NY Jets news: Olu Fashanu shines, Will McDonald sacks, Jets make betting history

The NY Jets don't have many sources of optimism in what has been one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, but rookie offensive tackle Olu Fashanu has become one of those sources of optimism.

Fashanu made his second career start at left tackle in the team's 26-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, and for the second week in a row, he showed flashes of his enormous upside.

The Penn State product didn't allow a single pressure on 42 pass-block snaps in Sunday's game. For context, Tyron Smith only accomplished that feat in two full games this season.

Fashanu has impressed in limited action since stepping in to replace Smith at left tackle. The Jets don't have much to play for over the final five games of the season, but Fashanu's continued development should be fun to watch.

Other NY Jets news:

Will McDonald reaches 10 sacks

Another source of optimism for the Jets in 2024 has been the emergence of Will McDonald. The former Iowa State star tallied two more sacks in his team's Week 13 loss, bringing his total on the season to 10.

McDonald is just the third Jets edge rusher to record 10 sacks in a season since 2010, joining Calvin Pace and Bryce Huff, who accomplished that feat last year. McDonald has done it in just 12 games.

He becomes the first Jets player with 10+ sacks in his second pro season since John Abraham in 2001. McDonald and Abraham are the only two second-year Jets players in team history to reach 10 sacks by the team's 12th game of the season.

The McDonald pick was heavily criticized at the time, but he appears to have established himself as a long-term core member of the Jets' defense. It's been an excellent season for the former first-round pick.

Jets make betting history

The old saying "the house always wins" doesn't seem to apply to the 2024 New York Jets. The all-knowing Vegas oddsmakers don't seem to have learned their lesson with this football team.

The betting lines shifted Sunday morning as the Jets were officially favored to defeat the Seahawks, marking the sixth game in a row the Jets were favored to win. Of course, in typical Jets fashion, they ultimately found a way to lose — and made a bit of history in the process.

The Jets became the first team in the Super Bowl era to be favored in nine of their first 12 games and tally a record 3-9 or worse. No other 3-9 team had even been favored in eight of their first 12 games.

The Jets are quite literally a historical anomaly in the betting world. The Jets' ability to defy the odds — for all the wrong reasons — is unmatched in NFL history.