Jets Tackle Fashanu Aims to Regain Form After Tough Stretch
Following a challenging performance against the Lions, Olu Fashanu is focused on improving his pass protection and restoring the offensive line's confidence.
Jets left tackle Olu Fashanu acknowledged a difficult outing in the team's Week 3 loss to the Lions, where he allowed 2.5 sacks. Despite the criticism, the 23-year-old lineman expressed confidence in his ability to bounce back.
"That's the reality of being an O-lineman," Fashanu said. "At the end of the day, every player strives to be perfect. In the NFL, you're going against guys on the other side that are pretty good, too. Games like that are going to happen. I feel like it's really on yourself to remember who you are, fall back on your training, fall back to the guys in your room and just keep going."
Fashanu is a key component of a Jets offensive line that was anticipated to be a team strength. After a solid Week 1 performance against the Titans, the unit's play has declined in the subsequent two weeks, impacting both the run game and pass protection.
"For myself, it's just bouncing back," Fashanu stated. "Last week, I didn't have a good game, obviously. I know that my job in pass protection is to keep Geno [Smith] clean and healthy. I didn't do that last week. For myself, it's just remembering who I am, just focusing on my technique, being dialed in to the snap count and all that and just doing everything possible to keep Geno clean."
Fashanu indicated that the offensive line has dedicated time this week to analyzing the reasons behind their recent struggles. The focus is on recapturing the momentum seen in the Week 1 game against Tennessee.
"Getting our mojo back, getting back to that same mentality we had in the Tennessee game," Fashanu said of the O-line room's objective this week. "At the end of the day, we know our ability and we know that these last two weeks haven't been the best for our O-line. This week was all about getting prepared for Chicago and focusing on ourselves."
The Jets also announced that they elevated wide receiver Sterling Shepard from the practice squad for the second consecutive week, and linebacker Jaden Keller was also elevated.