New York Jets: Understanding the defensive scheme

The New York Jets play the 3-4 defense, but it’s not what the fans think it is.

When you look at the sack production of New York Jets defensive linemen Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams, it looks disappointing. Wilkerson has 2.5 sacks and Williams has two sacks. That said, in this Jets defensive scheme, they’re not the ones expected to get sacks.

Fans see the two players on the end of the line, and they think they’re playing defensive end, like J.J. Watt and Demarcus Lawrence. While those players are positioned on the ends of their line, just like Williams and Wilkerson, they’re not playing the same position.

Watt and Lawrence play 5-technique defensive end, which means they are edge rushers, and are expected to get to the quarterback. If you include the 11-way tie for 45th place, edge rushers make up 48 of the top 54 players in sacks, and there isn’t an interior lineman on the list until 25th, and Geno Atkins is only on pace for nine sacks.

While Wilkerson and Williams aren’t on that pace, they’re playing 3-technique. Thus, they’re technically interior defensive linemen, even though they play on each end of the nose tackle.

When you look at the sack totals of Josh Martin and Jordan Jenkins, they’re very disappointing. Those two are the edge rushers and meant to get the sacks in this scheme. Jenkins (3) and Martin (1.5) have combined for 4.5 sacks on the season. That’s not good for the players who are supposed to be the edge rushers.

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They’re also supposed to set the edge on run plays, and they’re not preventing solid runs either. They’ve only combined for 11 tackles for loss on the season. Before looking at just numbers and saying someone isn’t being productive, you need to understand the role of the player in the scheme. It’s not always about sacks. Sometimes the role is more defined.