EyeQ Tech review EyeQ Tech EyeQ Tech tuyển dụng review công ty eyeq tech eyeq tech giờ ra sao EyeQ Tech review EyeQ Tech EyeQ Tech tuyển dụng crab meat crab meat crab meat importing crabs live crabs export mud crabs vietnamese crab exporter vietnamese crabs vietnamese seafood vietnamese seafood export vietnams crab vietnams crab vietnams export vietnams export
NFL

Jets’ Duane Brown acclimating quickly as O-line looks to build chemistry

By
Ryan Dunleavy
Published Aug. 25, 2022
Updated Aug. 25, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET

The payment for easing Duane Brown into fully practicing with the Jets came due Thursday.

Two weeks after he agreed to a contract with the Jets, 10 days after he joined conditioning drills, and one day after his first appearance in team drills, Brown put pads on for the first time since the end of last season with the Seahawks. The 36-year-old left tackle quickly lined up against the Giants starting defense in a joint practice ahead of the teams’ annual preseason game Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

“For my first day in pads to be against another team, that’s just like a shock to the system,” Brown said. “I think it was good for me. I responded well. Sunday will be another step forward.”

Jets’ Duane Brown, left, and Ross Pierschbacher practice at training camp in Florham Park, N.J.
Jets’ Duane Brown, left, and Ross Pierschbacher practice at training camp. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

The Jets have, on paper, one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. But the left side consists of two new starters (Brown and fellow free-agent acquisition Laken Tomlinson) and the right side is last season’s left side players (George Fant and Alijah Vera-Tucker) reversing all their footwork. Time to build chemistry is running short.

“I’ve played a long time, so my body has a lot of muscle memory and it won’t take me long,” Brown said. “Last year, I didn’t do training camp at all and I was rusty to start the season. I had a pretty good amount of reps today. We have practice [Friday], then the game Sunday and then another week of work next week. I’ll be good.”

Brown’s addition is different than when the Jets lured Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil out of retirement in 2019. Kalil, who had a disappointing injury-shortened season, already was out of the playing mindset, whereas Brown stayed in shape in anticipation of playing again. Mekhi Becton’s season-ending knee injury opened the door.

“You can run, you can work out all you want: It’s not the same as having to move 300-pound guys against their will,” Brown said. “The recollection of plays, looking at defenses, all that stuff, it’s just part of your position.”

One of Brown’s signs that he is “on the right track” is that he remembers the offensive terminology from his last time in a similar system and thus he is not having to overcommunicate. The Giants’ exotic blitzes in practice would have made for a long day if that were not the case.

“To add a guy like that, especially on a young team, any time you can add guys who have experience winning and playing at a high level it helps the whole team out,” quarterback Joe Flacco said. “I think we’ve had a good group of [offensive linemen] all along, but it always helps who can anchor that room and give them some base level to go off of and show them how it’s done.”

Flacco, 37, keeps Brown from being the old man in the Jets’ meeting rooms. Brown joked that he reminded starting quarterback Zach Wilson that the youngster was only 8 years old when Brown made his NFL debut for the Texans. Jets rookies Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner were even younger.

Youth isn’t going to be an excuse if the Jets fail to meet increased expectations, however. Not if Brown has anything to say about it.

“No one here cares about what’s happened before,” Brown said. “No one here cares about expectations outside of the building. They know what kind of talent we have on the roster. They know what kind of work we put in day in and day out and that’s all that matters. We’ve got to play our hearts out. Let the chips fall where they will.”