It’s been a rough season for Jets rookie guard Brian Winters.
Inserted into the starting lineup in the fifth week of the season, Winters has been learning on the job. The third-round pick from Kent State has had some bad moments and bad games, but he played his best game of the season Sunday in the win over the Browns and feels like he’s turning the corner.
“Things have started to slow down for me,” Winters said. “I’m believing in myself and believing in the guys around me and I have more confidence.”
Winters threw a crucial block on a 39-yard run by Bilal Powell and was part of an offensive line that did not surrender a sack Sunday.
Winters was tackle in college and has been learning to play guard on the fly. He missed some crucial time in training camp with a sprained ankle and was beaten out for the starting job by Vlad Ducasse. He took over the job in October and has started since.
He said the position change has been the most difficult thing about his first year. He’s had to adjust from usually having one player lined up over him to having to account for linebackers, twisting defensive ends and the large tackles.
“You have to know the whole big picture [at guard],” Winters said. “At tackle you have to know the picture, but you’re one-on-one. At guard you have to know the whole picture and you have to know everyone’s assignment.”
Winters said he believes he can make big improvements this offseason.
“It’s going to be key for me,” he said. “It’s going to be key for technique issues and getting over the hump of getting all the tackle out of me and playing guard. Once I get there it’s going to be great.”
DE Sheldon Richardson was fined $15,000 for his hit on Browns quarterback Jason Campbell, Richardson wrote on Twitter.
The Jets announced their team awards. DE Muhammad Wilkerson was named Curtis Martin Team MVP; LB Demario Davis won the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Player; CB Isaiah Trufant won the Ed Block Courage Award; CB Kyle Wilson the Marty Lyons Award for Community Service; FB Tommy Bohanon received the Bill Hampton Award for the rookie who acts like a pro in the locker room; Nick Folk won the Kyle Clifton Good Guy Award.
The Jets beat writers also handed out their Media Good Guy award to OG Willie Colon.