When the Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons this weekend, you might have a difficult time finding a more talented group of young edge on both sides of the ball when the Jets are on offense. Much has been made of Jets rookie offensive tackles Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu while a pair of rookie edge rushers have been heating up for the Falcons. A look at those key matchups on the outside and more.
OT’s Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu vs Edges James Pearce and Jalon Walker:
These battles alone might be worth the price of admission. Selected in the first rounds of the 2024 and 2025 draft, Fashanu and Membou have been two of the better young tackles in the NFL this season. The pair have combined to play over 800 snaps as their numbers in pass pro have gradually improved. The pair have combined to allow 17 pressures over their past five games, a total of 343 snaps.
Meanwhile, Pearce and Walker, both rookies, have combined for 10 sacks so far this season. Even more impressive is the fact that of those ten sacks, nine of them have come in the past four games. The pair are heating up and will hope to get to Tyrod Taylor on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
DT’s Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs vs OG Chris Lindstrom:
Lindstrom is currently listed as questionable for Sunday, but if he’s a go, the Falcons will rely on his run blocking to be a key in getting Bijan Robinson going. Phillips is coming off of what we view as his best game of the season against the Ravens. If he plays anywhere close to as well as he did last Sunday, he’ll be a major factor for Atlanta to consider. Then of course there’s Briggs, who was another key part of slowing the Raven’s rush offense last week. With Bijan Robinson up next, both DT’s will be key.
LB Jamien Sherwood vs RB Bijan Robinson:
With Kirk Cousins in at QB and Drake London out with an injury, look for Atlanta to run it early and often. Few backs in the NFL can weave through traffic as welll as Robinson can. As the man posted in the middle of the defense, Sherwood should have plenty of opportunities to make plays. If he comes up short, it’ll be a long day for the Jets on defense.
WR AD Mitchell vs CB AJ Terrell:
John Metchie has been stealing all of the headlines after scoring TD’s in each of the past two games, but Mitchell has managed to get open deep down the field multiple times. If the Jets want to make life easier on their run game, they should be looking to hit Mitchell down the field a time or two. He’s good enough to get behind Terrell, but will Tyrod Taylor be on target?
Prediction: Jets 24 Falcons 17