What to watch for in Bears-Jets game
WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
On Jan. 5, 2025, Jets safety Ashtyn Davis picked off a deep ball intended for the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle. It was his second of the 32-20 winon the last day of the 2024 NFL season.
The Jets haven’t intercepted a pass since — a span of 632 passes.
They went all last season — the first under head Aaron Glenn, the 15-year cornerback who then became the Lions’ defensive coordinator — without a pick. The Jets were founded in 1960; the NFL low-water mark for interceptions during that span was the 2018 49ers’ two.
Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor heard the stat during the offseason but said he hasn’t told his quarterbacks room about it. The Bears excel in that regard, anyway — no team in the NFL has thrown fewer interceptions since the start of 2025.
The Jets signed Nahshon Wright, the NFL’s takeaways leader last year, to a one-year, $5.5 million contract to try to solve the problem. He’s been unable to crack their rotation, playing zero snaps on defense this season. The Jets’ starting cornerback group— Azareye’h Thomas , Brandon Stephens and slot Jarvis Brownlee — has been a pleasant surprise. The Jets have allowed 171 passing yards per game, the third-fewest in the league.
They struggled in the second half last week, giving up three touchdowns points on the last four non-kneeling drives to the Lions. That matched their total in Weeks 1 and 2 — a win against the woeful Titans and a loss to the struggling Packers.
WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL
The Bears consider last year’s Week 4 game — a win in Las Vegas punctuated by Josh Blackwell’s blocked field goal — a turning point in their season. Geno Smith, then, had a hand in setting the Bears toward the NFC North title.
Smith threw three interceptions to the Bears — two to Kevin Byard and one to Tyrique Stevenson — as part of a stretch of nine picks in the first five games. He finished with a league-high 17.
After returning to the team that drafted him, Smith has yet to throw an interception in three games. He’s been remarkably efficient under new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, posting a 110 passer rating that ranks fourth among quarterbacks who have thrown at least 50 passes.
It’s unclear whether Stevenson will get a chance to pick him off again. He was limited to four defensive snaps last week after pulling his hamstring against the Vikings. Rookie Malik Muhammad shined in his place, giving up three catches for 45 yards on five targets. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will continue to mix-and-match his personnel. Six defensive backs played at least 20% of the Bears’ snaps last week as Allen leaned on exotic dime package looks on third downs. The Bears took the ball away three times. Their six on the season ranks third in the NFL.
The Jets will be without two starters, running back Breece Hall, who will be replaced by Braelon Allen, and receiver Adonai Mitchell.