David Bailey was a Jets ‘flame thrower’ in breakout performance that’s an exciting sign for defense

Aaron Glenn was handing out game balls inside a jubilant Jets locker room Sunday when he started shouting out some impressive individual stats.

The smiling coach then turned to his left, pointed to rookie edge rusher David Bailey and used an expletive while calling him a “flame thrower,” prompting huge cheers.

Three sacks, seven total tackles, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, nine pressures — and one huge breakout performance for the No. 2 overall pick in New York’s 17-12 victory over Cleveland.

“Just relentless,” Glenn said Monday.

Bailey helped a previously pedestrian Jets pass rush sack Deshaun Watson eight times. Glenn was aggressive Sunday, using blitzes and causing chaos — led by Bailey — with a defense that has held three of its first five opponents to under 200 yards of total offense. The Jets didn’t do that once last season.

“It felt good, man,” Bailey said of his game. “It felt good to know that to do this, to compete against the highest level and I’m just proud of my D-line. I’m proud of the defense as a whole to come together.”

It was exactly what the Jets (2-3) were hoping for when they made him the highest-drafted defensive player in franchise history in April. And the game-wrecking impact is precisely what they expected.

“It’s the same thing you really saw from him coming out of college,” Glenn said of the former Texas Tech star. “His ability to bend the edge, his ability to dip, lean, use power in that lean and be able to rip up and be able to go make plays on the quarterback. His ability to make a move and then rush with power.”

Glenn also praised Bailey’s performance in the running game, which was considered by some as one of his weaknesses coming out of college.

“That’s who he is,” quarterback Geno Smith said. “We’ve seen it from the moment he stepped in. In training camp, he was all around the football making plays. He’s been doing it all season. He’s a young player, but he’s got a veteran approach and he does the little things well.”

Last week, Bailey was answering questions about what some perceived as a slow start to his NFL career. He had two sacks in his first four games, but the impact seemed minimal. He insisted he was focused on doing his job and not worried about any outside noise.

Then came Sunday’s booming performance.

“Everything you would want in an edge (rusher) is in David Bailey,” cornerback Azareye’h Thomas said.

Bailey became the seventh player in the past 25 years to have a three-sack performance in his first five NFL games, according to Stats Perform, and the first since Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson in 2022. Bailey also joined Hugh Douglas (1995) as the only Jets rookies to have three sacks in a game.

“He’s here for a reason,” defensive tackle Jowon Briggs said, “and he’s going to continue to do those types of things.”

What’s working

The Jets put up 276 yards of total offense — hardly eye-popping numbers. But that came in a driving rain, and they were 8 of 17 on third down after going 0 for 7 last week.

Wide receiver Tim Patrick says the Jets have “insane” talent on offense when everyone’s healthy. Running back Breece Hall and wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and Omar Cooper Jr. are among those sidelined.

“We could be the best, honestly,” he said. “I’ve never been around this much talent.”

Reminded he was a member of the 2024 Detroit Lions, who led the league in scoring, Patrick highlighted the Jets’ versatile five-man tight end corps.

“That’s why I would put them over the Lions,” Patrick said before adding with a smile: “That’s gonna backfire on me, really.”

What needs help

Glenn said he wants to see the Jets get their return game going on punts and kickoffs. Kene Nwangwu averaged 22.7 yard on three kickoff returns in his second game back from injury, while Isaiah Williams had a 36-yard return and brought back four punts for 67 yards, a 16.8-yard average.

Stock up

RB Braelon Allen. The third-year running back had a career-high 116 yards rushing and the winning 22-yard touchdown on 24 carries, filling in for the second game in a row for Hall. “It shouldn’t be a surprise,” Glenn said. “He went out there and did his job. No one was surprised. We’re all happy for him.”

Stock down

RG Joe Tippmann. He has been one of the more consistent players on an up-and-down O-line, but he had a rough day against the Browns. He was part of three sacks of Smith and was called for two penalties.

Injuries

Rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq is in the concussion protocol. Glenn had no further updates on other injuries, including Hall (quadriceps), Mitchell (finger) and LG Dylan Parham (knee). Cooper (ankle) is eligible to be activated from injured reserve this week.

Key number

10 — The Jets had 10 more enforced penalties, giving them 47 for the season and tying the Chargers for the second most in the NFL behind only the Browns (49).

Next steps

The Jets will head to New England to play the Patriots next Sunday in their first AFC East game of the season. The defending AFC champions are 3-2 and on a two-game winning streak. They’ve also won the past three meetings with New York.

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