Jets’ Defense Holds Secret Players-Only Meeting Amid Rising Tensions

Look, I ain’t sugarcoating it—the Jets’ defense is floundering in a way that’s making NFL history, but not the kind you’d brag about. Since turnovers started being tracked back in ’33, no team has kicked off a season by going five straight games without forcing one. Yep, you heard right—the Jets have managed to do just that. And if they fail to snag a turnover against the Broncos this Sunday in London, they’ll tie the dubious record set by the 2018 49ers for six games without a single takeaway. It’s no wonder the defense huddled up for a players-only summit before flying across the pond—everyone’s feeling the heat. Jermaine Johnson put it bluntly: talent is there, but accountability is key, and they’re all owning the mess. It’s a critical juncture for the Jets—with their backs against the wall, and arguably the stingiest spotlight shining overhead—because failure in London could cement a 0-6 start and deepen the groove before the bye week. But hey, the schedule isn’t all doom and gloom; winnable games are looming on the horizon, and they better cash in or else the season slips further away. LEARN MORE.

The Jets are the first NFL team since turnovers were first tracked in 1933 to start the season by going five games without forcing one.

Hooray?

Another turnover-free game on Sunday morning against the Broncos in London would match the 2018 49ers as the only team to ever go six games in a row without making a turnover happen.

With the goal of getting a turnover, and even more importantly a win, the Jets’ defense held a players-only meeting before they boarded a plane for England.

Via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson revealed that the get-together happened during a Friday media session.

“Everybody was on the same page,” Johnson said, per Cimini. “We have to be better. We can’t be the reason we lose. That can’t happen. We have too much talent.

“Coach [Aaron Glenn] has had our back as far as how he runs this thing, instilling a certain culture in here. We have to have his back by putting a good product out there. That’s our job. We definitely take full accountability.”

Johnson is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday after missing three games with an ankle injury.

Earlier in the week, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams put the blame for the team’s winless start squarely on the defense.

“We’re 0-5 and the defense has been the problem, the reason why we’re 0-5,” Williams said, per Cimini, adding that the Jets have “probably the worst defense in the league.”

No one is pointing fingers, just thumbs. Including defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

“Everything is on me,” Wilks said this week, via Cimini.

During last week’s loss to the Cowboys, with a 37-22 outcome that looked far more respectable than the lopsided 30-3 margin late in the third quarter, a vibe began to emerge that Glenn could be one-and-done with the Jets. While that’s not likely the case, a win would help. Especially in London, where owner Woody Johnson served as the U.S. ambassador in the first Trump administration.

Last year, a loss to the Vikings in London sparked the firing of coach Robert Saleh. This year, it would drop the Jets to 0-6.

The good news is that a pair of objectively winnable games are looming, at home against the Panthers and at Cincinnati. A win in either or both becomes critical to avoid entering the bye at 0-8.