The Numbers Behind Jets Defense’s 8-Sack Night Against CJ Stroud

NFL players love to talk about stacking wood and laying bricks. Likewise, facts and statistics on the Jets’ defense are stacked, mostly in the pass rush area, like planes over LaGuardia and Shea Stadium in the old days.

“Just like everybody else, I think any time you get that much pressure or get hit, it affects any quarterback, right?” Houston HC DeMeco Ryans talked about QB CJ Stroud and his offense. “The game plan on defense is always to try to piss off the quarterback, and they did that today.”

“It’s never fun to come here for the first game and be embarrassed like that,” Stroud said. “We were thrown from point A to point Z.”

The Texans gained 322 total yards, led by revamped RB Joe Mixon’s running and Stroud’s elusive effort. But he was just 1-for-4 on TDs in the red zone, and Stroud was just 4-for-14 passing in the second half and 11-for-30 on the night. The Jets’ defense certainly moved the young star more than enough times to get the win. Here are a few of those Green-Whites:

■ Stroud is one of the NFL’s most productive young QBs, but something happens when the signal-caller from Houston visits the Meadowlands to play with the Jets. He had a 91-yard carry last December, his second-lowest total in his 26 professional starts, and his 53 net passing yards, subtracting 4 sacks for 38 yards, were the lowest of his career.

On Thursday, Stroud had another 191 yards, but 8 sacks for 56 yards against the Jets dropped his net passing yards to 135 yards, the fourth-lowest yards of his career. The Jets didn’t stop all of his explosive plays, but it did take him out of the game. In the two meetings combined, Stroud completed 21 of 53 passes (39.6%) with no INTs and no TD passes.