The Jets' recently acquired cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. said he's ready to get out on the field and hit somebody -- anybody. And the second-year player, who has been dealing with an ankle injury since before joining the Green & White after a trade with Tennessee, could get that chance against Dallas at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
With slot CB Michael Carter II dealing with a concussion, Brownlee (5-10, 194) could find himself in the sweet spot of the defensive backfield.
"They like to say a lot of DBs don't like to hit, well, come watch my tape," he said. "I love to put it on tape, but it's just something that I take pride in, just not missing the tackle. And I think it puts fear in opponent's eyes on their side of the ball to see a guy that's 190 coming to hit an O-lineman full speed and showing no fear. So I take pride in that, and I think it brings a bit. I think I can help this team out big with just my mentality, with going into how I play. And yeah, I think they feel it, too. I feel it, too. And I'm just ready to rock."
The Titans' decision to trade Brownlee was a bit of a surprise around the league because the 2024 fifth-round selection out of Louisville appeared in all 17 games (14 starts) last season. He was also on the field this season for the first two games before sustaining the ankle injury. Last season, the hard-hitting Brownlee logged 92 total tackles, 9 TFL and 10 pass defenses.
Aaron Glenn, the Jets' first-year coach who was also a pretty good DB during his playing days, is familiar with Brownlee's style and grit, having evaluated Brownlee when Glenn was the defensive coordinator in Detroit.
"I give a lot of credit to Moug [GM Darren Mougey] and his staff," Glenn said last week. "Anytime there's an opportunity to improve your team you have to take a look at it. ... He's a guy that we looked at coming out of Louisville and he was aggressive, he's a hard worker, plays a brand of football that we believe in, and so it was a no-brainer as far as bringing him on my team."
Dallas comes north with a 1-2-1 record after battling to a 40-40 tie with Green Bay last week. The Cowboys' offense, led by QB Dak Prescott, is No. 1 in the NFL, averaging 404.3 yards a game and 28.5 points a game, fifth in the league. Through 4 games, Prescott is the top-ranked passer, hitting on 72.9% (121 of 166) of his passes for 1,119 yards (6.7 yards per attempt). He has tossed 6 TDs against 3 INT.
"I still see that guy as one of the top quarterbacks in this football league," Brownlee said. "You got to give credit to him, no-brainer. But he's a guy I feel like has been playing the pocket way better this year, just moving around-wise, and finding those guys and open spots. So I think we just got to show those disguises and take those open spots away and play the 50-50 balls, because he's going to play 50-50 balls to his guys. And we got to believe in ourselves and our techniques. So, I think it's going to boil down to mano a mano, best on best. And that's what it always comes down to."
Brownlee said he's ready for whatever the rest of the season brings for himself and the Jets and is eager to mix it up wherever DC Steve Wilks slots him in this weekend and beyond. He was a full participant at practice Wednesday and will compete for time at both outside corner and nickel.
"I'm an aggressive and physical player," he said. "And to be inside [in the slot], I think it shows all those attributes. I think it's a great opportunity for me to show my skill off, and just to be a guy in this defense. When you play nickel you got to do a lot of communication, make sure all the guys are on the same page. I did that a lot in my college career, so it's something that I just look forward to doing. I'm just grateful to be back out here."
