We can say a lot about the New York Jets season, but some points are much clearer than others.
At the top of that list is the Jets inability to force turnovers, a significant issue for a defense that, frankly, isn't great.
Factor that in with the lack of turnovers, and it's clear why the Jets haven't had much success on that side of the basketball throughout the season.
While having just two forced turnovers, and none of those coming from an interception is an issue, it's much worse than anyone would ever think.
As of now, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk cited, the Jets are on pace to make history that no team in NFL history wants. If the Jets don't get that number to seven, they'll have the fewest turnovers in NFL history.
"The Jets are poised to break an NFL record that no team wants.
"Through 13 games this season, the Jets’ defense has forced just two turnovers: A fumble recovery in Week Six against the Broncos, and a fumble recovery in Week 13 against the Falcons. The Jets’ defense still doesn’t have a single interception. Every other NFL team has at least five. Unless they step up their game significantly in the final four games of the season, the Jets will break the current record for the fewest opponents turnovers in a season of seven, set by the 49ers in 2018," he wrote.
Perhaps not all of this is why the Jets' defense has been bad, but it's also tough to justify in a sense. Had the Jets been able to force more turnovers, it'd ultimately put them in a better spot to get off the field.
To me, this is why the Jets' defense has been far below what we're used to seeing.
Smith agrees.
"The Jets’ failure to force turnovers is a major part of the reason they’re 3-10 this season, and a major disappointment for first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, who got the job because he was well regarded as a defensive coordinator with the Lions. Fewest takeaways in a season is not a record Glenn wants on his résumé, but it’s a record his team is poised to set."