The Jets rounded out their 2019 preseason schedule with a 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.
Here are some of the key takeaways from Thursday's finale:
- Trevor Siemian got the start for the Jets at quarterback with Sam Darnold not suiting up. He played just one drive, though, that ended without points. With Luke Falk and Davis Webb potentially battling for a third quarterback spot (if the Jets elect to keep three on the active roster), it was Falk who got the call first. Falk played the remainder of the first half, going 13-for-18 for 91 yards. He certainly didn't make any awe-inspiring plays, but he didn't turn the ball over or make any poor mistakes either.
- Webb played the entire second half for the Jets. Midway through the third, he threw a bad interception to Philadelphia's Josh Hawkins. It was Webb's third interception of the preseason. Later, in the fourth quarter, Webb threw a lazy checkdown pass off his back foot, which was intercepted by Chris Worley. Webb made a couple of good throws on the night, finishing with 176 yards through the air, but the turnovers stood out.
- Jets' placekickers have been under the microscope all preseason long, starting when Chandler Catanzaro abruptly retired after the opener. Taylor Bertolet, who had a strong game against the Saints after a poor showing against the Falcons, started his night on the wrong foot, pushing a 53-yard field goal attempt wide right. In the second quarter, he did convert a chip-shot 23-yard field goal to put the Jets on the board. With 11 seconds left in the first half, the Jets trotted Bertolet out for a 56-yard attempt, and he hooked it wide left. He rebounded to hit a 39-yarder in the third quarter, putting the Jets up 6-0. In the fourth, he hooked another field goal, this time from 49 yards. With three misses on the night, Bertolet surely didn't inspire confidence with the front office.
- The Jets didn't have much success running the ball in the first half, but it was Trenton Cannon who got the bulk of the time in the first two quarters. He finished the night with 17 yards on four carries. In the second half, Elijah McGuire had his shot, as did Valentine Holmes. Both McGuire and Holmes contributed as receivers as well, with Holmes hauling in a nice 27-yard grab. McGuire finished with just 29 rushing yards on 14 carries, but he also added another 35 through the air. Holmes, meanwhile, finished with 55 yards through the air on five grabs. With Le'Veon Bell, Ty Montgomery, and Bilal Powell all likely to make the team, it will be interesting to see if any of the other running backs did enough to earn a spot.
- Cornerback has also been a spot to watch this summer for the Jets, and with roster spots up for grabs, Marcus Cooper made a big play early on, picking off Eagles QB Clayton Thorson to set up the Jets' first scoring drive. Midway through the second quarter, Alex Brown made a nice play on third down, deflecting away a Thorson pass to force an Eagles punt.
- With Avery Williamson done for the year due to a torn ACL, the Jets have snaps available at the linebacker position, and rookie fifth-round pick Blake Cashman made a strong case for himself on Thursday. In the first quarter, Cashman stripped the ball away from Wendell Smallwood, with Frankie Luvu recovering. Cashman recorded three tackles, including one tackle-for-loss, in an active first half.
Highlights
.@blockayyy and @frankluvu7 MAKING PLAYS.#PHIvsNYJ | #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/yljZtXrlK9
- New York Jets (@nyjets) August 29, 2019
What up, @Mr_Cooper860?!#PHIvsNYJ | #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/CMbaYiH720
- New York Jets (@nyjets) August 29, 2019
What's next?
The preseason schedule is now in the books, as the Jets finished with a 2-2 record. Next up, the Jets open up their regular season on Sunday, September 8 at 1:00 p.m., as they host the Bills at MetLife Stadium. Before that, the Jets will need to cut their roster down to 53 players by Saturday at 4:00 p.m.