Jets' Defensive Line
The Jets' defense flies to the football and plays with physicality under the direction of Head Coach Aaron Glenn. Dan Campbell's influence is evident in Glenn's style and the Jets have several standouts, including defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, pass rusher Will McDonald IV and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Williams recorded his first sack of the season against former teammate Aaron Rodgers and McDonald leads the team with two. Williams creates quick wins at the point of attack to catapult him into the backfield and has effective diagnosis skills. He has great closing burst and McDonald is explosive and has an outstanding feel for the pocket. McDonald fires out of his stance and Sauce Gardner elevates New York's secondary. He has sticky hands and jams releases. Gardner stays connected to routes and attacks passing lanes from off coverage. The Bucs will face the talented defenders on Sunday and will know where each player is on the field.
"It feels like it's every week in the NFL, but you're going against really good D-lines," said Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard. "It started in Atlanta, clearly that unit last week was fantastic, and then starting with Quinnen, but they've got guys at every level, especially with the edge rushers. We'll see if [Jermaine] Johnson plays, but McDonald is a really good player. They run to the football – you can tell they preach that in practice and you can see it show up on tape. And then really with Sauce as well, he's a really good cover guy. But it's every week in the NFL with these D-linemen and D-ends."
Defending Breece Hall
The Jets boast the sixth-best rushing attack in the NFL and Breece Hall leads the team with 136 rushing yards. Hall was second in the NFL in 2023 with 440 rushing yards after forcing missed tackles. He is a focal point of their offense and runs with great balance. Hall recognizes lane development and is able to set up second-level defenders. He runs with power to absorb contact, and for Tampa Bay limiting his ability on Sunday will be pivotal. Todd Bowles' crew has to be disciplined in run fits and take effective angles or Hall will exploit any miscues. The Bucs' run defense has been stout in the interior, bottling rushers up at the line, but has struggled against running backs in the flat off screens and swing passes. Hall will provide a test to the unit on Sunday.
"Depending on what we are doing by down and distance in situations -- everything is so situationally oriented -- he is an excellent receiver out of the backfield, it does a lot of different things for him," noted Passing Game Coordinator George Edwards. "He is an excellent runner. He will be a test for us this week as far as whether it is in coverage or him running the football."
Baker Mayfield Rallies the Troops
Against the Texans in Week Two, Baker Mayfield showed off his trademark improvisation skills and moxie. He rushed three times for 33 yards, gaining a first down on each scramble. In the final scoring drive, he scrambled 15 yards from fourth-and-10 to keep the drive alive. Mayfield carried the team on his back and laid it all on the field. He possesses an elite understanding of pressure/coverages and took advantage when he saw open grass. Mayfield plays with a competitive disposition that is second to none and galvanizes the Bucs' offense. With quick processing and the ability to layer the football to all levels of the field, Mayfield spurred the team to victory on Monday Night Football.
"I think I have said it, but there is nobody else I would rather follow in a two-minute drill," said Vita Vea. "He goes in there with the utmost confidence, and then on fourth-and-10 is able to get out of something like that -- scramble, get us a first down, pop up and just lead the troops right down the field. I think he plays some of his best ball when it is a huge pressure situation like that, and he brings the best out of all of us."
