Like many of the Jets’ early season improvements, the reason is simple.
As of Monday, they were boasting a 56.8 percent conversion rate on third downs, best in the NFL.
Last year, the Jets were dead last at 26.0 percent.
From worst to best — what's the explanation?
“Aaron Rodgers,” center Joe Tippmann said Monday, “is a guy that communicates and gets you to make the right call, the right play. He breaks down the defense before they can even get going. He does that and gets us all on the same page, and then he just makes time to make things happen. That's what's great about him. Kudos to Aaron Rodgers.”
On third down this season, Rodgers has completed 20 of 27 passes (74.1%) for 272 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 118.1.
Those completion percentages, yards and completion percentages are the best on any down.
The Jets also went into the red zone eight times and scored six touchdowns, giving them a red zone percentage of 75%, tied for second in the league.
Last year, they scored just 12 touchdowns in 37 trips, good for a dead-lasting 32.4%.
The Jets are planning to sign defensive back Jalen Mills to their practice squad, The Washington Post has confirmed.
An eight-year pro, he spent the past three seasons with the Patriots, starting 34 games, including eight last year.
He was drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round in 2016 and spent his first five seasons there.
The Jets blitzed 40 percent of Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett's dropbacks in Thursday night's 24-3 victory, the team said, its highest rate against an opposing quarterback during coach Robert Saleh's tenure.
The Jets committed three sacks on the blitz, but Brissett completed just two passes against the blitz.
“It feels good,” safety Chuck Clark, who had one of the sacks, said Thursday. “When you hear that voice, it's like, 'Let's go home.' Hopefully, everything works out up front and we can go home, but it definitely feels good.”
The Jets have rarely applied this level of pressure under Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Last year, they blitzed just 16.3 percent of their dropbacks, second-lowest in the NFL.
But through three games this year, the Jets have blitzed a combined 21.4 percent of their dropbacks, ninth-highest in the league.
“We put pressure on them, [Brissett] “When he was in that position, he could do anything he wanted in the game,” linebacker Jamien Sherwood said Monday. “Our defensive line and the other guys that got the sack played great. We just didn't know where the sack was going to come from, and it gave our defense a lot of opportunities.”
