The New York Jets' offensive line spent the first two weeks of the season quietly building a case that it could become one of the team's strengths.
Pro Football Focus was buying into that progress,moving the group up to No. 18 after Week 2. Unfortunately, one difficult afternoon against the Detroit Lions was enough to send New York back in the wrong direction.
Pro Football Focushas dropped the Jets to No. 19 in its latest offensive line rankings, and the reason is pretty clear. For the first time this season, both Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou finished with PFF pass-blocking grades below 60.0. That is particularly notable because the tackle pairing had been one of the biggest bright spots through the first two weeks.
PFF writes what we all witnessed:
TheLions found considerable success attacking the left side of the Jets' offensive line. Fashanu was credited with allowing six pressures, while Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith combined to give up another six pressures after Meredith entered the game when Parham left with an injury.
That's a significant development for an offense that needs to keep quarterback Geno Smith upright and find more consistency in the running game. The Jets have done a respectable job protecting Smith overall, but the problems against Detroit exposed what can happen when the line is unable to consistently win its individual matchups.
Parham's injury makes the situation even more concerning because New York may have to make another adjustment to the interior of the line. The Jets signed Nick Dawkins and Jimmy Morrissey to the practice squad this week, giving the team additional options as it waits for more clarity on Parham's status.
One bad game doesn't erase the progress
There is still plenty of reason to believe this group can improve. PFF's methodology is designed to evolve as the season progresses, and the rankings remain heavily influenced by expectations established before enough 2026 film has accumulated. The Jets' tackle duo had played well enough through the opening two games to inspire optimism, and one difficult matchup against Detroit doesn't erase that work.
Still, the drop to No. 19 is a reminder that the offensive line remains a work in progress. New York cannot afford for the issues on the left side to become a trend, particularly with Smith playing some of the best football of his season and the running game already searching for consistency.
For now, PFF has sent the Jets' offensive line backward. The group will have an opportunity to move in the opposite direction Sunday against Chicago.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Where does PFF rank the Jets' offensive line entering Week 4?
