The one key cog in any 3-4 defense is the play up front by the nose tackle, and while good teams are often able to overcome a loss of a player at the position, losing that player in back to back years with the same injury would be devastating for any club.

That’s exactly what happened to the Jets last night, as they were the unfortunate recipients of bad news this morning, with defensive tackle Kris Jenkins lost once again for the entire season to a torn ACL. Jenkins tore the same ligament early on last season, making it likely that he will hang his cleats up for good in the near future, as it will be difficult to say the least for him to make another return.

The Jets will now move on without Jenkins, as they did last year, but the statistics prove that his loss will be felt by the entire defense, as New York is clearly a better team with him on the field than they are with him off it.

The run defense is likely to be the main casualty, given Jenkins size and strength in the middle of their front seven, and while teams will still find the going rough this season, not having Jenkins to worry about makes it much easier for opponents to find an opening.

No related posts.