Zero interceptions: Jets can make history Sunday if they fail to make a pick

BALTIMORE -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. Long overdue: Call it quirky. Call it shocking. Soon, you might have to call it historical.

The Jets have yet to intercept a pass. Ten games, 302 passes, zero picks.

If the drought continues Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, they will be the first team in NFL history to go without an interception through its first 11 games, and picking off Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson may be a tough task -- as he's only thrown three interceptions in seven games.

The longest interception slump at any point in a season since 1960 is 14 in a row (San Francisco 49ers, 2024).

"That's -- wow, I don't know what to really say about that," Jets all-time interception leader Bill Baird, 86, said by phone from Fresno, California. "That seems to go along with their struggles."

Baird, a starting safety on the Jets' Super Bowl III team in 1969, knows a thing or two about interceptions. He made 34 in his career and coached the Jets' defensive backs from 1981 to 1984. He honed his craft as a rookie on the Baltimore Colts, covering the likes of Raymond Berry and John Mackey with Johnny Unitas throwing the ball -- all future Hall of Famers.

"The No. 1 reason to play defensive back," Baird said, "is to get interceptions."

Current Jets players and coaches are aware of the oh-fer. They discuss interceptions in meetings. They watch video clips of other teams, how they attack the ball, how they turn deflections into big plays. Week after week, they see teams get fluke interceptions.

How come the Jets can't catch a break?

"I don't believe in luck," defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. "We have to create our own luck."

The irony is the Jets are coached by one of the most prolific interceptors in team history. Aaron Glenn made 24 in his Jets career, tied for fourth on the all-time list. Glenn said "it's tough to imagine" having no interceptions and only one takeaway (fumble recovery).

The Jets' drought is more mind-boggling when you consider:

• They have faced six of the 13 most interception-prone quarterbacks -- Tua Tagovailoa (13), Joe Flacco (nine), Josh Allen (nine), Bo Nix (eight), Aaron Rodgers (seven) and Bryce Young (seven).

• They're tied for sixth in pass break-ups (39), which means they're getting hands on the ball. They've been charged with two dropped interceptions, per ESPN Research. Oddly, both occurred on first-and-10 plays with 27 seconds left in the second quarter -- Nov. 9 against the Cleveland Browns (Jarvis Brownlee Jr.) and Nov. 13 against the New England Patriots (Tony Adams-Qwan'tez Stiggers collision).

• They've been out-intercepted by 148 individual players, including six defensive linemen. Even Dexter Lawrence II, listed at 340 pounds, has a pick. Sixteen rookies have at least one, including RJ Mickens (two), son of former Jets cornerback Ray Mickens (11).

Since 1960, when the Jets became a franchise, the record for fewest interceptions in a season is two (49ers, 2018). The fewest for the Jets is six (2014), Rex Ryan's final year as coach.

2. Lame-duck QB? Glenn deflected a question about Justin Fields' future with the team, but it's certainly one worth examining now that he has been benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor.

It seems clear they will have a new starter next season. Do they keep Fields as a backup? If they do, his contract will have to be renegotiated. He's due to make $20 million, which exceeds the market value for a backup. Half of that is fully guaranteed.

Maybe they retain Fields as a backup if they bring in an established starter, but it's unclear if a player of that ilk will be available. If they release him -- the likely scenario -- it leaves a $22 million cap charge and $10 million cash payout. They can absorb the entire cap hit in 2026 or have it spread over two years.

Their quarterback plan should start to unfold in March, when free agency and trading begin.

3. Where it all started: Taylor, 36, called it "a full-circle moment," facing the team that drafted him in 2011. His longevity -- his entire journey, for that matter -- is a tremendous source of pride. He got a little nostalgic this week, mentioning that he did some reminiscing with former Ravens teammate Torrey Smith.

"I remember when I got drafted, there were some people who wanted to put me at wide receiver," said Taylor, Flacco's backup on the Ravens' 2012 Super Bowl championship team. "I fought the notion down, and I stood firm that I was a quarterback. That's what I played my whole life, and if given the opportunity, I can show that. Fifteen years later, I'm still proving it."

4. Fab five: Taylor, picked in the sixth round, is one of only five players from the 2011 draft still active. The others: Von Miller (Washington Commanders), Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints), Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Andy Dalton (Carolina Panthers).

5. What's cooking? A lot of fans are interested in knowing if rookie quarterback Brady Cook, on the practice squad, will see game action this season. It sounds like a possibility, though not any time soon.

Glenn said they have a plan for Cook, adding, "And who knows? We'll see what happens as the season progresses. I'm not promising anything, but he knows exactly what his role is when it comes to this team."

Cook, undrafted out of Missouri, played 77 snaps in the preseason, beating out Adrian Martinez for the practice squad job. He's known as a quick processor with good mobility but limited arm strength.

Fans are always intrigued by the unknown, and their desperation for a quarterback has made Cook a popular guy these days. He certainly has a name -- "Brady" -- that makes you think anything is possible.

6. Scouting Mendoza: The draft is five months away, but there's already a growing buzz about the Jets and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, perhaps the top quarterback prospect. The question is whether he's worth a top-10 pick.

"When you're desperate, you can create a guy," a longtime personnel executive said. "There's enough with Mendoza to do that."

In his latest mock draft, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller has the Jets trading up for Mendoza at No. 1 overall. The Jets' scouts are paying a lot of attention to Mendoza; general manager Darren Mougey has watched him play in person at least once -- but the evaluation process is in the early stages.

7. Sugar-free edge rusher: Jermaine Johnson wants to drop some pounds and add some speed, so he's "staying off sugary drinks" during the season. He's looking for that little extra burst that can turn a quarterback pressure into a sack. Maybe it's working; he has a two-game sack streak.

8. Did you know? The Jets have $101 million in "dead" money counting on this year's salary cap, according to Spotrac. That's the second-highest total in the league and represents nearly 40% of their total cap. That's what you call paying for a lot of past mistakes.