Quinnen Williams believes a stagnant pass rush should be the least of the Jets' defensive concerns.
On Thursday, Williams interrupted a question about the unit's inability to get to the quarterback.
He wasn't being rude to the reporter.
The outstanding defensive lineman was honest.
That's nothing compared to the biggest problem the defense must solve.
“First of all, we have to stop the run. [the right] “In order to rush the pass, you have to stop the run first and we didn't get an opportunity to rush the pass because we weren't able to stop the run first. Stop the run first and foremost,” Williams said.
That statement from Williams, arguably the Jets' best defensive player and not known for publicly expressing dissatisfaction, speaks volumes.
Any talk of them being one of the top teams in the league will be empty talk if Gang Green's front seven doesn't make adjustments after Monday's ugly loss to the Christian McCaffrey-less 49ers, in which they were thrashed for 180 yards.
The defense had an awful performance overall, giving up 401 total yards and committing no turnovers.
But by far the biggest problem was the Jets' inability to contain backup running back Jordan Mason (147 yards on 28 carries).
They were blown away from the ball.
The defensive ends couldn't set the edge, and players were often out of position, creating cutback lanes for Mason.
As a result, the 49ers averaged an astounding 6.9 yards per carry.
The only positive defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took from the humiliating night was that his players showed character.
He liked their reaction.
There was no finger-pointing or accusing among the players.
The defense withstood the sting without fighting back, and during the film session the next day, multiple players stood up and took responsibility for the performance, including starting edge rusher Jermaine Johnson.
For Ulbrich, it was a sign of maturity.
“We have a group of guys that hold themselves accountable, including myself and all of our coaches,” he said. “When you have that kind of culture, that kind of standard, that kind of accountability, I don't think something like that will happen again.”
Of course, this is a results-driven business, and the Jets need to do better on Sunday at Tennessee.
The Titans lost to the Bears, but rushed for 140 yards in that game, including 82 touchdown yards by former Cowboys back Tony Pollard.
Tennessee will undoubtedly study the film that led to the 49ers' success on Monday and incorporate at least some of that offense into its game plan.
“It's no secret or anything, the best way to beat us in the run game is to get on our perimeter,” middle linebacker CJ Mosley said. “You look at Miami, Cleveland, those types of teams. … We're going to have that for a few more weeks until we beat them. You're going to see the same kind of run for sure. It might be a different style, a different shape, but they're definitely going to be coming at our edge.”
The Jets had one of the best defenses in the league last year, but struggled against the run, ranking 25th in rushing yards (124.0 per game) and 11th in yards per carry (4.1).
The team also lost key members of its forward line in Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods and John Franklin-Myers, whose absences were sorely missed in Week 1.
Ulbrich, however, expressed confidence in his team and said he expects to see a “response” on Sunday that could lead to some dramatic changes.
“I'm very confident in our team,” Ulbrich said. “I love all of our defensive linemen and they take a lot of pride in it so I expect them to live up to expectations this week, I really do.”
“I really can't wait for the next match,” Williams said.
