After each game, we’ll be highlighting three defensive and three offensive players and looking in detail at their performance. We’ll wrap up today with the offense:
Tyrod Man In
Tyrod Taylor played well in a relief appearance, which is just as well because he will be starting on Sunday. Taylor was 7-for-11 for 56 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 21 yards as he essentially outproduced Justin Fields in half a quarter.
Obviously the Jets were down by 27 at the time and the Bills had some backups in the game, but the Jets will hope that Taylor can give them a solid performance in a starting role with a full week to prepare.
Taylor’s first drive stalled near midfield after Cole Bishop came unblocked for a sack. That was the only time in five drives as a Jet that Taylor didn’t drive the Jets downfield and throw a touchdown pass.
Here’s a straightforward three step drop and an accurate throw in between two defenders for a first down. Throws like this should be a staple of the Jets’ offense as they march down the field but Justin Fields didn’t have one like this all day.
When the pressure arrives, Taylor still has a good feel and the poise to move around and find a checkdown on fourth down.
Despite his success as a relief pitcher, it remains to be seen how Taylor will fare in a full game as the starter. Since 2021, he has started four games, one of which ended prematurely due to injury. In the other four, he went 2-2 on a bad 2023 Giants team and he averaged 308 passing yards per game in his two post-injury starts right at the end of that season. Hopefully he can do something similar as he replaces Fields.
A Mason Grace
It’s fair to say that rookie tight end Mason Taylor is off to a slow start. He has just one catch in each game so far.
On Sunday, he had a few negatives. One pass was dropped as Fields threw slightly behind him. He also got beaten for a strip sack by Joey Bosa, although to his credit at least Taylor recovered the loose ball.
His impact as a run blocker wasn’t very significant either. On one play in the red zone, he got in the runner’s way. He also doesn’t play special teams at all.
Taylor did at least have one positive moment right near the end of the game with this diving catch over the middle, although it didn’t go for a first down.
Taylor has been affected by injuries during preseason and the early part of the regular season which might be why the Jets haven’t fully unleashed his potential yet. Let’s not forget that this potential is largely based on projection too, because he wasn’t all that statistically productive in college, with no 100-yard games and only six touchdowns in three years.
The Jets remain high on Taylor, though, so hopefully we’ll see him making more meaningful contributions as the season progresses.
Membou Berries
After a sparkling debut, Armand Membou had another tough game this week, with Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa both getting plenty of reps on his side. While the Jets gave him less help than last week, they still gave him some help.
Membou wasn’t as flawless as he was in the Steelers game as he gave up three pressures in total. He was also rocked off his spot on a Rousseau bull rush as he made an obvious technical error in having his base too narrow.
The Bills really tested the Jets, sending a lot of five and six-man rushes and running a lot of stunts, even in garbage time, and Membou stood up to that scrutiny for the most part. Bosa got upfield on him a few times to flush Fields out but this was the only time he was cleanly beaten.
Perhaps the most concerning thing from Membou in this game, and something to pay attention to, was on the play where Fields fumbled after being hit by Bosa from behind. On that play, Membou did a solid job on Bosa but acted like he thought his job was done and was already practically walking back to the huddle while the play wasn’t over and Bosa was able to hustle to the ball. If Membou stayed alert and played to the whistle there, that turnover would never have happened.
That may be a nitpick, though. On the whole his first two games have been very encouraging, even though both individually and on a unit-wide basis the running game didn’t get going this week against a short-handed Bills front.
Five years ago, the future looked bright for Mekhi Becton after he held up superbly against Nick Bosa for his second solid game in a row to kick off his career. Membou is off to a similar start having face the other Bosa brother in his second career start. Of course, Becton’s progress was set back several times due to injuries during his Jets tenure, starting the very next week in his third start. Clearly if Membou can stay healthy, he’s on the right track.
Previously: Three on D: Cisco, Briggs, McCrary-Ball