The Jets’ defense is unraveling faster than anyone expected. Sunday’s 37-22 loss put everything on full display. Missed tackles, zero pressure, and another underwhelming showing from Sauce Gardner. New York surrendered 416 total yards, averaging 7.1 per play.

Yet amid the chaos, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks faced the media overseas in London. He took full accountability. ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared on X, “#Jets DC Steve Wilks (speaking to reporters in London) takes accountability for the defensive struggles.”

Wilks admitted the tackling has been unacceptable: “That’s something I’ve taken ownership of. It’s something we emphasized and talked about this week.” He also addressed the disappearing pass rush: “Everything is on me, trying to put guys in position to create one-on-ones across the board… I gotta do a great job, from 95 (Williams) to 9 (McDonald), getting those guys in position where they can go execute because they’re very talented guys that we know can perform at a high level.”

Even the Cowboys’ Javonte Williams, who hadn’t cracked 100 rushing yards all year, erupted for 135 on 16 carries at 8.4 yards per carry. The defense couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t get off the field, and somehow still lost the time-of-possession battle while getting blown off the scoreboard. It was a mirror image of every Jets defensive outing this season, quite sluggish.

But that accountability doesn’t erase the reality: Wilks isn’t a rookie play-caller. He’s been an NFL head coach. The patience excuse doesn’t hold water anymore. And for Aaron Glenn, now overseeing this defense, the decision to stick with a system that clearly isn’t clicking raises serious questions.

The only faint positive? The run defense. Ranked 12th by Pro Football Focus with a 68.0 grade. That’s thanks almost entirely to Quinnen Williams, who owns a 92.3 individual grade, best among all interior defensive linemen in football. Beyond him, no Jets lineman even touches 75.0.

Everywhere else, it’s disaster territory. New York’s pass defense ranks 30th in EPA per dropback, and they’ve yet to force a single turnover. That stat alone makes NFL history. They’re the first team in 90 years to go four straight games without a takeaway while starting 0-4.

The Jets have managed only three sacks over their last four games, bringing their season total to seven through five weeks, and are tied for the third fewest in the NFL. The pass rush?

Dead on arrival. Just six sacks all season and a 31st-ranked pressure rate. Combine that with their league-high missed tackles, and it’s a miracle they’ve managed any sacks at all.

Sauce Gardner looks lost, the secondary’s out of sync, and even the rotation at edge rusher is collapsing.

Aaron Glenn facing a defensive collapse

Sauce Gardner, the All-Pro cornerback, entered 2025 as one of the Jets’ highest-paid and most-hyped stars, viewed as the defensive cornerstone for a team desperate to turn its image around. But as the Jets sit at 0-5, that “elite” label is starting to fade fast.

The cracks are showing—both in Gardner’s performance and in the system designed around him. New York’s defense no longer carries that trademark fear factor. Case in point: the Week 2 blowout against the Buffalo Bills, where the Jets gave up over 220 rushing yards and buried themselves with penalties.

“It’s definitely frustrating because even though we lost last week, it was like one of those things where we know what type of team we’re going to be, and today we didn’t display how we played last week,” Gardner admitted after the Bills’ loss.

The results speak for themselves. Gardner’s 2025 season has been riddled with missed tackles, busted assignments, and lapses in awareness. In Week 5 vs. Dallas, he surrendered a 43-yard touchdown to George Pickens and called it a “busted coverage.”

Through five games, opposing quarterbacks have posted a 94.0 passer rating when targeting him, ranking him 36th among 73 corners.

Despite the collapse, Aaron Glenn publicly stood by his defensive coordinator. “Our head coach had a lot of confidence in me, making sure we get it right. And I feel the exact same way. I have a lot of confidence in Wilks. He’s done a lot of great things in this league as a defensive coordinator. And I’m going to allow him to do his job,” Glenn said.

Glenn himself made history for the wrong reasons. He’s now the first head coach in franchise history to start his tenure 0-5. Until Aaron Glenn and Steve Wilks find answers, Sauce Gardner’s ceiling—and the Jets’ season—will remain trapped under the weight of systemic dysfunction.