Olu Fashanu Gets His First Start at LT as Jets Take on Colts at MetLife Stadium

As interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich reminded, “The playoffs should be the last thing on our mind right now. We’ve just got to play better football.”

Yet a sidelong glance at the standings indicates how important this afternoon’s MetLife Stadium game against 4-6 Indianapolis can be, not only for the 3-7 Jets’ mental and physical well-being but for any hope of a second-half run.

The Jets are the 11th team out of 16 in the AFC conference standings and need to pass four teams to get to the seventh and final playoff berth — a tall task indeed.

Yet better football and a win over Indy would move the Jets ahead of the Colts due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. One down, three to go?

In taking on the Colts, the Jets have had some adjustments to their roster and starting lineup on all three units. The big three items:

Offense: With LT Tyron Smith (neck) inactive for the first time this season, first-round rookie Olu Fashanu will get the start and protect QB Aaron Rodgers’ blindside. Fashanu had gotten snaps at RG and RT, including two starts in Games 4-5 for Morgan Moses, but until Arizona, he hadn’t played at his Penn State position of LT. With Smith down after the first half, Fashanu got 33 offensive reps vs. the Cards.

Defense: Veteran S Chuck Clark, who started the Jets’ first six games, then missed the next four with an ankle injury, returned to practice this past week and has been moved to the active roster. Ulbrich didn’t announce his starting safeties but Clark and Tony Adams started those first six games alongside each other in the deep middle and his return bolsters the safety position that had thinned out after the injuries to Clark and the next week to Adams. DL Solomon Thomas (knee) also returns after missing last week’s game.

Special Teams: The Jets will send out their fourth different kicker in four games when second-year player Anders Carlson, elevated from the practice squad, handles placements and kickoffs. Carlson comes on after Greg Zuerlein was placed on Injured Reserve, Riley Patterson kicked for a game, then was waived, and rookie Spencer Shrader kicked at Arizona, then was signed off the practice squad by Kansas City. “We’re confident Anders can get it done,” Ulbrich said after a windy Friday practice at One Jets Drive.