Jets defense is getting perfect matchup for taking over game

Kirk Cousins went back to pass and ended up facedown on the field turf, the ball no longer in his hands. One possession later, the Vikings quarterback dropped back, and landed back on the ground, helplessly watching as the defense ripped the ball away again.

Just 48 seconds following his second fumble, the Bills were up 17-0, and would ride Cousins’ three turnovers to one of the most surprising outcomes the league had seen in years.

If the Jets become the next AFC East team to upset Minnesota, Cousins knows just how it could happen.

“What stands out the most is the turnovers they’ve created,” Cousins said this week. “They’ve done that so well, so we obviously feel like we need to protect the football. … When you’re going against a team as good as they are taking it away, just having a heightened sense of awareness of the need to not give them that whenever possible.”

If the Vikings (3-2-1) don’t give it away, the Jets (3-3) are capable of taking it.

In the past two seasons, the Jets ranked 21st (2017), and 28th (2016), in the NFL in turnovers forced, but entering Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium, the Jets rank second in the league, with 15 turnovers (10 interceptions, five fumble recoveries).

In last weekend’s win over the Colts, the Jets turned four turnovers into 20 points, giving them their first back-to-back wins in a year.

“I’d say everybody is just a lot more comfortable with what we’re doing on defense,” said linebacker Darron Lee, who is tied for the league lead with three interceptions after recording none in his first two seasons. “We just simplified a lot of the things, and I think that’s definitely been a factor. When you make things simple, it allows you to play faster, and I think we’re playing a lot faster this year than before.

“The emphasis is the same. We emphasize them a lot. We’ll have our plan to win, and that’s always at the top of the list. When everyone does their job, and we all communicate — and that’s improving, but it’s not there yet — the games we get a lot of them, we’re communicating well. It’s a key part of our game plan, and a formula for winning for us.”

The turnover margin could be even higher. Though opponents have fumbled 12 times, the Jets’ recovery percentage ranks 18th in the league (41.7 percent).

This season, Cousins has already fumbled six times, losing a league-high five.

“They’ve done a good job of getting their hands on a lot of balls,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “I feel like we have to make sure that we open up some of the spaces in there so it doesn’t get congested in there on some of these things. When it does, a lot of bad things happen for the offenses.”

The Jets have held opponents to 21 points or less in four of their six games this season, but their defense ranks 23rd in total yards allowed. In the win over the Colts, Indianapolis (1-5) matched a season-high with 34 points, as Andrew Luck threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns, while the Jets gave up 127 yards on the ground (5.5 yards per carry).

The turnovers decided the game, but the pace may be unsustainable.

“The miscues were overshadowed because we had the four turnovers,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. “We feel pretty good, but you can’t rely on them. We have to make sure we’re on top of everything, and then get the turnovers after that, if we want to keep winning, going forward.”