The Jets return to Metlife Stadium on the heels of a great defensive performance in a win over the Redskins. Though they ended up allowing 17 points – which is coincidentally tied for the fewest they’ve allowed all season – the Jets defense had only given up three points before Washington scored twice in the final 10 minutes.
Gregg Williams’ crew will look to continue its hot streak against the Raiders, a team that sits in the middle of the pack in scoring (22.5 points per game, 17th in the league). They’ll need to rely on their dominant run defense as well as locking down two of Oakland’s young offensive weapons – running back Josh Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller. Cincinnati shockingly held the Raiders to only 17 points thanks to six sacks and two takeaways, and the Jets should be able to do at least that in Week 12.
Here are four keys to the Jets defense vs. the Raiders.
Stop RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs may only be a rookie, but he’s running like a veteran. His 923 rushing yards rank fourth among all running backs and he averages a healthy 4.8 yards per attempt. The Raiders are a run-heavy team that ranks ninth in rushing yards per game with 128.2 and they’re 4-1 in games where they’ve eclipsed that average (and 2-3 in games they haven’t).
Fortunately, the Jets have the best run defense in the NFL through Week 11. They’ve allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (79.1) and fewest yards per rush (3.0) in the league. Credit to Gregg Williams: He’s been able to turn a patchwork defense into solid run-stoppers. The Jets haven’t allowed a team to rush for more than 100 yards since Week 8 and have only allowed it three times all year. It will be critical for that trend to continue against the Raiders.
Stop Raiders on third down
This is crucial for all defenses but especially important against the Raiders, who convert on third down 47.6 percent of the time (third-best in the league). They also have the second-highest fourth-down conversion rate – 72.7 percent – and are 5-1 in games with at least 20 first downs. If the Jets can stop the Raiders from getting first downs, they’ll have a better chance at winning since the Raiders are only 1-3 in games they convert fewer than 20 first downs.
The Jets don’t have a great third-down defense and will need to find ways of preventing the Raiders from extending drives. The Jets allow opponents to convert on third down on 44.2 percent of attempts – 25th in the league – and are 1-5 in games they’ve allowed at least 20 first downs.
Get to Derek Carr
The Jets have 12 sacks in their past two games and need to build on that if they want to take down the Raiders, who boast one of the best pass-blocking offensive lines in the league. Oakland ranks sixth in pass protection, according to Football Outsiders, and have allowed the second-fewest sacks in the league (15).
New York, meanwhile, only has 25 sacks on the year despite blitzing 39.3 percent of the time and has struggled in the past to get to the quarterback. If you take away the past two weeks (in which the Jets faced two of the worst offensive lines in the league), New York averaged fewer than two sacks per game.
The Jets will need to find ways to get to Carr, who faltered in two losses earlier this season when sacked at least three times. Expect more blitzes from Jamal Adams as he looks to break the NFL record for sacks by a defensive back.
Contain TE Darren Waller
Oakland’s most-heavily targeted player isn’t a wide receiver or running back. It’s tight end Darren Waller, who has 24 more targets than the next-closest pass-catcher on the Raiders. Waller has secured at least 50 receiving yards or a touchdown in all but two games this season and is capable of wrecking defenders with his massive 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame.
The Jets haven’t faced many great tight ends this season, but they were tortured by Zach Ertz, Jason Witten and Mike Gesicki, all of whom are the same build as Waller. Together, the trio combined for 16 receptions, 209 yards and a touchdown against the Jets. Waller needs to be the target of double-teams from Gregg Williams.
