The Jets last season cycled through more than a dozen different combinations on the offensive line. With the addition of the veterans Tyron Smith, John Simpson and Morgan Moses, the return of Alijah Vera-Tucker from a second straight season-ending injury and the quick maturation of second-year center Joe Tippmann, the starting Group of 5 has missed only a combined three games so far this season.
That's not to say that the first eight games have not been without concern. A raft of presnap penalties has continued to haunt the Green & White. The run game has struggled to get off the mark to this point (689 total yards/3.9 yards a carry). And quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 18 times.
And although the Jets (2-6) enter Thursday night's game against Houston at MetLife Stadium in the throes of a 5-game losing streak, Moses, who returned to the Jets after two seasons in Baltimore, is convinced one game, one win could potentially make a world of difference.
"I don't think you can use the terminology or the word 'disappointing' when there's a lot of football left on the schedule," he said. "And I could continue telling the guys that it takes one, it takes one game, it takes one win. It takes all 53 players to get it done, to get this thing rolling. And you know, obviously you look at our division, you say, hey, like you look at the Dolphins [2-5], you look at the Patriots [2-6], and obviously we lost a close one to the Bills [23-20 on Oct. 14]. There's still opportunity, but we got to figure out ways to overcome adversity and get out of the way of ourselves sometimes, and great opportunities, more opportunities for one another, to excel in this game."
Moses, 33, sustained a sprained knee and bone bruise in the Thursday night win over New England in Week 3. He missed two games. In his 5 other games (other than against the first time vs. the Pats, when he played 60% of the snaps), Moses has taken 100% of the snaps on offense. The Texans' defense is in the middle of the pack against the run, yielding 4.7 yards a carry, but has been vulnerable against the pass, giving up 6.1 yards a reception, 31st in the league.
The quick turnaround from Sunday's game has given the team an opportunity to get a win before a 10-day respite before a trip to Arizona to play the Cardinals on Nov. 10. And Moses (6-6, 320) believes the players will respond to Jeff Ulbrich, the team's interim head coach.
"He's a special person because he understands the game from a player standpoint and a coaching standpoint," Moses said of the 49ers' former 10-year linebacker. "He puts a lot on his shoulders. He says, it starts with him. I say different. We are players. Players make plays, coaches coach. We have enough talent to overcome some of the things that we put ourselves in, but we can't continue living in the world of second-and-10 and third-and-8 and third-and-9.
"We're putting a lot of stuff on the plate of our quarterback. But it takes all of them to go out there and operate the way you want to operate. It starts with us as players getting the install, getting the plays, knowing where to be, getting out of the huddle lined up." He added: "And so it's not one man. It's not one person. This is not a one person show. It takes all 11, it takes all 53 on the roster to operate this thing. And so we have to come together."
Moses summed it up this way: "You've got to look yourself in the mirror and say: 'What can I do better? What can I do to prepare better? I'm not saying that guys aren't doing that. But we've got to figure out ways when it becomes clutch time in the game to seize the opportunity and not just coast through and be all right with the mistakes and stuff like that."
