The New York Jets showed even more improvement in week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals by escaping the jungle in Ohio with a 25-19 victory. The Jets did however show predictable vulnerability in the secondary letting Andy Dalton throw for a perfect passer rating by going 8-8 for 144 yards and a 43 yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu early in the first quarter. AJ Green also tallied 69 yards on three catches but the Jets still managed to get the victory with an overall balanced attack on offense.
Starting quarterback Geno Smith went 10-13 for 98 yards with one interception thrown to veteran corner Terence Newman. Smith however ran for 20 yards, including a Cam “Newton-esque” running touchdown from a yard out. However, Vick didn’t do anything to take the pressure off Smith for the starting job. Vick went 5-9 for 70 yards, threw a 17 yard screen for a touchdown to Clyde Gates, and had a QBR of 117.8. That score also came in the fourth quarter to give the Jets the lead and the win.
It’s Geno’s team, but Vick isn’t letting anyone forget who he is and may find himself starting a few games this season. What really impressed was the running game. CJ2K ran for 63 yards on 10 carries and showed that he’s ready and healthy enough to bounce back in a big way in 2014. Bilal Powell made a strong case for why he should get the RB2 gig with his notable performance of 41 yards on only four carries, including a 2 yard touchdown. On paper, the Jets’ offense showed a lot of improvement this week against an underrated Bengals defense that could make a lot of noise in the AFC North this season.
The Jets face off against the Giants in a preseason battle for Metlife Stadium supremacy in week 3. The two teams are each undefeated in preseason play as the Giants are 3-0 after beating the Bills, Steelers and Colts last week. Eli Manning hasn’t really been a factor in any of these games as he has been relatively anemic this preseason going 7-16 for 49 yards combined in 3 games. Eli has been on the decline for the past few seasons and will be looking to bounce back into Super Bowl form in 2014. Look for him to try and shake off a little more rust week three, but also watch to see how the Jets’ secondary responds after being torched in Cincinnati by Andy Dalton.
Calvin Pryor shined for the Jets in his NFL debut against the Bengal’s. He was a presence all over the field and recorded seven total tackles (four solo) and a tackle for a loss along with a fumble recovery. Against the Bengals the Jets front seven did their thing as they recorded five sacks and bottled up a formidable Cincinnati running game.
However, the Giants running game took a blow early in the preseason when David Wilson emotionally announced his retirement from the NFL. Wilson added a quick shifty dynamic to compliment bruisers Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings. If Eli continues to struggle, the Giants will have to rely more and more on the running game. Though Jennings is running hard and very well in the starter’s role, the Giants rather one dimensional offense bodes well for the Jets this week.
The Giants lost downfield threat Hakeem Nicks to the Colts, and although he didn’t have a great year last year the Giants will miss him more than most people realize. Nicks drew a lot of safety help over the top, which opened the field up for Victor Cruz and the other Giants’ receivers underneath the coverage. Without that consistent deep threat, the Jets defense can feel free to really bring the pressure.
Sharing a stadium is not the only thing these two New York teams have in common. Both the Jets and the Giants like to run the football and neither have a consistent quarterback who can put up numbers week in and week out. Both defenses are also strong in their respective front sevens and both teams get after the opposing quarterback.
The Giants were able to win two superbowls in the last 10 years because of their impressive pass rush and the Jets pass rush this season shows a lot of promise and has the potential to be the best in the NFL. Veterans Calvin Pace and David Harris lay a solid foundation to go along with future faces of the franchise Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson both playing way beyond their years. As the preseason winds down keep an eye on the Jets’ first team defensive schemes, personnel and blitz packages as they start to fine tune for week one against the Raiders. Rex won’t want to give everything away in preseason but you can bet he’s not afraid to flex his defensive muscles.
Personally, I like the Jets to take the battle of Metlife, but not by much. Neither of these teams are in midseason form by any means, especially offensively. While each squad earned its undefeated preseason record, it’s important to remember that preseason success is no guarantee of regular season prosperity; in fact it’s far from it. Remember, the 2008 Detroit Lions went 4-0 in the preseason and didn’t win a game in the regular season. While I don’t believe that the Jets are headed for a similar fate because of their playoff caliber roster, it’s still a reminder of the unreliable assumptions that preseason success can bring. Rex and the boys have a long way to go, but they’re improving every week and that’s what preseason is all about. The Jets will be looking to make Giants fans in Metlife Green with envy Friday night and will look to continue their teams strong start.
