It was a disappointing year for the Jets in 2016, particularly on the defensive line. Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson turned in underachieving years. In all of the doom and gloom, Pro Football Focus notes one thing the line did well, contacting ball carriers.
The @nyjets defensive line don't like to give their opponents much room to work with pic.twitter.com/PoYgLP9M25
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 3, 2017
Many of these plays resulted in tackles. Even those that didn't tended to force rushers to slow down their progress. It's easier to run the football when you have space to run.
It is a credit to the guys up front to post such robust numbers even after losing arguably the league's top shutdown run defender in Damon Harrison to free agency. Leonard Williams' emergence certainly helped here, and Sheldon Richardson chipped in more than you would expect in an otherwise forgettable season.
There isn't much you can say good about the 2016 Jets, but they did maintain their status as an excellent run defending team.