The New York Jets didn't get many interceptions from their defense last season. In fact, they made NFL history for the wrong reason, becoming the first team ever to finish a regular season without recording a single interception. That makes what happened in Week 2 of the preseason extra great.
The Jets picked off Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard twice, giving the defense a stat it desperately needed to see again. It wasn't just one player making a play, either. Two different members of the secondary came away with interceptions.
More sports: 49ers’ Jacob Cowing Dubbed a ‘Winner’ in Preseason Andre Cisco got things started when he jumped a pass intended for Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson and came away with the takeaway. Later, Samuel Womack III added another interception of Howard. For the Jets, that's a massive change from what happened throughout the entire 2025 regular season.
Going from zero interceptions over an entire season to two in one preseason game is certainly a big difference, even if preseason numbers obviously don't carry the same weight. Cisco's play was important because it showed the Jets' secondary making the kind of aggressive play that can tip a game. Womack, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old journeyman who also found himself in the right place at the right time.
Suddenly, the Jets have some reason to feel better about their ability to create turnovers. CBS Sports has named the Jets' defense a winner in the preseason, and that's deserved. It's far too early to say the problem is completely solved.
One preseason game can't erase what happened last season, and the regular season will provide a much tougher test. Sports news: Eagles’ Ty Robinson is Making an Impression in the Preseason Still, the defense needed to show something. The Jets now have two interceptions to point to, and they came from two different defensive backs.
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