During training camp, the Jets’ offense has been inconsistent.
Whether in practice or the game, the Jets’ performance against the Giants this week was the latter.
The preseason results are inconsequential, but Gang Green lost to Big Blue 31-12 in the annual Snoopy Bowl. What is important is what was noteworthy about the Jets, both positively and negatively.
These are the key points from the Jets’ second preseason game this week.
In their preseason victory over the Packers last week, Justin Fields and the Jets’ starting offense emerged after just one series. They found the end zone early against the Giants, but that was not the case in Green Bay.
On the first drive, Fields only completed one of five throws for four yards, to rookie tight end Mason Taylor. Fields wasted valuable field position and had to punt after three consecutive incompletions following his ball to Taylor. On his second and last drive, which included two pass plays, including one where Fields scurried for five yards, and nine planned running plays, he passed once.
Fields’ training camp has been inconsistent all summer. He has occasionally had trouble with accuracy and hanging onto the ball for extended periods of time. Fields’ hesitation to toss the ball down the field has also been seen.
Fields took what the defense offered him, completed three of four passes, and ran for a touchdown to show his resolve against the Packers. Against the Giants, who had a renowned pass rush, he showed none of those qualities.
Fields finished with five more rushing yards than passing yards. Head coach Aaron Glenn stated that the Jets intended Fields to play quarterback and would develop an offense around his skills, including making use of his remarkable running ability, when he signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract in March. But so far, the outcomes have been inconsistent.
Regarding the passing game, Glenn stated, “I think it’s up and down, okay, and there’s been a lot of ups in camp that I really like.” It was clear that today was not one of those days, but listen, I still have a lot of faith in those people’ abilities because they have shown them to me. I think you can keep doing it once you demonstrate it, so we just need to return to work the next week and keep refining the areas where we need to improve.
After being fired eight times in two days, Fields struggled in both of the Giants’ joint sessions. He is still attempting to get along with his teammates and learning offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s system. The Jets must hope Fields’ play improves for the team’s preseason finale against the Eagles next Friday, as the regular season opening against the Steelers is in three weeks.
The Jets might need to rely on their running assault to win games since Fields has been inconsistent during training camp.
The Jets rushed for 47 yards on their second drive and ran 10 of 11 plays to get within field goal range. However, after Fields’ pass on a 3-and-10 play was incomplete, their momentum finally slowed, and they had to settle for a field goal from Nick Folk that was 38 yards long.
The Jets have worked to become a dominant football team since Glenn took over as head coach, emphasizing a run-heavy strategy. Their offensive line, which is one of their team’s strengths, has seen significant investment in recent years. Fields, along with Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson, is a dynamic runner and one of just three quarterbacks to sprint for more than 1,000 yards in a season.
The Jets’ passing offense appears to be a work in progress, but given their early schedule, the running game might have to take the brunt of the strain. Last year, the Jets’ four opponents out of six at the start of the season—the Broncos, Bills, Bucs, and Steelers—made it to the postseason. Therefore, while Fields continues to understand the offense, there may be a lot of Isaiah Davis, Braelon Allen, and Breece Hall.
Regarding rushing the ball, Glenn stated, “I thought our guys did a really good job of that.” Man, we are aware that we will have an advantage if we can simply hunker down and force our players to run the ball. However, all in all, it simply wasn’t good enough.
No Sauce Gardner caused the Jets’ secondary a lot of trouble in the early going against the Giants. Russell Wilson completed 108 yards on 4 of 7 attempts, including a deep pass to Beaux Collins that was 80 yards long. Despite being within coverage, Andre Cisco and Qwantez Stiggers were unable to stop the Wilson to Collins connection.
Devin Singletary scored a one-yard touchdown as a result, giving the Giants an early 7-0 lead.
Gardner’s strained calf prevented him from playing. Due to the injury, he was also unable to attend Wednesday’s joint practice. Although the injury doesn’t seem severe, there is always worry because Gardner is one of the Jets’ top players.
The Jets’ safety may be the problem. Tony Adams struggled last season and was benched. After the Jaguars let Cisco depart in free agency, he joined with the Jets.
Although he did catch Wilson in the end zone for a touchback in the second quarter, Stiggers also struggled for the majority of the game.
Beyond Garrett Wilson, there are a number of concerns with the Jets’ wide corps. They do, however, have a few intriguing and gifted players who might make the final team.
Arian Smith, a Georgia native selected in the fourth round by the Jets, is one of them. Smith had drop problems when he first joined the league, but he ended up with two catches for 39 yards. Smith has pleased Jets coaches during training camp. He will need to keep improving in this area, though, as he did have one drop against the Giants.
Quentin Skinner and Brandon Smith, both undrafted free agents, have also shown promise. Brandon Smith finished with 48 yards from five catches. Skinner hung onto a one-handed reception in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, which was the only Jets touchdown of the evening.
Xavier Gipson’s shoulder injury forced him to leave before halftime. Prior to cutdown day, which is August 26, the Jets will have to make tough choices because of the uncertainty at receiver.
