The tension is building within the New York Jets’ organization.
On Friday, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams took a veiled shot at coach Adam Gase’s offense, suggesting the defensive struggles aren’t entirely the fault of the defense.
The 0-5 Jets, who face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, are allowing 32.2 points per game, worse than every team except the Dallas Cowboys.
“It’s not a very good number — and a lot of it’s not all defensively,” Williams said after Friday’s practice. “It’s points on the board and we’ve got to do a good job of that, and how you do that is make them kick more field goals, got to do a better job in field-position-type things.
“As you see, the scoring is up in the league, but it still makes me sick,” he said.
Seven words hung in the air: “A lot of it’s not all defensively.” When asked what he meant by that, Williams turned cryptic.
“You’d have to figure it out,” he said, ending his video call with reporters.
The embattled Gase wasn’t available to comment, as he already had spoken to reporters.
Williams probably was referring to the fact that the offense was responsible for 12 points allowed — two Sam Darnold interceptions returned for touchdowns in a Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The offense also has made it tough on the defense by averaging only 15 points per game and ranking near the bottom of the league in total yards and time of possession.
But Williams’ unit hasn’t fared much better, yielding 394 yards per game and ranking last in third-down defense. The defense also has been plagued by undisciplined play. The Jets have committed 21 defensive penalties, second-most in the league. They lead the league in roughing-the-passer penalties (seven).
“We have been put in some unfortunate situations as far as field position,” safety Bradley McDougald said.
“At the end of the day, our job is to go out there and prevent points,” he added. “We just got to go out there and make more plays.”
This has been a tumultuous week for the Jets, who released running back Le’Veon Bell after he clashed with Gase for more than a year and complained about his role.
Gase has been tight-lipped since Bell’s ouster. He declined to comment Friday when asked about Bell signing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Focusing on Miami, man,” he said.
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