Jets Q&A: How bad is Alijah Vera-Tucker's injury?

How bad is Alijah Vera-Tucker’s injury?

It’s never a good sign when a player is ruled out pretty quickly.

“It’s a concern for sure,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said.

Vera-Tucker left Sunday’s game with what the Jets called a calf injury. That was the same diagnosis that Aaron Rodgers had in the Week 1 game before Saleh revealed afterward that it was his Achilles.

Saleh was asked if it was Vera-Tucker’s Achilles. “He’s going to have to get an MRI,” he said.

It was on this field that Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending triceps tear last season. Max Mitchell finished the game for him at right tackle on Sunday.  

How happy were the Jets to get the win for Nathaniel Hackett?

They wanted it for him, and Saleh gave his offensive coordinator a game ball.

Hackett was fired as the Broncos’ coach after 15 games last season, and new Denver coach Sean Payton called it “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” This win mattered to the Jets and Hackett.

“He didn’t mention it once,” center Connor McGovern said. “Everybody knew how important it was, but he’s a true professional. Obviously, the most important thing is the win, but you can put it as a tiny little cherry on top of a huge sundae.”  

Did Bryce Hall consider taking a knee instead of scoring?

Yes, but he wasn’t going to give up the opportunity to get in the end zone.

Hall played only because the Jets were down two cornerbacks — D.J. Reed and Brandin Echols. When Quincy Williams sacked Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and forced him to fumble, Hall was in the right place at the right time. He scooped it up and ran 39 yards for a touchdown with 29 seconds left to put the game away.

“It was like it was meant to be,” Hall said. “I just saw it, scooped it up. I probably should have took a knee. Something came over [me]. It was like just, ‘Get in the end zone.’ ”  

What happened before the half when the Jets didn’t get a play off?

Zach Wilson took the blame for the foul-up.

He passed to C.J. Uzomah, who was tackled at the 8 with about 10 seconds remaining. Out of timeouts, the Jets didn’t show much urgency, and by the time Wilson spiked it, time had expired.

Wilson knows he should have taken a shot at the end zone or thrown it out of bounds and gone for the field goal.

“I need to be better in that situation,” he said. “What’s that 5 yards throwing to C.J really doing for us? We’re already in field-goal range. Really, it’s take a shot at the end zone, and I knew that.

“I felt like he was so open. I’ll give him a chance to try and run for it. Really, there’s no shot for that.

“They’re rallying and tackling there. I should have just sailed it over his head and kicked the field goal the next play. I need to be better right there.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.