The New York Jets’ revamped pass rush, bolstered by high-profile acquisitions and draft selections, has yet to meet expectations early in the season. Despite investing the No. 2 overall pick on edge rusher David Bailey, along with signing Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare to join 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald, the Jets have struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks.
Through the latest games, the Jets have accumulated nine sacks, ranking them 14th in the NFL, accompanied by 26 quarterback pressures, placing them 17th in the league. Bailey, Enagbare, and linebacker Demario Davis currently share the team lead with two sacks each. In Sunday’s contest against the Chicago Bears, the Jets managed only one sack, recorded on a blitz by Davis, and registered just two quarterback hits.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn acknowledged that the team’s difficulties are less about individual sack totals and more about failing to disrupt the quarterback’s pocket effectively. “When you affect the pocket, the sacks usually come with that,” Glenn said, adding that play calling and overall understanding of how to pressure the pocket need improvement. “We have the guys that can do it and we’ll continue to work on that, and we’ll get better at it.”
A significant factor cited by Glenn is the absence of interior defensive pressure following the departure of Quinnen Williams, who had been instrumental in collapsing the pocket even if he did not always record sacks himself. Glenn emphasized that the pass rush requires a coordinated effort among all four defensive linemen. He pointed out that Bailey and McDonald often face “chipping” from offensive linemen, which hampers their impact and requires adjustments to generate pressure.
“The thing is it’s not just those guys that have to be a part of affecting the pocket,” Glenn said. “When you look at it, those guys are getting chipped quite a bit... we have to do a better job... and also being able to make sure we continue to get pocket push from the interior guys.” He stressed that effective pass rushing is a collective effort rather than the responsibility of individual players.
Glenn also responded to comments from Bears linebacker Devin Bush, who described the Jets game as one of the easiest he has played and said he was not sore after the matchup. Glenn dismissed the remarks as a function of limited plays in the game, noting the Bears ran only 32 plays. “I’m not worried about that. Only thing I’m worried about is our team moving forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jets suffered a setback when edge rusher Braiden McGregor sustained a torn pectoral muscle on Sunday and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. McGregor had been part of Glenn’s defensive line rotation, and his absence further challenges the Jets' ability to bolster their pass rush as they pursue improvement in the coming weeks.