Image Credit: (Vincent Carchietta/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
Twitter: @nicholasmullick
Okay before I start, my prayers go out to New York Giants QB Tyrod Taylor who left this game with a back injury and while he jogged off the field, he was carted to the locker room after an evaluation on the sidelines which is never a good sign. I mean Taylor just can’t catch a break with injuries and when healthy he is a very dependable QB. Hopefully the injury is not long term and I hope he has a fast recovery from his injuries.
UPDATE: According to Giants head coach Brian Daboll, he stated in the post game interview that Tyrod “should be okay’’. Which should be a good sign, but he did not go in detail as to how bad his back injury is.
Okay, now let's get into the actual game. I got to say this is a very entertaining preseason game and there were many times where I actually came out of my seat. Definitely one of my favorite preseason games I have seen. BTW the Preseason for the Jets the past few years has actually been pretty good as the Jets have not lost a Preseason game since 2019. While this game was great and all, it is so concerning to see how much the starting offense performed in this game, especially when a majority of Giants backup played a majority of this game. However, they performed well enough to win in this game to beat the Giants 31-27. There were players to me that impressed and some that disappointed, so I will go through the ones that stood out.
1. Who Impressed - QB Chris Streveler
He led the Jets in the Game winning drive and by throwing a fantastic touchdown to Calvin Jackson which sealed the win. By the way, you have to also give Streveler credit with that touchdown throw to Denzel Mims. The ball placement on that throw was picture perfect. Streveler definitely has earned a spot on either the practice squad or the active roster. It is never going to happen, but I honestly would love to see Streveler be the starter Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens.
2. Who Disappointed - QB Joe Flacco
And if you want to know another reason why I keep saying that I never want to see Joe Flacco start an NFL game as a New York Jet ever again, games like this are why. Flacco was awful in this game and while he made 7 of 12 of his throws for 76 yards and an interception, there were a lot of throws where he underthrew and overthrew receivers. By the way, go back and watch that interception Flacco threw in this game. My goodness that is definitely one of the worst interceptions I have seen him throw in awhile. There was nobody even near for Flacco to throw the ball to and he just basically gave a checkdown to LB Austin Calitro. Look, I will always respect Flacco and everything he did in the NFL as a Raven, but he is done. The Jets better hope that Zach Wilson will be healthy to play soon as I hate to say it, but there is no hope with Flacco as the starter.
3. Who Impressed - QB Mike White
Mike White is back, baby. He had a strong performance in this game completing 13 of his 17 throws, 170 passing yards, and 2 touchdowns. White made some fantastic throws in this game and it reminded me a lot of his picture perfect performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also did a great job adapting to pressure as well. White’s performance made the decision at QB of who to cut, a more difficult decision.
4. Who Disappointed - RB Ty Johnson
The running game did not overly impress me in this game excluding maybe Zonovan Knight. The one running back that struggled the most was Ty Johnson and he was missing open holes all game. He missed blocks on occasion and just looked lost at times. I am not so confident that his roster spot is safe, but we will see in a few days.
5. Who Impressed - WR Denzel Mims
Where the hell has this version of Denzel Mims been? This performance reminded me of his Baylor days and is one of if not his best performance in his NFL career. In this game Mims had 7 catches for 102 yards along with a receiving touchdown. Mims recently requested to be traded for the New York Jets and this performance definitely raised his value on the trading block. As of now though, I am not so sure the Jets will be releasing Mims during final cut day after this performance,
6. Who Disappointed - DE/EDGE Bradlee Anae
Compared to last week this was definitely a disappointing game for Anae. Anae did next to nothing in this game and when he was out on the field Anae got dominated. I am not so sure that Anae is a lock to make the roster with how he performed against the Giants.
7. Who Impressed - OT Duane Brown
Even though Duane Brown did not play the entire game, for the snaps he played Brown looked like he has not aged one bit. He did an excellent job as a pass protector and was solid as a run blocker. Brown even moved well and had strong explosiveness when making blocks. Brown should be a great protector for Zach Wilson this season at tackle.
8. Who Disappointed - DT Nathan Shepherd
Out of everybody on the defensive tackle core that needed a strong performance, Shepherd was the one that needed it the most. Unfortunately he did not have much of an impact in this game and once again struggled. With how much depth this position is, it looks like Shepherd will likely be on the cut list in a few days.
9. Who Impressed - CB Michael Carter II
Carter once again showcased his talent in this game. Not only in coverage as he had an interception in this game. Carter’s impact was shown providing pressure to the QB and even sacked the QB along with Quinnen Williams.Michael Carter is definitely a player on this defense and if he performs this well in the regular season then that is proof that his strong rookie season was not a fluke.
10. Who Disappointed - S Ashtyn Davis
Can the Jets cut Ashtyn Davis now? I mean no disrespect to him, but Davis has just not improved being a Jet. He has gotten worse overtime and has struggled in coverage many times and lacks a ton of awareness. He showcased it in this game, missing multiple tackles. I got to say as well the fact he played late until the 4th quarter is very telling. Will Parks has impressed me more than Davis, and It would not shock me if his name was on the final cut list.