Allowing 38 points at home rarely leaves a defense with much to celebrate. The New York Jetswatched the Las Vegas Raiders leave MetLife Stadium with a 38-33 victory on Sunday, extending New York's losing streak to three games. It was another difficult result for a team that has now dropped six of its last seven contests.
Still, a poor defensive outcome doesn't mean every player had a poor afternoon. Individual performances can get buried beneath the final score, especially when an opponent finds ways to put points on the board throughout the game. Some defenders may have done their jobs effectively even as the larger unit struggled to deliver the stops necessary to win.
Pro Football Focus' grading system provides an opportunity to separate individual
execution from the overall defensive result. That distinction matters for a Jets team trying to identify which players are giving it dependable production and where the foundation for improvement might exist.
Here are the five highest-graded Jets players on defense against the Raiders in Week 8, according to Pro Football Focus.
Jets' highest-graded defensive stars in Week 8
5. Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety - 66.1
4. Will McDonald IV, EDGE- 69.0
3. Jack Heflin, defensive tackle - 69.4
2. Dane Belton, safety - 70.6
1. Nate Lynn, EDGE - 71.0
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: PFF: 5 highest-graded Jets players on defense in Week 8 vs. Raiders
