The New York Jets defense got absolutely carved up at Arrowhead Stadium, giving up five full touchdowns in a brutal 35-12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a tough afternoon, no doubt about it, with Patrick Mahomes and that KC offense finding ways to exploit the defense pretty much at will.
Only One Bright Spot on a Rough Day
Look, it wasn’t *all* bad. David Bailey, bless his heart, actually brought some much-needed disruption. He racked up two sacks and even forced two fumbles. That’s a huge boost, and Bailey’s return was definitely felt. But outside of his heroics, the rest of the unit just couldn’t consistently slow down the Chiefs. Aaron Glenn’s defense surrendered 257 yards and 21 points *after halftime*, which is just unacceptable when the game was still potentially in reach. The defensive front struggled to create pressure beyond Bailey, and the secondary clearly had its own major challenges.
PFF Grades Pull Back the Curtain on the Struggle
Pro Football Focus really put the magnifying glass on this performance, identifying exactly which players struggled with their individual assignments. The numbers don’t lie, and they highlight some serious issues for key contributors who absolutely need to step it up going forward.
Here are the five lowest-graded Jets defensive players from Week 9 against Kansas City, according to PFF:
* 5. Harrison Phillips, defensive tackle , 40.1
* 4. D’Angelo Ponds, cornerback , 38.9
* 3. Malachi Moore, safety , 38.9
* 2. Jowon Briggs, defensive tackle , 37.0
* 1. Demario Davis, linebacker , 28.1
That’s right, veteran linebacker Demario Davis landed at the very bottom with a horrifying 28.1 grade. He was involved in the action, sure, tallying nine tackles, including five solo stops. But PFF’s evaluation suggests that even with those numbers, his overall performance just didn’t hit the standard expected from a player of his caliber. When your veteran leader is at the bottom of the list, you know you’ve got problems.
This kind of defensive showing is a huge red flag. The Jets need more than one guy making plays if they want to compete. This PFF breakdown is a wake-up call, and this defensive unit has a lot to fix before their next game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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