If you tried in August to predict the Jets’ season, you would not have factored in many of the players taking the field Sunday against the Raiders.
Injuries have forced the Jets to use some players who in the summer were unknowns or not even on the roster. They have already used 68 players in 10 games this season, tied for the most in the NFL with the Dolphins. They used 64 all of last season and 68 in 2017.
The Jets are getting contributions from unlikely sources: tight end Ryan Griffin, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, tackle Chuma Edoga, guard Tom Compton, center Jonotthan Harrison, guard Alex Lewis, defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi, outside linebackers Kyle Phillips and Tarell Basham, inside linebackers James Burgess and Neville Hewitt, and cornerbacks Arthur Maulet and Bless Austin.
“Basically anybody that’s coming into that locker room, when their number’s been called, they’ve done a really good job, especially the last four or five weeks,” coach Adam Gase said. “I mean, guys getting caught up to speed as fast as possible, jumping right in, buying into what we’re trying to do. I look at Ryan Griffin getting signed the day before training camp, what he’s brought to the table. Last week was, numbers wise, you see it but he’s been doing things like that all year, but it’s just been outside of catching the ball, [it’s been in] pass protection, run blocking. We’ve had a lot of guys step up.”
The Jets have placed six starters on injured reserve. The offensive line has been particularly ravaged. They have had two players starting at each position along the line this season.
Gase, last Sunday at Washington, became just the second coach to successfully challenge a pass interference call this season, according to the Fox broadcast of their game. The new challenge rule for pass interference has been controversial, with few calls getting overturned. Some coaches have stopped challenging them altogether.
Gase challenged an offensive pass interference call against Thomas last week at Washington. The officials called Thomas for setting a pick, but it was clear on replay the defensive player established the contact.
“I mean, we’re all kind of doing the same thing where everybody is looking at the ones that are challenged,” Gase said on his philosophy for challenges. “You have enough people in your building where you have certain guys looking at things like that. For us, we’re kind of looking at the situation and to us, we knew what route he was running, and it was a go route, and one of our guys looked at it and said, ‘He legitimately got de-cleated.’ There was no intent whatsoever, he was trying to run his route. So, we just thought we had a shot, we didn’t know for sure, but we felt that was worth it.”
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