The Jets are not in the NFL’s Top 5 in total defense. Or scoring defense. Or rushing defense. Or passing defense. Or sacks. Or interceptions. Or fumbles forced. Or first downs allowed. Or third down conversion rate. Or fourth down conversion rate.
Need I go on?
Apparently I do need to go on, at least if I want to convince Jets coach Rex Ryan, who said today that he’s not willing to back off just yet on his preseason claim that the Jets would have a Top 5 defense in the NFL this season. Although Ryan acknowledged that “It certainly looks that way right now,” he said that he won’t concede that the Jets aren’t a Top 5 defense until the season is over and he has been proven wrong over the course of 16 games.
“Not willing to concede anything,” Ryan said, via the Star-Ledger. “Maybe we can still have some of those great games. Not willing to concede because I don’t know anything different.”
Although the Jets have lost four of their last five games and are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Patriots on Thanksgiving, Ryan believes his team is going to prove some of the doubters wrong over the final five weeks of the season.
“I think we will, in these last five games, play much better,” Ryan said.
About the best thing we could say for the Jets at this point is that after the debacle against the Patriots, they could hardly play much worse.