DL Jowon Briggs: ‘I’m Making Sure We’re Getting Ready for the Next Play’

When DL Jowon Briggs took down Buffalo QB Josh Allen for the first sack of his professional career in Week 2, there was no celebration.

“For me, I’m like a guy that just puts his horse blinders on and works,” Briggs said. “Yeah, I got the sack, but I’m getting up, grabbing my teammates up and making sure we’re getting ready for the next play.”

Briggs’ response following a career milestone is a testament to his work ethic. The 2024 seventh-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns joined the Jets via trade just weeks before the start of the regular season. In two games with the Green & White, he has already flashed potential to be an integral member of the team’s defensive front. In addition to his sack, Briggs also took down Allen at the line of scrimmage and forced a James Cook fumble that the Bills recovered.

The overall defensive performance wasn’t up to the team’s standard, though, and Briggs spoke about the unit’s focus on the fundamentals ahead of a Week 3 matchup against in Tampa Bay.

“We’ve just got to play our brand of football,” he said Wednesday. “I’m confident in our guys. We had a great day of practice today, just getting back to being gritty football players. Just really getting off the ball, attacking, hand placement, getting your one-two in the ground.

Briggs, who called himself a “big heat acclimation guy,” is eager for the Jets’ next two matchups in Florida. Following a strong individual performance in Week 2, his focus remains on doing his job to the best of his ability no matter what environment he’s in — and encouraging those around him to strive for the same.

“Football is a team sport, but it’s also a team sport where you can be selfish,” he said. “So selfish in doing your job as well as you can, that you make the whole better. If everybody is so selfish at doing their job exactly correct, the way they’re supposed to do it, you’ll put some beautiful things on tape. And I think that you can get that. Something that we’re getting back to is guys doing — some say their one-eleventh, some say doing their part — just taking care of that, and then doing it in an aggressive, effective way. And I think we’ll be great.”