The New York Jets’ defense finally reached a breaking point, prompting head coach Aaron Glenn to relieve defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of his duties three weeks before the season’s conclusion.
The unit struggled all year, but things unraveled quickly down the stretch. Over Wilks’ final two games, the Jets surrendered 82 points, a collapse that underscored months of defensive issues that never seemed to improve.
Across his 15-week tenure in New York, the Jets ranked 29th against the run and 30th in scoring defense. Wilks’ schematic stubbornness consistently hurt the group as he was unable to make necessary schematic changes, such as dropping back to zone coverage, far more often on third down.
Perhaps most alarming was the Jets’ inability to generate takeaways. Through 15 games, New York failed to record a single interception, setting an NFL record for consecutive games without one.
One defensive coordinator candidate has an established track record in rebuilding secondaries and would fit perfectly in New York: Al Harris.
A former All-Pro cornerback who spent 14 years in the league, Harris began his coaching career by spending time in lower-leverage roles with the Kansas City Chiefs, FAU, and Miami Dolphins.
His first significant coaching role came in 2020, when the Dallas Cowboys hired him as their defensive backs coach. He ultimately spent four years in Dallas and, in his final year, was promoted to an assistant head coach role.
This season, he joined the Chicago Bears’ coaching staff as their defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
Inside Harris’ success with rebuilding secondaries
When Harris arrived in Dallas in 2020, the Cowboys’ secondary wasn’t anything special. It ranked 17th in pass defense DVOA and tied for the fewest interceptions in the league, picking off just seven passes all season.
It didn’t stay that way for long.
By 2021, the Cowboys’ secondary looked like a completely different unit. Dallas jumped to second in pass-defense DVOA and led the NFL in interceptions (26) and total takeaways (34), becoming one of the most aggressive, playmaking defenses in football.
The individual growth told the same story. In Harris’ first season, Trevon Diggs exploded for a career year, hauling in an NFL-high 11 interceptions. That trend carried over again in 2023, when DaRon Bland set his own career high and led the league with nine picks under Harris’ watch.
The former cornerback’s impact traveled with him 942 miles to Soldier Field.
Last season, the Bears struggled to take the ball away, finishing 22nd in interceptions (11) and 28th in pass defense DVOA. It was a unit searching for confidence and consistency.
One offseason later, the difference is night and day. Chicago now leads the league in interceptions with 21 and has climbed all the way to 15th in pass-defense DVOA, going from one of the league’s worst units to arguably the NFL’s best.
The Bears also currently rely on man-heavy systems, ranking ninth in man coverage, and New York already has corners built for that style in Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Azareye’h Thomas, and Brandon Stephens.
There is a trend wherever Harris has had a meaningful role. The turnaround is swift, and improvement is shown immediately.
Al Harris fits what the New York Jets need: a defensive coordinator who can develop young corners, spark rapid improvement, and help the unit finally take the ball away.