NY Jets: Davis and Harris are Three Down Linebackers

A little earlier, we took a look at some playing time figures for players on the offense. Let's take a look at the defense now.

The first thing that really sticks out is that Demario Davis and David Harris are three down linebackers in this defense. When Todd Bowles came, some of us wondered how he would handle linebackers. Bowles had a reputation for being creative when it came to inserting extra defensive backs on the field. It was worth wondering whether Davis and Harris might be replaced on passing downs. It has not happened. Davis leads the defense in snaps, and Harris has played over 90%. It is also worth noting that Harris has missed some snaps due to injury, not strategy.

What are some other things of note? Leonard Williams has played almost 80% of the defensive snaps for the Jets. That is an impressive figure for a rookie at a physically demanding position. What is even more impressive is that Williams is playing well. He had a monster game against Miami? Was it his breakout performance? Time will tell.

Some people complained when the Jets signed Buster Skrine that they were paying too much money for a nickel corner. I think some of those complaints came from the mistaken assumption a nickel would be a part-time player. Skrine has played over 80% of the defensive snaps, though.

The complete totals are below courtesy of the NFL's numbers.