Jets’ banged-up secondary gets Week 8 pressure test
The Jets are getting back their starting cornerbacks this week, but they likely will be missing three of their top four safeties.
Starter Chuck Clark is on injured reserve with an ankle sprain.
Fellow starter Tony Adams is out with a hamstring injury.
Backup Ashtyn Davis is out with a concussion.
That leaves Jalen Mills and Isaiah Oliver as the starting safeties.
Mills started last week in place of Clark in Pittsburgh after signing to the team’s practice squad Sept. 24.
The team signed him to the active roster this week.
“We’re fortunate that we built good depth on this roster, so when those things happen, we got guys that can play,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “I think Jalen Mills is a huge testament to the coaching staff, especially [safeties coach] Marquand Manuel. To get a guy ready in two and a half weeks, three weeks, and I mean he started and played every single snap. Not just played, but played at a high level, in my opinion. What a testament to him.”
Oliver started the past two games at nickel corner. He moved to safety in Pittsburgh after Adams was injured in the second quarter.
Every Jets starter in the secondary missed time against the Steelers. Cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Michael Carter did not play at all.
Adams left in the second quarter. Even Sauce Gardner missed a series.
“To tell you the truth, last week was the first time I had ever been through anything like that in my life,” Ulbrich said. “Virtually every starter and even with Sauce missing a series there, every guy was down. Now saying that, we’re very fortunate that we have some backups that came in, did a good job, and held their own.”
TE Kenny Yeboah (abdomen) has been downgraded to out.
LB Quincy Williams was fined $45,020 unnecessary roughness (use of the helmet), while DT Leonard Taylor was fined $4,435 for roughing the passer in Sunday’s 37-15 loss to the Steelers.
