He didn’t do a whole lot in last week’s win over the Raiders. At this point, he still seems like he’s figuring it out and is far from arriving.

The Jets did sign former Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin this offseason to bolster their pass rush. Babin doesn’t start, but he does come in for Coples on passing downs as a situational pass rusher. The nine-year veteran still has plenty left in the tank. He recorded 7.5 sacks in 2013 and notched a sack against Oakland last week.

The Packers will have to gameplan for both Babin and Pace coming off the edge.

On the inside, the Jets have reliable veteran David Harris and newcomer Demario Davis. Harris has been one of the team’s leading tacklers all seven years of his career and can make plenty of plays against the run. However, Harris is inconsistent in coverage and not very effective as a blitzer.

Davis is even worse against the pass. Quarterbacks completed 80 percent of their passes throwing into his coverage last season, so Harris is the best linebacker the Jets have to cover the middle of the field on passing downs.

Green Bay could exploit this weakness, especially with tight end Brandon Bostick returning from injury.

Defensive Back

The Jets let their top cover corner Antonio Cromartie go in free agency in the offseason, trusting that last year’s first round pick, Dee Milliner, could fill some big shoes.

Milliner is a tough, physical corner with decent size (6-0, 201) and quickness. Last year, he did alright starting all 16 games as a rookie, recording three interceptions and 17 pass defensed. Milliner is solid against the run and likes to hit, but he’s still a young defensive back who will make plenty of mistakes. In 2013, he surrendered seven passing touchdowns, and quarterbacks averaged a 86.5 passer rating throwing into his coverage, according to PFF.

Milliner didn’t play last week against Oakland because of an ankle injury, but he should be back and ready to go against Green Bay.

The Jets’ other starting cornerback is converted safety Antonio Allen. Last year, Allen started at strong safety, but with Cromartie’s departure, the Jets are trying the two-year veteran at corner. They believe he has the speed and quickness to stick with receivers, while his size (6-1, 215) gives him an advantage.

Allen could be an experiment this season. He did allow four receptions last week, but they only went for 26 yards. Allen plays tough and is solid against the run. However, Allen is still early in this transition and the Packers could exploit this inexperience, especially if Allen ever matches up against Jordy Nelson.

Kyle Wilson is the Jets’ nickel corner. He’s not real big at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, but he’s quick and does a decent job of sticking with receivers across the field. Wilson did start at cornerback in 2012, but after struggling on the outside, the Jets decided to keep him permanently over the slot.

More than likely, Wilson will be matched up with Randall Cobb for most of the game. This is a matchup Cobb could exploit.

At safety, the Jets look solid. Both veteran Dawan Landry and rookie Calvin Pryor are tough, physical defensive backs that enjoy laying a lick on people.

They both play the run well. Landry is the bigger of the two at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds and will probably play up in the box in run support more frequently than Pryor. Landry does have lapses in coverage and this seems to be a weakness in his game. Last year, he allowed three touchdowns and quarterbacks averaged a 96.3 passer rating throwing into his coverage.

Pryor seems to be more reliable against the pass, and if his play in college at Louisville is any indication, he can make plenty of plays on the ball. In his NFL debut, Pryor recorded two pass defensed and only allowed one reception for two yards.

The Jets chose Pryor over Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round in last spring’s draft, so it will be interesting to see if they made the better choice when the two rookies take the field on Sunday.

Special Teams

Jets kicker Nick Folk has been inconsistent over his career, only posting a 80.5 field goal percentage, but the nine-year veteran did have his best season in 2013 with a 90.7 FG percentage.

Punter Ryan Quigley is solid, averaging 45.5 yards per punt last year, and will be going into his third season this year looking to improve.

The Jets have a real threat at punt returner in rookie wideout Jalen Saunders, who has breakaway speed.

Kick returner Saalim Hakim averaged 32.5 yards per return last week against Oakland, including a 44-yard return that he nearly took all the way.