For one week, the Jets didn’t appear to overlook Alijah Vera-Tucker.
The offensive line was one of many brilliant spots of their 34-32 loss to the Steelers on Sunday.
With out Vera-Tucker, out for the season with a triceps damage, projected beginning middle Joe Tippmann moved to proper guard and Josh Myers began within the center.
The unit was terrific. Gang Inexperienced ran for 182 yards, didn’t punt within the first half and amassed 394 yards of offense.
Younger offensive tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou held up effectively in opposition to the Steelers duo of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
“I feel that simply speaks a lot to the blokes in our room, to Tipp with the ability to transfer to protect and play that effectively,” mentioned Myers, a free agent acquisition from the Packers. “And simply all people’s potential to deal with it, from our coaches on down. It speaks to everybody concerned.”
Membou, the No. 7 pick of Missouri in April, noticed quite a lot of Watt, and was capable of hold the seven-time Professional Bowler from recording a sack.
In accordance with Professional Soccer Focus, Membou didn’t permit a single quarterback strain or hit in 25 passing snaps.
“I feel he has all the pieces you need in a sort out. His bend, his athleticism, his potential to maneuver [in the] run and cross recreation, is admittedly spectacular,” Myers mentioned. “Particularly that being the primary recreation of his profession. That was a formidable exhibiting out of him.”
Coach Aaron Glenn was appreciative that left guard John Simpson stood up for quarterback Justin Fields, however he didn’t really feel like Simpson went about it in the suitable method. Late within the first half, Fields was hit onerous by Jalen Ramsey of the Steelers. It was arguably late and will’ve warranted a flag, although one was not thrown.
Simpson got here in and despatched Ramsey to the turf, drawing a 15-yard pointless roughness penalty.
“That’s one thing all of us should study from,” Glenn mentioned. “There are methods that we will defend our quarterback with out getting these forms of penalties. I do know for a proven fact that John Simpson will do a greater job in that.”
Glenn mentioned the choice to make receiver Allen Lazard inactive got here all the way down to the veteran lacking time in coaching camp with a shoulder damage.
“So we wished to be sure that he was up to the mark on all the pieces that we had been doing,” he mentioned. “So we’ll see how that goes this week.”
The Jets signed huge receiver Tyler Johnson to the energetic 53-man roster and added offensive lineman Liam Fornadel to the follow squad. Johnson had two catches for 31 yards on Sunday.
