Some members of the Jets have been chirping, saying the franchise’s strength will be on the offensive side of the ball.
Don’t laugh. This isn’t a joke.
A friendly rivalry has been brewing throughout the summer.
Part of the preseason bravado comes from the offseason additions of offensive linemen John Simpson, Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses.
Some of it is the return to health of Aaron Rodgers and the continued development of young stars Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson.
The Jets offense has been talking trash to the defense about where it stands.
“They’re trying to say it’s an offensive organization,” Sauce Gardner said with a smile on Saturday. “Shoot, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard the offense say that. Aaron was just saying that.”
The defense is happy to hear so much confidence coming from the other side of the ball, even if Gardner and linebackers C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams may not necessarily agree with that aforementioned opinion.
The defense, they said, still is king in Florham Park.
But it certainly beats the alternative of the last few years, when the defense had to carry the offense for the Jets to win games.
That is no longer expected to be the case.
An improved offensive line and a healthy Rodgers should ensure the Jets have an attack that will lessen the pressure on the defense after it was 29th in scoring at 15.8 points per game a year ago.
It goes beyond how few points the Jets scored last year.
They were 25th in average time of possession last year at 25:02, meaning the defense was on the field for extended periods on a weekly basis.
That can catch up to even the most well-conditioned players.
So not only was the defense frequently trailing in games, but it spent an inordinate time on the field.
An improved offense can remedy that.
“You can shoot your shot a lot more, that’s the main thing,” Williams said. “You don’t have to play a safe defense where you got to keep [the other team to] zero. You can take a chance. You’re comfortable taking a shot because you have an offense that’s capable of going point for point.”
Said Mosley: “It could be a big difference. Obviously, an offense that can hold their [own] is going to control the clock, also put points on the board. It allows the defense to get aggressive when needed, we’re not always playing with our backs against the wall. … It definitely plays a factor. You definitely feel it when you’re on the field for the games when you play 75-to-80 plays compared to 55 or 60. You wake up the next day, you definitely notice a difference.”
As for which unit is better, odds are it will remain the defense.
This is a unit that features one of the premier cornerbacks in the league in Gardner, a top defensive tackle in Quinnen Williams and standouts at all three levels.
Last season, it was ranked second in passing yards, third in total yards and 10th in points allowed.
But Mosley doesn’t mind the offense engaging in playful trash talk.
“They can say whatever they want, as long as we win the football game,” the veteran middle linebacker said. “It’s cool to have a little battle of whose team it is. At the end of the day, we’re out there to compete and do the right things for each other.
“If that makes them feel good to say it’s an offensive organization, that’s fine with me.”
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