New York Jets: 3 Players to watch vs. Jaguars in Week 4

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 20: Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball in front of the defense of Leonard Williams #92 of the New York Jets during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Jarvis Landry #80 of the Cleveland Browns gets wrapped up by Darron Lee #58 of the New York Jets during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Darron Lee

Darron Lee looked like he was turning the corner in the first two weeks of 2018. It looked like he finally got what it took to be an inside linebacker in the Jets 3-4 scheme. Then he played the Cleveland Browns.

It was a roller coaster in coverage for Lee in Cleveland. He only allowed seven yards, but allowed a passer rating of 102.1 for the game. The Jets used Lee in a bunch of roles, but he failed in his most crucial one, pass coverage.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Lee their worst grades on Lee across the board. In addition his overall grade was below a 40 for the first time this season.

We can’t expect two interceptions and a pick six every week from Lee, but the Jets need a much more solid performance across the board for the defense to be successful. He needs to be better against the tight end position.

In the first two weeks, he was only targeted once against the tight ends of the Lions and Dolphins, allowing five total yards. The only time Lee was targeted against David Njoku, he allowed a first down for 19 yards. Lee is the linchpin of the defense, and his performance is crucial in their success.

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