BAD IN THE SACK
Wilkerson, Williams coming up limp on defensive line
THERE is no bigger mystery surrounding the 2017 Jets than: What the heck is going on with Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams?
The two defensive linemen, who are considered the best players on the team, have had zero impact this season through six games. The two have combined for zero sacks. These are two former Pro Bowlers who are now in witness protection.
On Sunday, Williams hit Tom Brady once. Wilkerson did not get near him. Brady had enough time to whip up a batch of avocado ice cream on some pass plays.
To help solve what is going on we turned to Brian Baldinger, a former NFL offensive lineman who is now an analyst for the NFL Network and breaks down the film every week of every game and tweets out plays. This week, he showed a few plays that highlighted how poor the Jets’ defensive line is playing.
For a team that has been built on the back of the defensive line for much of the past decade, these Jets are unrecognizable.
“That’s not who the Jets are,” Baldinger said. “You can say anything you want about Rex Ryan, but his whole Sunday was about hitting the quarterback. … Tom Brady’s had some miserable days against the Jets. He could have darn well played that game in Bermuda shorts on Sunday.”
No quarterback has had to fear the Jets’ pass rush this season. They have seven sacks as a team, which ranks 31st in the league. Five sacks from linebackers, two from defensive backs. David Bass, who joined the team in Week 3, is leading the team with two sacks.
Wilkerson and Williams have been invisible in games. Pro Football Focus gives out a pass-rush grade. Williams ranks 78th out of 110 interior defenders. Wilkerson ranks 94th.
Wilkerson does not have a quarterback hit this season. That means he has not laid a finger on a quarterback in six games. He has one hurry, as credited by the Jets’ coaches. He has nine solo tackles.
“Muhammad Wilkerson is not interested in playing,” Baldinger said.
This is a popular theory with Wilkerson. He received a five-year, $86 million contract before the 2016 season and has not looked like the same player everyone saw in 2015. Last year’s lack of production could be attributed to his recovery from a broken leg and subsequent surgery.
This year? He has been bothered by an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and suffered a toe injury, believed to be turf toe, last week. Those could be hindering him. He did not practice last week. But if he keeps playing, he has to start producing. Even last year, he had 4.5 sacks while not 100 percent.
“Here’s the biggest problem with Muhammad Wilkerson and having him on the field to rush the passer: He acts and plays as if every pass is going to be out on three steps, so he stops rushing,” Baldinger said. “There’s no bull rush, there’s no power, there’s no move. It’s just basically push the pocket a little bit, and sometimes he doesn’t even do that, and then get his hands up. That’s not playing defensive line in this league.”
Williams has not been much better. He has seven solo tackles, seven hurries and six hits of the quarterback.
“When he came out of USC and in his first two years, he was as good with his hands as any player coming into the league,” Baldinger said. “He’s not using his hands the way he knows how to right now.”
There may be an injury issue for Williams, too. He injured his left wrist in the third preseason game versus the Giants. The Jets downplayed the injury. Williams later said it was a bone bruise. He has been on the injury report all year.
“Leonard’s game is his hands,” Baldinger said. “He has great hands and he knows how to use them. That may very well be it. He may not have strength in that one hand right now as he’s accustomed to having it.”
There have been plenty of surprising things about this year’s Jets — many of them positive. But none have been more shocking than defensive line disappearing act.