Over the course of today, we’ll be breaking down the performance of every player that took the field in the Jets’ preseason game against the Giants. We’ll continue now with the defense and look at special teams later on.
Defensive Tackles – Nnadi by Nature
After a monster game from Jay Tufele last week, the Jets’ defensive tackles as a group did not produce much last night. In fact Derrick Nnadi was the only one with more than one tackle and Phidarian Mathis was the only one to register a quarterback hit.
Nnadi doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher but he seems to hold up to double teams better than Tufele, who is driven back off the line with more regularity. Nnadi bottled up a couple of runs near the line, including on the first play of the game, but Tufele didn’t make much impact.
Mathis also bottled up a run as he was on the second unit with Leonard Taylor III who had one pressure and did a nice job of bottling up one run.
Undrafted rookies Payton Page and Fatorma Mulbah saw action with the third unit again and Page bottled up one run but Mulbah didn’t hit the stat sheet.
(Quinnen Williams and Byron Cowart did not play).
Defensive Ends – Kingsley of the Hill
Braiden McGregor and Micheal Clemons made the start this week, which is a surprise in the case of McGregor, who has had a quiet camp. He had a quiet game too, as he was kicked out on two runs. Clemons had a couple of pressures but one of these saw him get there too late to prevent Russell Wilson’s deep completion.
Eric Watts had an active game, as he got to the quarterback three times. However, one was on a screen pass where they basically let him through and another saw him hit the quarterback high to draw a roughing the passer flag. He also got caught inside on an outside run.
Rashad Weaver had a couple of pressures, although again one saw him let through on a screen and another was quite slow-developing. He did have a nice run stuff, though.
Rookie Tyler Baron forced a throw away by getting upfield for a pressure on his best play. He was also unblocked to flush the quarterback and set up a coverage sack on one play and set the edge well on another. He’s playing with good physicality but not beating anyone clean right now.
Kingsley Jonathan was the only front seven player to record a sack, showing a good motor to chase the quarterback down on third down. He had two other pressures but was blocked to the ground on a goal line play.
Michael Fletcher was only in for nine snaps but flashed late with three pressures in quick succession. He should get a chance to build on that next week.
(Jermaine Johnson, who is on the PUP list, and Will McDonald did not play).
Linebackers – Boog Awakening
Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood started alongside Jamin Davis again but Williams and Sherwood played just 12 snaps each and Davis played eight. However, it was Davis who made the best contribution with an impressive shed and stuff at the goal line. Sherwood had a missed tackle and was blocked out of a play at the second level.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Zaire Barnes and UDFA Boog Smith worked together with the twos, but their awareness individually and collectively was lacking as the Giants chewed them up with a steady diet of short passes.
Barnes had five tackles but gave up a few plays in coverage and was pancaked on one run. His best play saw him make an open field tackle on Jaxson Dart as he stepped up.
McCrary-Ball was blocked out of the play on two screens that went for big gains and left a receiver alone in the flat in a coverage bust. Despite his strong start to camp and position on the depth chart, he is not pushing Davis for the starting role based on preseason.
Smith gave up a first down and a touchdown in behind him in coverage and dropped too far off the line on 3rd-and-7 to allow an easy conversion underneath.
Jackson Sirmon had one play where he dropped into coverage and had a pass hit him in the back and get intercepted. While you’d like to see him get his head turned there, his positioning was good and he didn’t make contact, so it was a good contribution. However, he also had a mistake as he came through on a delayed blitz, allowing the back to sneak out for an easy dump-off and big yardage.
Finally, Ja’Markis Weston saw brief action and gave up a first down in coverage.
(Kiko Mauigoa did not play).
Cornerbacks – Stephens King
Brandon Stephens had a good highlight this week as he closed well to break up a pass. However, a better/earlier throw might have been a completion.
As with McGregor, the choice for the other starting cornerback role was a surprise as Qwan’tez Stiggers was in there. He passed off the receiver to the safety too late on the 80-yard completion early and got turned around by Jalin Hyatt for another 21-yard play. However, he intercepted a pass in the end zone when Wilson and his target got their wires crossed and was in good position on another incompletion.
Deuce Carter had a couple of moments to remind us that he’s a quality player as he was in good coverage on an incompletion and made an excellent third down tackle in the flat.
Jarrick Bernard-Converse missed the first preseason game but made the most of a chance to play on the outside last night as he was in good position on an incompletion, made two good tackles close to the line of scrimmage and superbly stopped an outside run one-on-one at the goal line. He had an outstanding preseason last season, of course, only to then never see action during the season.
Bump Cooper saw plenty of action but wasn’t really tested. He made one tackle downfield on a short pass.
UDFA Jordan Clark had a holding penalty and was involved in a coverage mix-up at nickel back but was in good position for an incompletion to the end zone.
Mario Goodrich struggled as he gave up three first downs on a slant, a deep ball and an in-breaking route as he was too far off. The penalty originally called on him was correctly re-attributed to Clark, though.
Also at cornerback this week was Jarius Monroe, who the Jets have apparently moved from safety. He had played both roles in the past. Monroe had a nice pass breakup and a run stop on the edge but also lost contain on a run, got called for pass interference and gave up a deep catch.
(Kris Boyd, Azareye’h Thomas and Sauce Gardner did not play)
Safeties – Clark Kent
Andre Cisco and Tony Adams made the start at safety with Cisco obviously at fault on the 80-yard play that set up the first touchdown, although he did run it down for a touchdown-saving tackle. On a brighter note he had one run stop near the line and another play where he slowed the man up near the line, although he didn’t complete the tackle on that one.
Isaiah Oliver had one good open field tackle in the flat but also had a bad missed tackle that almost led to a touchdown.
Malachi Moore impressed on a tackle near the line of scrimmage in the flat and a big hit at the goal line to save a touchdown but he was also blocked out of a couple of plays including one at the goal line.
Tanner McCalister was in a good position on one incompletion but he also gave up a third down conversion in coverage.
This week’s big winner, however, was UDFA Dean Clark who had a coverage sack, an interception and this impressive pass breakup.
Clark’s lone negative saw him caught up in traffic and unable to get across to a receiver who was open for a big play.
We’ll be back with more on the special teams later…