A few takeaways from the Jets' joint practice with the Panthers. Important to note that I watched the offense, not the defense...
- This wasn’t the most crisp day for the Jets' offense. That’s usually the case for the visiting team in a joint practice. I had Aaron Rodgers 15 of 24 with two touchdowns and two interceptions. One of those interceptions wasn’t his fault. It when right off the hands of Allen Lazard. The other was Rodgers telegraphing one over the middle in the red zone to the linebacker. The first touchdown, like the first interception, deserves a bit of an asterisk. The Panthers were all over Rodgers for a would-be sack. The play wasn’t blown dead, so Rodgers threw one up and Garrett Wilson came down with it. The second touchdown was a short one to Wilson to cap a drive-the-field drill.
- The offensive line received immense criticism for how it performed in joint practices with the Panthers last year. They were better on Thursday. The grouping of Tyron Smith, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Morgan Moses has the potential to be one of the better in the league. I had four sacks for the Panthers, but three of them came with Carter Warren in for Smith. Smith, Vera-Tucker and Moses were on a rep count on Thursday. That’s why they rotated in and out. Most impressive is the front’s run blocking. There are gaping holes for Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis to run through. There’s a lot of talk about Rodgers (for good reason). Don’t be surprised if this Jets team is led by its ground game.
- That ground game, by the way, is far more than just Hall. Allen continues to impress and there’s a reason Davis saw first-team reps dating back to organized team activities. It will be interesting to see how Nathaniel Hackett rotates them.
