The New York Jets have seen many players underperform, hence their 2-5 start to the season.
There have also been positive flashes, like the development of Gang Green’s skill-position groups on offense.
However, the negatives have outweighed the positives, especially in recent weeks. Atop the list of players who have failed to live up to recent expectations is right guard Joe Tippmann.
Tippmann’s start to the season
Tippmann’s start to the season has been interesting. He got off to a fairly hot start after settling into the position last year following some early growing pains.
From Weeks 1-4 among 59 qualified guards (minimum 100 snaps over that span), here is a look at where he ranked in key metrics, according to Pro Football Focus:
- 72.4 overall grade (T-14th)
- 72.3 pass-blocking grade (15th)
- 68.6 run-blocking grade (24th)
- 3 pressures allowed (43rd-most)
- 0 sacks allowed
Now, compare those numbers to Weeks 5-7 out of 61 players:
- 85.3 overall grade (2nd)
- 48.0 pass-blocking grade (53rd)
- 91.1 run-blocking grade (1st)
- 3 sacks allowed (T-Most)
- 6 pressures allowed (12th-most)
Tippmann has stood out as a run blocker in recent weeks, posting a league-leading run-blocking grade at his position, which also boosted his overall grade to second. However, that is outweighed by the fact that his pass protection has been abysmal.
Since Week 4, he has allowed three sacks, the most at his position, and six pressures, which rank as the 12th-most at his position, on top of a holding penalty in protection. Essentially, he’s been well above average as a run blocker but a complete liability in pass protection. That’s a concern.
When the Jets signed Joe Tippmann to a four-year extension this offseason, the goal was for him to serve as an offensive building block. A poor three-game stretch doesn’t change that, but it certainly hasn’t been encouraging.
Overall, the Jets’ offensive line has struggled to live up to expectations this season in both run blocking and pass protection. Tippmann has been at the forefront of those shortcomings.
One of the group’s biggest struggles has been handling blitzes and stunts. For a Jets team that has invested so many premium assets into the trenches, the entire unit to be better, not just Tippmann.
The good news is that folks know what Tippmann can do. He’s flashed it over sustained periods in the NFL, which is why he earned a multi-year extension this offseason.
Geno Smith has notoriously struggled under pressure, but those struggles have been added to when the pocket collapses from the interior. What do you expect a 36-year-old pocket passer to do when that consistently happens?
When the IOL keeps breaking down, it exacerbates the limitations of an aging stopgap quarterback. It’s not only Tippmann, though. Josh Myers has been abysmal, and at left guard, the team is missing Dylan Parham, who was playing like their best offensive lineman before he went down in Week 3. Backup left guard Jordan Meredith hasn’t been particularly inspiring as a replacement, either.
At right tackle, Armand Membou has bounced back over the past few weeks after a rough stretch earlier in the season, but the interior as a whole still has a lot to do, as does left tackle Olu Fashanu. Ultimately, though, the unit’s captain and highest-paid player, Tippmann, needs to take it upon himself to lead the group back toward its ceiling.
He has plenty of time to get on the right track, but it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
