The defensive line was supposed to be the strength of the New York Jets defense in 2021, but following a pre-season injury to Carl Lawson and some unexpected softness from the interior defenders, it was anything but.
A huge part of the issue rested on the Jets’ inability to stop the run. They finished the 2021 season ranked 29th in opponent rushing yards per game (138.3), 26th in opponent rushing first downs per game (7.6), 32nd in opponent rushing touchdowns per game (1.6), and 24th in opponent yards per rush attempt (4.5).
In short, the run defense was bad.