After Sunday's 32-25 win over the Jaguars, Aaron Rodgers went out of his way to praise one group on the Jets.
“Once again, our offense played a great game, and I had time to throw all day,” Rodgers said. “Shout out to the big boys, we’re going to love them on the bus.”
The work the Jets offensive line did in the second half after the fireworks from Rodgers and Davante Adams was often overlooked.
But Rodgers was right.
His batting lineup allowed him to pitch all day long.
He only faced pressure six times and was sacked once by a Jaguars defense that features two excellent edge rushers in Josh Hynes-Allen and Travon Walker.
The offensive line has been a bright spot in what hasn't been a very successful season for the Jets.
Former general manager Joe Douglas struggled to fix the offensive line during his tenure with the team, due to personnel mistakes such as drafting Mekhi Becton and signing Laken Tomlinson in free agency, as well as unlucky injuries.
But Douglas seemed to get the line right on his final try, and this could be his parting gift to the Jets.
The Jets have four offensive linemen who should be back next year and one free agent who could return as well.
Left tackle Olu Fashanu, left guard John Simpson, center Joe Tippman and right guard Ariya Berra-Tucker are all under contract for next year.
Right tackle Morgan Moses is a free agent but could be re-signed.
The Jets have young players like Fashanu (22), Tippman (23) and Vera Tucker (25) that they can build upon for years.
Simpson is not that much older at 27 years old.
One of the keys for the Jets this season is continuity.
Unlike last year, when the Jets had 13 different offensive line combinations, this season there are only four.
Simpson and Tippman have started every game.
They lost left tackle Tyron Smith to a neck injury, but Fashanu is an upgrade in place of the veteran.
Douglas began modifying his line in the offseason, signing Simpson, Smith, and Moses, and drafting Fashanu with the 11th overall pick.
Smith was disappointing, but the other three players all provided strong reinforcements.
“This is a great testament to what the front office has done and put together with the roster,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “It's special for these guys to get a chance to play together for so long. Teams in this league are tight-knit and have a lot of time to work on their duties from an offensive line standpoint. The line, the defensive secondary. You get to spend a lot of time with these two groups and they can learn and play against each other at the highest level, and that's where championship-level football begins and ends. .
“I think Detroit is a great example of what they're supposed to be. Their offensive line is obviously talented and they've invested a lot in it, but they've spent a lot of time together now. So if you want to win a championship, it's important to start with the offensive line.”
Fashanu was drafted out of Penn State and looked like he could be a cornerstone of the team.
On Sunday, he threw a key block against Hines Allen when Rodgers connected with Adams for a 71-yard touchdown.
The rookie impressed his teammates.
“He's a stud,” Simpson said of Fashanu. “He's hitting the ball right now. They drafted him in the first round to do exactly what he's doing. He came in from day one and put his head down and put in the work. He's a guy. He didn't complain much and I never heard his complaints. He's a guy who's willing to do anything to help the team. Sure, you ask a guy like that. That’s all you can do.”
