The New York Jets’ luck hasn’t been as overwhelmingly bad as you’ve been led to believe. In some ways over the past two years, the Jets have actually been one of the luckiest teams in the NFL.
Not on offense. Few teams have suffered the way this team has on that side of the ball, losing Breece Hall in 2022, Aaron Rodgers in 2023, and Alijah Vera-Tucker both years. But on the other side of the ball, the team’s high-end statistical success goes beyond talent and the coaching of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Over the last two years, the Jets defense has had extremely fortunate injury luck. If the Jets are going to snap the NFL’s longest skid without an appearance in the postseason (13 years) in 2024, they’ll need some more of that luck — and hope that the offense gets a taste of that good juju too.
Jeff Ulbrich’s defense has been elite the last two seasons in large part because of coaching and talent, but a run of exceptionally good health has helped. (Erick W. Rasco / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Look at the availability of the Jets’ most important players on defense — and look around the league to see how rare that is. All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner has missed one game in his two NFL seasons. All-Pro linebacker C.J. Mosley hasn’t missed a game in the last three years. All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (one game missed), cornerback D.J. Reed (two), cornerback Michael Carter II (two), All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams (two) and Pro Bowl defensive end Jermaine Johnson (three) have barely missed any time. Safety Tony Adams missed two games last year, his first season as a full-time starter.
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Three key Jets who departed this offseason — defensive linemen Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers and safety Jordan Whitehead — didn’t miss any games due to injury the last two years. In 2023, starting defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson missed only three games. In 2022, starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins missed two and safety Lamarcus Joyner missed three.
The Jets have had remarkable continuity the last two seasons. That has played a big part in their grading out as the NFL’s best defense by Pro Football Focus two years running. They also have the best total defensive EPA, per TruMedia, over the last two seasons.
“Continuity, especially on the back end, is so critical,” Ulbrich said. “These guys know each other’s strengths, their weaknesses, their shortcomings, their superpowers, their kryptonites — they know all that. They also have to know how to communicate at the highest level and some of that communication over time becomes, it’s just a wink. It’s a little hand signal. It’s very subtle and when you get to that level, that’s where the really special stuff lives.”
Added Reed:“If you keep the majority of the team together, just the chemistry, it makes you play better. You have a different type of trust.”
The odds that the Jets will remain this healthy for a third straight season would seem unlikely, though not impossible. The only defensive players of note who have missed a significant period of time both came last year: safety Chuck Clark, who tore his ACL on the last play of minicamp; and defensive tackle Al Woods, who suffered a torn Achilles early last season. Clark’s injury allowed Adams to step into a starting role (Clark re-signed this offseason and should start alongside Adams in 2024). And Woods was likely going to be a rotational player.
To understand how fortunate the Jets’ run of health has been, compare it to the rest of the AFC East. The Patriots, per TruMedia, have the NFL’s second-best EPA over the last two years. Pro Bowl edge rusher Matt Judon missed all but four games last season due to a torn bicep. First-round cornerback Christian Gonzalez suffered a season-ending torn labrum and dislocated shoulder in Week 4. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore missed seven games in 2022 with a knee injury.
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The Bills rank seventh in defensive EPA over the last two years despite a cavalcade of defensive injuries. All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White missed all but 10 games over the last two years due to knee and Achilles injuries. All-Pro safety Micah Hyde missed all but two games in 2022 due to a neck injury, and missed three more games in 2023. All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano missed two games in 2022, and then fractured his leg in Week 5 last year. Von Miller tore his ACL in 2022 and missed the start of the 2023 season too. Defensive linemen DaQuan Jones (11), Jordan Phillips (eight), Greg Rousseau (five), Ed Oliver (five) and A.J. Epenesa (four) all missed a chunk of games over the last two seasons. Safety Jordan Poyer (six games) too.
For the Dolphins, defensive end Jaelan Phillips missed all but eight games last season — including the final six after tearing his Achilles against the Jets. Defensive end Bradley Chubb tore his ACL in Week 17. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey tore his meniscus during training camp in 2023 and missed seven games. Cornerback Xavien Howard missed four games last year and two in 2022.
GO DEEPERFrom Rodgers to Stiggers: Notes on 90 Jets players after minicampIt’s a similar story around the league. Each of the other teams in the Top-10 in terms of defensive EPA has suffered at least one significant injury to a key defensive player.
• The Cowboys (No. 3 overall) lost cornerback Trevon Diggs (15 games in 2023) and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (15 games over the past two seasons) for significant stretches.
• The Ravens (No. 4) have been without cornerback Marlon Humphrey (seven games last season), safety Marcus Williams (13 games the past two seasons) and defensive tackle Micheal Pierce (14 games in 2022).
• The 49ers (No. 5) didn’t have defensive tackle Arik Armstead for 13 games over the past two seasons or safety Talanoa Hufanga for seven games last season.
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• The Browns were without cornerback Denzel Ward and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah for seven games apiece over the last two seasons, and were without cornerback Greg Newsome for five.
• The Saints (No. 8) have had star cornerback Marshon Lattimore for 17 games combined over the last two years.
• The Chiefs have gone stretches without linebacker Nick Bolton (nine games missed last season), cornerback Trent McDuffie (seven games over the last two seasons) and linebacker Willie Gay (five games over the past two years).
• The Jaguars lost cornerback Shaquil Griffin for 12 games in 2022 with a back injury.
The Jets have had some great injury luck on defense but, largely because of their issues on offense, that hasn’t amounted to wins. Of the teams listed above, only the Jets, Patriots and Saints haven’t made the playoffs in either of the last two seasons.
“It’s an honor to coach these guys, because as good as they’ve been, no one is happy with the results as of yet,” Ulbrich said. “Yeah, statistically, we’ve ended in the top five, but ultimately winning is how we create a legacy in this league. So until that happens and we win — substantial wins and we hold that trophy together — we’re not going to be done.”
(Top photo: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)
Zack Rosenblatt is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the New York Jets. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a staff writer for The Star-Ledger, where he covered the Eagles and Giants. He also covered the Arizona Wildcats for the Arizona Daily Star. He's a graduate of the University of Arizona and is originally from Cherry Hill, N.J. Follow Zack on Twitter @ZackBlatt
