Add The New York Post on Google The Jets made the wrong kind of history last year as the first team to go a full season with making an interception.
They broke the previous low of two, set by the 49ers in 2018, an ignominious mark the secondary hopes to atone for this season.
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Brandon Stephens admittedly thinks about it frequently.
“I tell myself that even in my sleep, man,” the No. 1 Jets cornerback said after practice Monday. “That’s definitely something we have to do in order to win games. You have to take the ball away to give yourself an advantage. That’s definitely the focus. How could it not be?”
It was a poor year for the defense all around in Aaron Glenn’s first season as head coach.
The Jets allowed the second-most points per game (29.6), fourth-most rushing yards (139.5) and eighth-most total yards (355.6).
They also registered only four takeaways, a league low.
Stephens didn’t want to dwell on it too much in the offseason, but it was hard to shake the memory of the secondary’s inability to take the ball away.
“This is a new season to prove myself, prove ourselves as a team, so we have to continue to work at it out there,” he said.
Veterans DeMario Davis (linebacker), Nahshon Wright (cornerback) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (safety) were brought in and Glenn will take over play-calling duties.
“Schematically, I don’t know if I want to go too far into that, but I will say this: physical, violent, disruptive, and I say disruptive from a quarterback, disrupt the skill players, and disrupt the pocket,” Glenn said when asked for the characteristics he wants to see on defense. “I’m looking for guys that can do that. So, I guess if you can sum it all up, men that are highly disruptive.”
Fitzpatrick, who had an interception in Monday’s practice, has 21 career picks in his 10-year career, and Wright had five last season with the Bears.
Throw in rookie corner D’Angelo Ponds, who had seven interceptions in three years at Indiana and James Madison, and there are newcomers who have a history of taking the ball away.
“There’s only one way to work on interceptions and punching the ball out: It’s by doing it in practice,” Stephens said. “Whether that’s in individual drills or team periods, just always being conscious of the ball, where it’s at. Capitalizing when the opportunities present themselves.”
Second-year cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, who is battling Wright to be the No. 2 corner across from Stephens, believes it is important that the secondary doesn’t abandon its principles by seeking interceptions.
Overcompensating can create issues in other areas.
While the Jets want to improve in that department, they can’t get themselves out of position by doing so.
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“Of course that’s a big factor, but we’re not going out there not doing our job, so we can go get the ball,” Thomas said. “Everybody has to do their job, and everything will take care of itself.”
With that said, the Jets know this is something that has to get better, and they believe they have the pieces in place to significantly up their turnover totals.
“It’s very important,” Thomas said. “As a secondary, you take the ball away, you give your offense more chances to go score, and for us to go win.”
