After missing one game with a groin injury, Jets rookie edge David Bailey didn't miss a beat against Kansas City on Sunday.
The No. 2 overall selection in last April's NFL Draft roared back into action during the Jets 35-12 loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, tying for the team lead with 9 tackles (5 solo) a pair of sacks, 2 forced fumbles on the same drive in the first half, 3 QB hits and 3 TFL.
"No surprise, that's who he is and each game he's learning and each game is getting better," HC Aaron Glenn said after the game. "But it's good to see that. We expect him to make plays like that. We expect him to be on the field as much as we can.
"And the more he's on the field, the more that gives us an opportunity to make plays. So, it was good to see that from him. I think he caused a fumble on one of them, and he just had a second [on KC QB Patrick Mahomes]. But I mean, Mahomes is a tough guy. I knew he was going to come back to play."
On that Chiefs' drive late in the first half, Bailey sacked Mahomes at the KC 37 on a second-and-4 play, but OT Jaylon Moore fell on the ball. Two plays later, the elusive Bailey got to Mahomes again, hitting his right arm hard as the QB was trying to launch a pass. Jets edge Will McDonald IV fell on the ball at the KC 27.
"I think it was just a running back chip," Bailey said about the first sack. "I had to slow down my rush a little bit and then kind of burn the edge."
On the second one, Bailey said he didn't realize Mahomes might have been injured, but Mahomes did return to the game on the Chiefs' next series.
Bailey missed last week's game against the Raiders after he injured his groin the previous week against Miami. He finished out that game, but reported the injury the next day.
"It's always a blessing, just getting out there and just playing football, playing the game I love," Bailey said. "So obviously, that's a positive in that sense. But obviously, there's a lot of things that we got to work on as a team."
Bailey now has 7.5 sacks in his first 8 games in the NFL, the second-most through the team's first 9 games of the season since 1982, behind only Hugh Douglas. He also has forced 5 fumbles to lead the team.
"It's something that we work on a lot during practice," Bailey said about punching the ball out. "It's something that we preach throughout the meetings pre practice, pregame, something that we work on a lot."
