Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson throwing a pass during an NFL game.
The New York Jets have been snakebitten with injuries in 2022 on the offensive line.
During the preseason Gang Green lost their former first-rounder Mekhi Becton for the season. Then a few weeks later they lost his replacement, Duane Brown, to a serious injury that landed him on injured reserve.
Most recently they placed George Fant on injured reserve knocking him out for three more games on top of missing the Pittsburgh Steelers contest.
This rash of injuries forced the coaching staff to make a dramatic lineup change this weekend.
Robert Saleh Praises Alijah Vera-Tucker for Versatility
The Jets traveled to play the Steelers in Week 4.
When the green and white stepped on the field for their first offensive drive there was a startling lineup change.
Alijah Vera-Tucker moved from right guard to left tackle. It was the third different position he has played at the NFL level after starting his career as a left guard.
Head coach Robert Saleh said moving forward they will play the best five on the offensive line regardless of position.
He also revealed that this AVT move to left tackle “has been in the making” for a while.
This potential move has been discussed in fantasy land by Jets fans forever, but it felt like nothing more than a pipedream. Then suddenly on Sunday, it became a reality and AVT delivered.
Zach Wilson Helped Cure a Lot of Jets OL Issues
So in other words Sunday’s game versus the Miami Dolphins in Week 5 is very much TBD (to be determined) with an offensive line prediction.
The door is open for AVT to keep protecting the blindside. Although Brown is eligible to come off of IR and if he is healthy enough and looks good could step into the starting lineup.
That would probably be the most ideal scenario so the young promising guard can return to his normal position.
However, the wrench in the plans that are messing up everything is rookie offensive tackle Max Mitchell being hurt. That continues the poor luck with injuries in the trenches for Gang Green.
With him out for the foreseeable future, everything is on the table.
Obviously, the Jets tried everything in their power to keep Conor McDermott off of the field. He was supposed to start at left tackle prior to the Jets coaching staff making a change.
When they left him on the bench, even though they were desperate, that sent a very clear message about their faith in him as a player.
They ended up playing him anyway mid-game because of the Mitchell injury and he remains a possibility at right tackle.
The good news is regardless of the musical chairs that end up happening on the offensive line, the Jets have a quarterback that can adapt.
When Joe Flacco was forced to be out there, he was an immovable object that had the elusiveness of a parked car. With Zach Wilson you saw the ability to get out of trouble and while it resulted in some extra incompletions those were certainly better than the alternative.
Comments
Doomsday Scenario Forces Jets to Make Dramatic Lineup Change