Both teams rested most of their main contributors for Saturday night’s game, but the Jets and Giants still contested a competitive game with many players on each team looking to secure their roles for the upcoming season.
The Jets led 10-3 at the half as Israel Abanikanda boosted his roster chances by breaking a 45-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Abanikanda racked up 83 yards on the ground in the first half.
The Giants, with Tommy DeVito at the helm, ran the ball well in the first half but struggled to get anything going in the passing game. At one stage, the Jets had sacks on three consecutive plays with undrafted rookie defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III credited with a half-sack on all three plays.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Giants drove down into the red zone but had to settle for another field goal to cut the Jets’ lead to 10-6 and were unable to score again.
Here are the key takeaways…
- Unfortunately for both teams, injuries were a big story in the first half with the Giants losing both John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal to ankle issues. Schmitz, who is due to start at center for the team this year, was in the game to get some extra reps having missed some time in camp, while Neal was seeing his first action in the preseason having only recently returned from another injury.
- The Jets also had a few players with a chance to make their roster who left the game with injuries. Tight end Kenny Yeboah and offensive linemen Max Mitchell and Xavier Newman were all on the active roster as they played 26 games and started 12 between them in 2023, but they all exited this game in the first half.
- Before leaving the game with an injury, there were worrying signs from Neal, who struggled so badly last season. Takk McKinley blew past Neal easily for a first-quarter sack. It looks highly unlikely that Neal is going to start for the Giants this season, even if he’s healthy. McKinley added 1.5 more sacks after halftime.
- There is always an opportunity to impress on special teams in games like this, but the Giants were extremely sloppy with three fumbles in the return game, including on the opening kickoff where Ayir Asante had the ball stripped away by Jets cornerback Tre Swilling to set up a field goal.
- Abanikanda ran the ball well in the first half, but his touchdown which saw him spin free to break into the clear had more to do with poor tackling from the Giants. Darnay Holmes, Alex Johnson and Darrian Beavers all had a chance to bring him down. Holmes was another player who left the game with an injury.
- For the Giants, one standout was Tomon Fox, who had three quarterback hits -- including a sack -- and blew up a run in the backfield. Fox played in 16 games for the Giants in 2022 but was limited to just one appearance last year.
- Backup linebacker KJ Cloyd was another Giants player who made the most of his opportunities, as he racked up 16 tackles including two tackles for loss. Wide receiver John Jiles also made an impression with a spectacular hurdle in the open field.
- Taylor has had an impressive preseason for the Jets and looks to have made a strong case to be on the 53-man roster. Another undrafted rookie defensive lineman, Braiden McGregor, has also made a strong case for himself as he also had another productive outing with two sacks.
- Adrian Martinez got the start at quarterback for the Jets and passed for 99 yards in the first half, while also taking off on a 20-yard scramble. Andrew Peasley was at the helm in the second half but struggled to move the ball. The pair has been battling for the No. 3 role all offseason and, if there’s a practice-squad spot available for one of them, Martinez looks to have the inside track.
- One minor concern for the Jets was the performance of kicker Greg Zuerlein, who missed two field goals.