Jets defense holds players-only meeting amid miserable 0-5 start: 'We can't be the reason we lose'

The New York Jets defense held a players-only meeting before departing for London, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II said in advance of Sunday's international matchup with the Denver Broncos. The emphasis of the meeting was to attempt to right the ship after a miserable start to the season in which the Jets rank 31st out of 32 teams in scoring defense at 31.4 points allowed per game.

Defensive woes were one of the hallmarks of the Jets' 0-5 start to the campaign. They allowed at least 27 points to each of their five opponents and are fresh off their worst defensive performance of the season in a 37-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

"Everybody was on the same page," Johnson said. "We have to be better. We can't be the reason we lose. That can't happen. We have too much talent. Coach [Aaron Glenn] has had our back in terms of how he's run this thing, instilling a certain culture in here, and we gotta have his back by putting a good product out there. That's our job."

The Jets are the only winless team in the NFL, and only the Baltimore Ravens allowed more points per game over the first five weeks of the season.

"We definitely take full accountability," said Johnson, "and we were just talking about what we need to do different heading into this week and utilizing this full week out here, sort of like another week of camp within the season."

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Johnson hoping to spark struggling Jets defense

Johnson could provide a boost for the reeling defense this week when he returns from an ankle injury that held him out of the last three games. The 2023 Pro Bowler posted seven tackles across Weeks 1 and 2 and has the upside to be one of the team's top players if he stays healthy. He has played in just four games since his Pro Bowl campaign, when he racked up 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits.

"There's nothing but high-character, high-quality guys in here," Johnson said. "They're all very receptive, all very truthful, honest. They're definitely being thumb-pointers before finger-pointers. They're all looking at how we can get better inward. Definitely stepped with the right foot forward this week."

Stopping the run has been the Jets' greatest defensive weakness thus far. They surrendered 140.4 yards per game over the first month of the season, and two opposing running backs crossed the century mark against them. The Dolphins' De'Von Achane was a yard away from joining that group in Week 4. Sunday's matchup with the Broncos brings another stiff challenge in that department as Denver boasts one of the league's most formidable rushing attacks.