Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets have once again lost a veteran player due to injury.
Head coach Robert Saleh revealed at the podium following his team’s 13-10 win over the New York Giants that defensive tackle Al Woods tore his Achilles and “is done” for the season.
Will Parkinson, the host of the “TOJ Podcast”, said this is the third different Jets player this season that has suffered a torn Achilles.
Jets Lose a Locker Room Leader and Key Defender
The 36-year-old signed a one-year deal for $2.25 million to join the Jets this offseason.
He didn’t start any games for the green and white this season, but he did appear in six of the seven contests as a rotational depth guy.
Woods finished the season with a sack, six total tackles, and two quarterback hits.
Ari Meirov said the defender was a “locker room favorite” and also provided the Jets’ defensive line with some “solid depth.”
#Jets DT Al Woods ruptured his Achilles during today’s game against the Giants and is done for the season. The 36-year-old is a locker room favorite and has provided solid depth on the defensive line.
During the game the Jets also lost a pair of other key contributors on the team.
Saleh said starting center Connor McGovern “is dealing with a knee” and starting right guard Wes Schweitzer “is dealing with a calf.” He said that the team will know more on Monday October 30 after both players undergo further medical evaluation.
Although early signs don’t look good for either player.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that McGovern “had a cast on his leg and was limping pretty heavily in the locker room.” He also noted that Schweitzer “had a boot and crutches.”
Connor McGovern had a cast on his leg and was limping pretty heavily in the locker room.
Wes Schweitzer had a boot and crutches.
Jets Will Have to Scramble for Answers on the OL Ahead of Week 9
With the status of McGovern and Schweitzer up in the air, the team will have to scramble for some solutions leading into its next game.
Both of those players were serving in starting roles and the Jets did what they had to do to survive during the Giants game.
The Jets are the first team to play 3 different players at center in a game this season (happened a few times last season). The last to play 4 centers in a game was the Rams in Week 16 of 2018 against the Cardinals. @ESPNStatsInfo #Jets
Rich Cimini of ESPN revealed that the Jets “are the first team to play 3 different players at center in a game this season.” It happened on several occasions in 2022.
On the sideline during the game, the Jets experimented with a potential fourth center combination but never utilized it during the game.
The last time an NFL team was forced to play four different centers in a game was the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 of the 2018 season against the Arizona Cardinals, per Cimini.
The important thing is Gang Green found a way to survive and win. Saleh described it as an ugly game with plenty of “sloppy football” in his post-game press conference. However, he highlighted the fact that they won the game saying, “they never ask how, they ask how many.”
#Jets HC Robert Saleh said there was a ton of sloppy football from his team today but finished his answer talking about getting the win, ‘they never ask how, they ask how many’ 🤣
With the win the Jets improved to 4-3 on the season and in sole possession of third place in the AFC East. Gang Green sits a game back from the Buffalo Bills (5-3), but they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker in their back pocket.
The Miami Dolphins lead the division at 6-2, but they haven’t played either matchup with the Jets yet this season.
Somehow, someway everything is still in front of the Jets after the first eight weeks of the season.