Coming into the season, the New York Jets are expected to have one of the NFL's best defenses. Cornerback D.J. Reed, however, thinks that characterization might actually undersell things.
According to ESPN, Reed said during a conference call with reporters that the Jets can be as good a defense as teams like the 1985 Chicago Bears. Considered arguably the best defense in NFL history, the Bears ended the 1985 season ranked first in the league in both yards and points allowed, as well as first downs allowed, rushing touchdowns allowed, takeaways, and several other key statistics.
Last season's Jets finished the season ranked fourth in both yards and points allowed, third in first downs allowed and first in passing touchdowns allowed. They were second in points per drive, fifth in FTN's DVOA, and fifth in Tru Media's EPA (expected points added) per play.
They reached that level despite actually getting pressure at a below-average rate (32.2% of opponent dropbacks, per Tru Media) and forcing a turnover on only 8.3% of opponent drives -- a rate that checked in just 27th in the NFL. Both of those statistics would indicate that the Jets' performance has some room to get better.
Of course, defense isn't necessarily consistent on a season-to-season basis, but with Reed and Sauce Gardner manning the outside, Robert Saleh calling the defense, and a deep group of defensive linemen, New York should be able to remain among the best units in football.
Reaching the level of the 1985 Bears, though, is quite a tall order, and even finishing first in the league in every defensive category wouldn't necessarily put a group in that lofty company. The Jets would have to dramatically out-perform the rest of the league in nearly every metric. Can that be done? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not.
