With a litany of key contributors sidelined due to COVID-19 and various injuries, the New York Jets defense that took the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 looked like a unit you would see in a team’s final preseason game (a sentiment echoed by CBS play-by-play announcer Spero Dedes).
New faces were everywhere. Four different defenders made their first start of the season. Three players played their very first defensive snaps of the entire 2021 season.
Staying true to the “next man up” mentality that prevails in team sports across the world, the Jets’ defense was able to survive thanks to a handful of backups and scrapheap pickups who seized their opportunities and had standout games.