Jets’ Jermaine Johnson sacrificing sugar for another shot at sacking Lamar Jackson

One coach won’t be turning to his backup in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson appears set to start Sunday against the Jets, returning to the practice field Thursday after missing the previous day’s session with an ankle injury. It will be the first time the Jets will face Jackson since the 2022 season opener, when the two-time MVP threw for three touchdowns and Jermaine Johnson got a story to tell his grandchildren. “He was actually my first career sack,” said Johnson, who is awaiting the birth of his first child. “I’m looking to get one or two more on Sunday against him.” Every highlight of Jackson makes it seem impossible to catch one of the fastest quarterbacks in league history, but the Ravens superstar has been slowed by injuries this season including a hamstring strain that cost him three games and taken 23 sacks through seven games, matching as many as he took in 17 games last season. “Goddamn,” Jackson told reporters Thursday after being informed of the stat. “Gonna have to talk to the offensive line about that.” Johnson will be among the first Jets he mentions. After being sidelined all but two games last season with a torn Achilles and missing three games this season with an ankle injury the Jets’ 2022 first-round pick again resembles the edge rusher who displayed so much potential in 2023, when he recorded 7. 5 sacks and was named an injury replacement for the Pro Bowl. In the past two games, Johnson has recorded two sacks and 11 pressures. “He’s getting back to his form,” defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. CHECK OUT THE LATEST NFL STANDINGS AND JETS STATS Meanwhile, Jackson is coming off a dreadful two-interception, no-touchdown performance in Cleveland, where he was sacked five times, including four by Myles Garrett. The Ravens quarterback has been sacked 30 percent of the time he’s been pressured this season, ranking 31st in the NFL. “You just gotta stay active, high motor, keep going,” Johnson said. “Especially in the Cleveland game, I saw Myles getting after him and he was just very active. It didn’t happen instantly on all of those .[but] he ended up getting home. “A lot of guys, they like to do something called ‘cage’ and just stay in front of him as a defensive line, but I think you just gotta throw your stuff and you still gotta go get him. I’ve been doing extra running, staying off sugary drinks and stuff like that, getting ready for him.” Really? “I’m chasing after a lot of guys as the season’s gone on, so I just want to shed off any kind of weight that’s slowing me down so I can turn those hurries or hits or pressures into sacks.” His impact comes in many forms. Before the trade deadline, Johnson demonstrated his commitment to the franchise, voicing his desire to stay with the team before the fire sale that resulted in the defense losing its biggest stars (Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams). His voice in the locker room has never carried more weight. “I think you see a little bit more, he’s stepped up in the absence of Quinnen, and you’re starting to see him a little more assertive, not only with the D-linemen but with the defense as a whole,” Wilks said. “So I appreciate that from him.”.
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