FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A serious question: What is "culture," anyway?

Is it an overblown, media-conjured narrative used to describe good or bad teams? Or is it a palpable, quantifiable thing on which players feed?

In 2019, things are different for the Jets — again. Culture apparently is key, and if the last two seasons proved anything, one man alone can't change it. That's what Jamal Adams tried doing.

But what makes a good culture? Is it winning on Sundays, or something deeper? Winning must be part of the recipe for any culture to thrive, but there are two ingredients the Jets' defense is adding to the pot this year that might finally rekindle great New York units of yore: energy and accountability.

NFL PREVIEW:

Predictions, rankings and more for 2019

Last year, the Jets' defense seemed to be trending in the right direction — before the season. It was a talented squad, anchored by an ascending superstar in Adams. "The President" had a talented running mate in Marcus Maye. Leonard Williams was an underrated force in the middle of the defensive line despite his lack of sack production. It finally felt different.

Then, things went sideways. The Jets defense allowed 27.6 points per game, fourth worst in the league. They allowed 380.4 yards per game, also among the worst in the league. All that talk about New Jack City and a new direction that was spewed from some hack sportswriter was proven null by the team's 4-12 finish and underachieving defense.

But now that culture is (seemingly) being totally reworked under a new head coach, defensive coordinator and general manager. Under team owner Christopher Johnson, New York is determined to get it right.

According to the new Jets defensive coordinator, culture is the main reason he walks up and down the sidelines at One Jets Drive these days.

"The reason I keep getting hired is culture, and culture beats strategy any day of the week," Gregg Williams said in June. "How you find ways yourself to be tougher? How you find ways to play harder, play smarter, for longer than any opponent you go against?

"The scheme — all the scheme is — is a way to surround the ball, surround the formation and it's see ball, find ball, get ball. But it comes from an attitude, it comes from a personal understanding of what it takes to play this game, at this level, at the highest level."

WEEK 1 NFL PICKS:

Against the spread | Straight-up picks

Williams' personality has already permeated the Jets locker room and classrooms. His intense, fiery disposition is the polar opposite of the humdrum, laid-back, stoic Todd Bowles of yesteryear.

Williams' lessons have already paid off: Adams and Leonard Williams have preached the need to play together as one, while Williams affirmed that togetherness is an increased emphasis year. In fact, one NFL veteran noticed something interesting about Gregg Williams' first few days on the job.

"When he got here, all he talked about was the culture," Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "He didn't talk about any schemes or what he was gonna do on defense, the coverage. All he talked about was how we were gonna play with effort, every day."

Mosley, who signed as a free agent this year, is known not only as one of the best linebackers in football, but as a culture guy. Following Week 17 of last season, Adams' impassioned plea — presumably to the former GM — to bring in more "dawgs" and his outward recruitment of free agents likely played a hand in Mosley's signing with the Jets.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/e1/fe/cj-mosley-090519-gettyjpg_yk3z2de7hny01haa2f6abhtiy.jpg?t=25436749&w=500&quality=80

Adams, a second-team All-Pro in 2018, already sees a difference in the team's defense this year.

"I think it's just energy and communicating, playing as one," Adams said. "As long as you can do that, you give yourself a chance, and that's all that you can ask for."

If LSU gave out doctorates in Energy, Adams would head up the department. The loud, boisterous, dance-machine ascending superstar has been all the franchise could have hoped for not just on the field, but off of it, too. Adams wanted dawgs, and he got them; the team signed Mosley on the defensive side while adding Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder on offense. No. 3 overall draft pick Quinnen Williams has provided a surprising influx of energy, too.

Williams is a photographer's dream. The constantly grinning, baby-faced big man in the middle of the Jets' defense boasts a big personality off the field, but he feasts on offensive linemen and quarterbacks on it.

2019 NFL PREDICTIONS:

Outlook for Jets, others in the AFC

Leonard Williams has raved about his new linemate's ability to learn and improve every day.

"It's been fun playing with him and next to him," Williams said." Seeing him develop from Day 1 to now has been very impressive. He's not one of those highly recruited guys that come in and feel like they know everything. He comes in everyday and sucks in something new everyday."

Williams said the rookie's ability to showcase his personality is rare. The "Big Cat" says that when he came into the NFL he felt he simply had to keep quiet and work hard. For Quinnen, it's been a little different; he has even gone as far as telling Leonard he is "stealing his swag" on the sideline.

That energy has been rubbing off on teammates.

"The way he comes to work everyday, he's a big, smiley, happy kid," Leonard Williams said of Quinnen. "When you love what you do, it makes it easy."

Between Gregg Williams' booming voice, scuffles and trash talk, there has been energy at practice, an indication that enthusiasm for the Jets won't be an issue.

But there's another, bigger source of focus for New York in 2019: accountability.

Avery Williamson suffered a season-ending ACL tear during the Jets' second preseason game. But the 27-year-old linebacker, in his second season with the Jets, felt something different about the team this year behind the scenes.

"Accountability, that's the biggest thing," Williamson said. "Coach Williams, he holds us accountable. ... He makes sure that we know who the culprit is on defense. It's really just accountability. It's not hidden. We just want to make sure that everybody is on point everyday."

Bowles, the Jets coach who was fired at the end of last season, came under scrutiny for his lack of disciplined teams and failure to hold players accountable for mistakes. The most visible example came when Isaiah Crowell did his football-as-toilet-paper thing.

The Jets' newfound accountability exhibits itself in various forms. Williams is sure to call out players in team meetings and on the field. The new pieces of the Jets coaching staff don't shy away from coaching during practice days, something that feels starkly different from 2018 camp.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/5/a1/gregg-williams-090519-gettyjpg_l0efjfpdoegt1p9tmkdfoiz10.jpg?t=25521733&w=500&quality=80

There's also a new, unique way of holding players accountable: the Feelings Report.

Inside the Jets' defensive room, there's a bulletin board where names of players who negatively react to on-field coaching and critiques — basically, players who get in their feelings — are placed. If a player's name ends up on the Feelings Report, then the player is subject to fines; usually small things like push-ups, according to Adams.

"Basically, if you get upset about something that someone calls you out on, and you get in your feelings, that's a sensitive fine. We don't tolerate that as a defense. We communicate, we hold each other accountable."

No one is exempt from the feelings report, as even Adams has been on it a few times. But it seems like that level of accountability is newfound around Florham Park. Accountability, energy and culture have all seemingly arrived at One Jets Drive.

But do the Jets finally have their dawgs?

"Yeah," Adams said with a smile. "I believe we do. I believe we do."