It didn’t take long after the ball was snapped for Joey Bosa to reach Zach Wilson, shoving Billy Turner back from the right tackle spot, knocking the ball out of Wilson’s hands and falling on it before the Jets could recover.
There were six minutes left in the first quarter, with the Jets already trailing by a touchdown, and the Jets’ second turnover of the game led to the Chargers’ second touchdown of the night in Gang Green’s ugly 27-6 loss at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.
The Jets experimented with another offensive line combination — with rookie Joe Tippmann starting at center, Max Mitchell starting at right guard and Turner starting at right tackle — and they allowed a season-high eight sacks.
Bosa had 2.5, while Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu both added two.
The latest twist in a season of shuffling in front of Wilson was followed by what left guard Laken Tomlinson labeled poor execution.
“It’s definitely challenging,” Mitchell told The Post. “You just have to f—ing stay on the move, learn on the fly. You’re a pro, so you’re expected to be able to slide into that position or be able to shuffle like that and still be able to function and be a good group.”
The Jets hadn’t allowed more than four sacks in a game this season, and head coach Robert Saleh attributed his latest tweaks to the Jets just wanting to get their “best five out there.”
That task became more difficult last week when Connor McGovern exited with a dislocated kneecap and landed on injured reserve. Duane Brown hasn’t been activated from IR either.
So against the Chargers, Saleh gave Turner his first start of the season because he was more comfortable on the right side. Mitchell took reps at right guard in training camp, which influenced his move.
Saleh dodged a question postgame about whether Wilson — perhaps holding on the ball too long in fear of interceptions — contributed to the sacks, though Mitchell said if the quarterback leaves the pocket to scramble or extend plays it’s “kinda on him.”
“We can’t really do much,” Mitchell said. “It is more challenging.”
Saleh said he didn’t think the linemen were “losing at the point” and that their coverage was “holding up enough.” Still, Tuipulotu sacked Wilson on a third down in the second quarter to end a drive that featured a promising third-down conversion.
Then, Wilson was sacked on consecutive plays to wipe out a positive drive to start the third quarter and force a field goal instead.
The Jets’ issues were “definitely fixable,” Tomlinson told The Post. They can be cured this season, even as the offense continues to spiral. It starts with the execution, he said.
Then, and maybe then, the offensive line could find a rhythm again.
That doesn’t mean their shuffling won’t continue, though.
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