FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The last time the New York Jets called a seven-man rush (read: all-out blitz) was That Play -- the one that cost them a game in the final seconds and resulted in Gregg Williams' immediate ouster.

Coincidence? Probably not.

Since the debacle against the Las Vegas Raiders, interim defensive coordinator Frank Bush has changed the way the Jets play defense. He's more conservative than Williams, who was an adrenaline junkie who lived on the edge. Jets players have responded to Bush with two strong games in a row (both wins), no doubt causing coach Adam Gase to second-guess himself for not firing Williams sooner.

Gase can add it to the long list of what-ifs that will mark his two-year tenure, which is expected to end after Sunday's game against the New England Patriots (1 p.m. ET, CBS). He and Williams were an odd pairing from the outset -- former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan was the matchmaker -- and the relationship started to show cracks this season.

Working with replacement-level talent at many positions, Williams dialed back his aggressive playcalling, but not as much as he should have. He morphed into Old Gregg at the worst time, calling a reckless, Cover 0 blitz that ended with a long touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III in Week 13. The next morning, Williams was fired.

In three games under Bush, the Jets have yet to call a Cover 0 blitz, according to data by NFL Next Gen Stats.

"I think the guys are just playing a lot more free, not necessarily thinking and worrying about results and things like that," said Jets safety Marcus Maye, describing the impact of Bush's approach.

Williams did a terrific job in 2019, but his defense unraveled this season with three blown leads in the fourth quarter. Lack of discipline became a major issue under Williams, as the Jets racked up a league-leading number of roughing-the-passer penalties.

Clearly, Gase was chafed by the penalties. Still is. Whenever he's asked about a penalty or a questionable call, he answers with, "We have the reputation of hitting the quarterback late or hitting the quarterback too close to the head." He usually brings up the Jets' Week 4 disaster, when they committed six personal fouls against the Denver Broncos in a prime-time game.

Translation: No matter how often we wash our clothes, we can't get out the old stink.

Bush has steadied the defense with sound playcalling, putting the players in the right position to succeed. Most notably, he's not asking his inexperienced cornerbacks, Blessuan Austin and Bryce Hall, to play heavy doses of man-to-man. In fact, his man-zone ratio is 38-62, compared to 50-50 under Williams, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Bush also is blitzing less often than Williams -- 27% of the passing downs, down from 37%.

"Frank has done a really good job of just really rallying the troops," Gase said. "Anytime that you make a change, it's not as easy as what I think people assume that it is. It's a sense of, 'You know we didn't get it done as a group.' I think Frank did a good job of rallying the troops, getting the guys on the staff working together, making sure that everybody just stayed the course, did a good job of working with our groups. I feel like that whole side of the ball has done a good job of pulling together."

Bush's first game was a hot mess, a 40-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Maye attributed that performance, in part, to the coaching shake-up and the quick transition. The Jets responded by holding the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns, two of the league's better offensive teams, to a combined 36 points.

Gase noted how the Jets have done "a good job of putting the quarterback under duress" -- with a total of seven sacks.

With no crazy blitzes.