On Sunday, the Jets offensive line showed chemistry that hasn’t been seen in quite some time, and play-caller Todd Downing continued to sing its praises Thursday.
Aaron Rodgers, who noted he had “all day to throw,” took only one sack and three quarterback hits in the Jets’ 32-25 win over the Jaguars, breaking their four-game losing streak and their habit of blowing fourth-quarter leads.
It was what stuck out the most to Downing despite the connections between Rodgers and Davante Adams that carried them to victory.
“They gave Aaron a lot of time. I thought they did a great job finishing their blocks in the pocket,” Downing said after Thursday’s practice. “Aaron was able to step up, you know, step into some throws that he had to push down the field a little bit. I was really, really, proud and appreciative of those guys.”
The Jets have struggled to form a solid line in front of their quarterback, with multiple missteps, including taking Mekhi Becton in the first round and investing in Laken Tomlinson.
The Jets went through 13 starting lineup combinations last year.
After this season, the line is one of the few units that should remain mostly intact for next year.
Left tackle Olu Fashanu, left guard John Simpson, center Joe Tippmann and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker all remain under contract for 2025.
The one outlier is Morgan Moses, who will become a free agent.
“I think it’s important to take into account that there are a lot of new relationships and communication up there,” Downing said. “Guys that some of the training camp time they spent together was the first opportunity they got to talk about how they were going to pick up a stunt or make a call in the run game. And you’re starting to see that hard work pay off and you’re starting to see those guys play with a little more chemistry together and that’s important, obviously, in the continuity of a group.”
The Jets are tied for the second-fewest interceptions this season (four) with the Browns.
Two came against the Jaguars courtesy of Sauce Gardner and Jalen Mills.
Defensive backs/safeties coach Marquand Manuel couldn’t pinpoint a reason for the deficiency.
“It’s a combination,” he said Thursday. “We had a couple different guys out there, we had our hands on some balls that we didn’t get, a combination of things, getting pressure on the quarterback, making the quarterback dictate, certain things of that nature. Our opportunities have been there, but I think we didn’t capitalize on a lot of those. It can tend to get frustrating at times .. So for it to happen in the game, they come in bundles. Hopefully, that’s not the end.”
DT Quinnen Williams (hamstring), CB Michael Carter II (back) and Vera-Tucker (ankle) did not practice Thursday.
RB Braelon Allen (back), RB Isaiah Davis (back), CB Brandin Echols (shoulder), RT Moses (knee) and LB Quincy Williams (knee) were all limited participants.
