Jets’ Quinnen Williams enjoys big night: ‘getting back into a groove’

Quinnen Williams looks like himself again.

After a slow start to the season, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle is dominating games again. He was a menace in the Texans’ backfield all night in the Jets’ 21-13 win over Houston on Thursday.

Williams finished with 1 ½ sacks and four quarterback hits.

Williams got to deliver his trademark dance after sacking Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“He’s getting back into a groove,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “We’re finding better ways to utilize him, too. It’s a combination of those two things. It couldn’t happen to a better human being. There’s not a guy on our team that works as hard as Quinnen. It makes me feel good when he’s dancing.”

The Jets defensive line had a massive game with eight sacks of Stroud.

Micheal Clemons had two sacks and Haason Reddick had a half sack, his first as a Jet.

The Jets got banged up on the offensive line in the game.

LG John Simpson left the game with a groin injury, and RG Jake Hanson left with a hamstring injury.

Hanson had been starting in place of Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has an ankle injury.

Max Mitchell played in place of Simpson, and rookie Olu Fashanu played once Hanson left.

Fashanu has never played guard before. He was a left tackle in college.

Aaron Rodgers will be without one of his favorite weapons for a while.

The Jets placed wide receiver Allen Lazard on injured reserve Thursday, hours before their game with the Texans.

Lazard missed last week’s game against the Patriots with a chest injury.

Ulbrich said Monday that Lazard would not go on IR, but he was apparently wrong or lying.

Lazard, 28, leads the team with five touchdown receptions this year.

He has 30 catches for 412 yards.

Lazard will have to miss at least four games, including the Texans game.

The injury to Lazard calls into question whether the Jets will be motivated to trade Mike Williams, whose role increases with Lazard out. The trade deadline is Tuesday.

The Jets had a new kicker Thursday.

They elevated Riley Patterson off the practice squad before the game with the Texans.

The 25-year-old has kicked for the Lions, Jaguars and Browns.

He was with the Commanders in the preseason but was cut before the season started.

He went 3-for-3 on extra points and did not attempt a field goal in the win.

The Jets made a series of roster moves before the game beyond Lazard and Patterson.

Defensive tackle Leki Fotu was placed on IR with a knee injury.

The team released TE Anthony Firkser and activated TE Kenny Yeboah off of IR.

Yeboah has missed the first eight games with an abdomen injury.

The Jets also signed C Alec Lindstrom to the active roster and elevated CB Kendall Sheffield and S Jarius Monroe from the practice squad for the game. They signed DE Takk McKinley to the practice squad.

The Jets inactives for the game were: OT Carter Warren, RB Israel Abanikanda, G Alijah Vera-Tucker, S Ashtyn Davis, S Tony Adams, LB C.J. Mosley, CB Qwan’tez Stiggers.