The Jets players will vote on the team’s season awards in a few weeks, and who deserves team MVP could be an interesting conversation inside the locker room.
The award has been obvious in many recent seasons because the team had only one or two good players.
The roster has improved, though, and no one has really had a season that stands out above every one else on the team.
You almost certainly can rule out an offensive player with how terrible that unit has been all season. The defense is loaded with good players, but no one is putting up eye-popping statistics.
Here is how I would stack up the candidates for the Curtis Martin Jets MVP Award this season:
1. Quinnen Williams
The big defensive lineman won the award last year, and he could become the first repeat winner since Jamal Adams in 2018 and 2019.
The Jets signed him to a four-year, $96 million contract this offseason, and he has shown he is worth it.
Pro Football Focus has Williams rated as the No. 2 interior defender in the NFL behind the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence. Williams really has improved as a run defender this year. He is rated as the No. 1 interior defender against the run by PFF.
Williams’ sack numbers are down. He has three after getting 12 last year, but no one should be fooled by the stats. Teams are game-planning to stop Williams with double teams, and what he has done on the inside has created sack opportunities on the outside for players such as Jermaine Johnson (6 ½ sacks) and Bryce Huff (7 sacks).
If you watch Williams on every down, he is relentless and has incredible strength. He repeatedly drives offensive linemen into the backfield and blows up plays.
Williams is the type of player whom teammates look at with some awe. He’s that good. That’s why I think he’ll win the award again.
2. C.J. Mosley
The most respected veteran in the locker room is Mosley. He is a quiet leader, but he never misses plays and continues to play at a high level as the quarterback of the defense.
Mosley leads the team with 124 tackles and has seven passes defensed and one forced fumble. The 31-year-old always seems to be around the ball.
Mosley is the heart and soul of the defense, and should get consideration because of it. It would be the second time Mosley won the award after winning in 2021.
3. Thomas Morstead
OK, so a punter is not going to win, but Morstead really deserves consideration.
He has been so consistent, and in these games where the Jets have had no offense, Morstead’s punts have created field-position issues for their opponents and kept them in it.
The Jets have three safeties this season, and Morstead gets an assist on those for pinning teams inside the 5-yard line. He is tied for the most punts in the NFL with 76 and ranks third with 28 inside the 20-yard line.
4. D.J. Reed/Sauce Gardner
I can’t separate these two because they are the best cornerback duo in football.
Wide receivers have only scored three touchdowns against the Jets all season. There are games in which quarterbacks have nowhere to throw because these two are so sticky in coverage.
The lack of interceptions (just one) is a knock against them, but it is hard to find any other holes in their games.
5. Garrett Wilson
Like I said, there is no way an offensive player can get this award, but Wilson deserves recognition.
He has endured a second year of quarterback hell, and he still finds ways to produce. He has 76 catches for 853 yards and three touchdowns.
Wilson looks like he’ll be a star for years for the Jets. They just need to get him a quarterback. Maybe Aaron Rodgers can elevate him to another level next year.
Honorable mentions: Quincy Williams, Breece Hall, Bryce Huff
What goes up, usually comes down
Can Zach Wilson do it again? That is the question entering this week’s game against the Dolphins.
Wilson played the best game of his career against the Texans on Sunday. He posted a 117.9 quarterback rating, a new career high.
Consistency has always been an issue with Wilson. I decided to look back at his other top games (by QB rating) and what happened in the following game.
Good performance: Oct. 1, 2023 vs. Chiefs
28-of-39, 245 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 105.2 rating, 23-20 loss
Next game: Oct. 8, 2023 at Broncos
19-of-26, 199 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 78.8 rating, 31-21 win
Good performance: Nov. 6, 2022 vs. Bills
18-of-25, 154 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 101.1 rating, 20-17 win
Next game: Nov. 20, 2022 at Patriots
9-of-22, 77 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 50.8 rating, 10-3 loss
Good performance: Oct. 9, 2022 vs. Dolphins
14-of-21, 210 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 99.3 rating, 40-17 win
Next game: Oct. 16, 2022 at Packers
10-of-18, 110 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 73.8 rating, 27-10 win
As you can see, he has not been able to string together strong performances. We’ll see whether he can buck that trend Sunday in Miami.
Want to catch a game? The Jets schedule with links to buy tickets can be found here.
Stat’s so
The Jets held the Texans to just 135 total yards in Sunday’s win. That is the 13th fewest in franchise history.
Here is a look at the top 10 defensive performances in franchise history by yards allowed:
1. Sept. 19, 1982, at Patriots: 57 yards allowed (W, 31-7)
2. Jan. 3, 2010, vs. Bengals: 72 yards allowed (W, 37-0)
3. Nov. 22, 1970, vs. Patriots: 80 yards allowed (W, 17-3)
4. Dec. 20, 1981, vs. Packers: 84 yards allowed (W, 28-3)
5. Nov. 1, 2009, vs. Dolphins: 104 yards allowed (L, 30-25)
T-6. Dec. 14, 1997, vs. Buccaneers: 111 yards allowed (W, 31-0)
T-6.;Sept. 9, 1966, at Dolphins: 111 yards allowed (W, 19-14)
8. Sept. 11, 1960, vs. Bills: 113 yards allowed (W, 27-3)
9. Oct. 29, 1995, at Colts: 114 yards allowed (L, 17-10)
10. Dec. 13, 2009, at Buccaneers: 124 yards allowed (W, 26-3)
Source: Stathead
Read more
