The Jets wrapped up their season with a rather unfortunate distinction: they played the entire NFL season without making a single interception.
This is the first time in history, since interception statistics were tracked back in 1933, that a team has gone an entire season without one. Previously, the 49ers had the record for the fewest INTs in a season, with just two back in 2018.
For some perspective on this defensive shortcoming, take the Bears, who entered Sunday with a league-leading 22 interceptions. The Jaguars followed closely with 21, while the Chargers had 19, and both the Seahawks and Texans were tied with 18.
This year, a total of 17 different players filled the Jets’ secondary, yet none of them managed to snag a pick.
In contrast, entering Sunday’s games, 87 players in the league had registered at least one interception. Leading the pack was the Bears’ Kevin Byard with six, followed by Chicago’s Nashon White, Seattle’s Ernest Jones, Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, Jacksonville’s Devin Lloyd, and Atlanta’s Xavier Watts, each with five.
To add to the Jets’ struggle, opposing quarterbacks had thrown 486 passes against them without any resulting interceptions. Statistically speaking, the Jets should have had around 16 interceptions this season, based on NFL averages of one pick for about every 29 passes thrown.
The Jets also set a new record for the fewest takeaways in a season, with only four. This surpassed the 2018 49ers’ record of seven. Interestingly, all four of the Jets’ takeaways were forced fumbles.
The Bears, for instance, were leading the league with 32 takeaways before Sunday’s games, with the Jaguars not far behind at 30. The Steelers and Texans each had 26, while the Seahawks managed 25.
It’s worth noting that only 10 players from the Jets’ roster started in the season opener against the Bills. Among them, five were from the entire offensive line: Olu Fashanu, John Simpson, Josh Myers, Joe Tippman, and Armando Menbou. This particular group surprisingly managed to start all 17 games.
Other familiar names include tight end Jeremy Ruckert, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II, linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamian Sherwood, and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips.
Before the game, the Jets announced that running back Breece Hall (knee) and cornerback Brandon Stevens (neck) were officially out. They also opted to sign QB Hendon Hooker as a regular, making him the No. 2 for that matchup.
The atmosphere at Highmark Stadium was filled with emotion on Sunday, especially considering this could very well be the last game played there, unless an unlikely playoff scenario unfolds. A brand new stadium is set to open across the street next season, featuring the Bills as its first official tenants.
Interestingly, the Bills defeated the Jets 9-7 in their first game at the old stadium on September 30, 1973. This Sunday marked the 50th matchup between the two teams at the same venue, with the Jets holding a 20-30 record in those games.
Logically, it seems likely that the Jets will be the Bills’ first home opponent in the new stadium next season.
For the Jets’ 2026 schedule, they have home games lined up against the Raiders, Broncos, Packers, Vikings, Browns, Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots. As for their away games, they will be facing Arizona, Tennessee, the LA Rams, Chicago, Kansas City, and Detroit.
Jets kicker Nick Folk, who succeeded in 28 of 29 field goals and 22 PATs, would have earned a $125,000 bonus had he hit two field goals against the Bills to reach a total of 30 points for the season. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t able to meet this challenge.
Then there’s running back and kick returner Kane Nwanwu. If he had returned a kick for a touchdown in this game, a cool $500,000 bonus was on the line. While he had managed a touchdown return earlier this season against the Browns, he wasn’t used on kickoffs in this game due to his significant snaps as a running back.
