Given the offense they were facing, that isn't that impressive a stretch. Even more so when you consider that the "fumble" drive was a nanometer from being an ugly TD and the "field goal" was yet another long drive with coverage breakdowns, right at a point when a single stop likely ends the game.
Also noteworthy is that the first interception came after NY easily marched into NE territory right before the half. It was a good play, but boiling the drive down to that single play slaps a bit too much lipstick on it.
I'm not convinced the Jet game represents more than marginal improvement in pass defense. The run D made some progress, though.
It is a division game on the road. Those games were close with the
suddenly oh so great teams in 2014 and 2016 as well. I dont get how this gets pointed out for years and people still pretend as if games against the Jets should be automatic wins.
And everything else are just excuses. It is exactly like Chatham is saying. People have seen the first couple of games and drives and have decided that this team has a bad defense even if they have shown clear improvement and were downright good at times later on. What is the most frustrating aspect is that the narrative just seems to shift just as required to fit your bias.
Allow many points ? The points per game tell the story.
Allow only 3 more points in 3 quarters ? Screw the points per game lets look at it on play-by-play basis.
There are not enough turnovers ? Downplay turnovers because they happen on your side of the field.
Giving up too much per play ? Ignore that they put the Jets
consistently into uncomfortable third and long situations.
Is this a great defense ? No, not by any stretch. Are they historically bad ? Nope, not by any stretch. They are on the way to be a league average defense by November and hopefully click even more in December/January.
People seriously should check some of the 2014 and especially 2016 threads to see how everyone was freaking out about whatever they could find throughout the year trying only to now sit and point towards those defenses as some kind of standard.