Jets vs. Giants: Previewing NY Jets' Preseason Week 3 Matchup
Trivia time! What happens when you add two crosstown rivals, a meaningless football game, a stadium sponsored by MetLife and a giant trophy together?
You guessed it: the Snoopy Bowl.
On Saturday evening, the New York Jets and Giants will meet in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for their annual preseason matchup. The score doesn’t matter, there’s no Rex Ryan to add irrelevant hype, and the lead-up has been headline-free. For the first time in recent memory, the Jets' matchup with the Giants is more about football than anything else.
With this being the third preseason game for both teams, Saturday should represent the closest thing to an NFL Sunday until the regular season begins in just a few weeks. With this game being viewed as the “dress rehearsal,” the Jets are expected to play their starters into the third quarter. They've spent the week game-planning for the first time all offseason and are looking for legitimate telltale signs of how ready they are for the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.
So, what you should keep a look out for on Saturday? Here’s what to watch for.
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
TV: WNBC (Local) Channel 4
Preseason Week 2 Recap: New York Jets 30, Atlanta Falcons 22
1 of 6
A pair of rookies stole the show for the Jets in the team’s 30-22 victory over the Atlanta Falcons a week ago. First-round pick Leonard Williams and fourth-round selection Bryce Petty left fans impressed in their MetLife debuts.
It was a nice response for Petty, who struggled mightily in New York’s preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. With quarterback Geno Smith sidelined with a fractured jaw, Petty received the lion’s share of reps after Ryan Fitzpatrick was removed from the game following the first series. Petty had finished just 10-of-18 for just 50 yards in Week 1.
Against Atlanta, he looked like a different quarterback.
Petty completed 12 of 19 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. His footwork was dramatically improved, and his passes were on target. He displayed a calm demeanor that wasn’t evident at Ford Field.
“I think (against Detroit) I had no idea what to expect as far as the game goes,” Petty said Friday. “I felt a lot more comfortable out there (tonight). There was definitely progress as far as where I was last week, to this week, so that’s good.
“The plan is to progress every week, and that’s what I’ve got to keep telling myself, every day, is to get better, and every week get better. I can’t get complacent.”
As for Williams, the sixth pick in this year’s draft made the most of the reps he received with the first unit. Before being removed midway through the second quarter, Williams put together a stat line to remember. On 16 plays, he recorded five tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for a loss, three quarterback hurries and a safety.
“It felt great to finally be able to hit the quarterback,” Williams said after the game. “We practice all the time, and when we get to him, we’ve gotta ease up. It finally feels great being able to not stop.”
The Jets starting units didn’t have as much success. The defense gave up an 85-yard touchdown drive on the Falcons' first possession of the game as a result of a pair of miscommunications (one between cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine and the other on linebacker Quinton Coples).
The offense was stagnant before finally putting together a touchdown drive capped off by a 33-yard Chris Ivory touchdown run against Atlanta’s second-team defense.
News and Notes
2 of 6
Welcome back, Muhammad Wilkerson and Chris Owusu
It’s been a long road back for Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson since suffering a hamstring injury early in training camp. In fact, up until this week, the most action he had on the field was meandering the sidelines during drills.
Wilkerson is now healthy, at least enough to play, and he has participated in each of the Jets practices leading up to Saturday’s game. Jets coach Todd Bowles said on Wednesday that Wilkerson’s chances of playing were good. All indications are that he’ll suit up.
“If he’s healthy this week, he will play on Saturday,” Bowles said. “He’s been practicing, so if he stays true to what he is this week, he’ll play.”
Through the first two weeks of camp, Chris Owusu was the unquestioned No. 1 star of Jets camp. Receiving an increased number of reps with the first unit because of an injury to rookie Devin Smith, Owusu did everything to show coaches he belonged. He caught passes long and short, ran crisp routes and routinely beat Pro Bowl cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
Then came a concussion three weeks ago, which put Owusu’s breakout summer on hold.
The wideout has worked himself back into the lineup this week and said on Tuesday he’d be “ready” for the Giants. The coaches will certainly be excited to see what Owusu can do in games, while fans want to see what all the early-camp hype was about.
Can the starting offense establish some sort of rhythm?
The 30 points put up on the scoreboard a week ago by the Jets is a bit deceiving. After all, just seven were compliments of the starting offense, and those points weren’t reluctantly added until Atlanta pulled its starting defense.
The Jets offensive line didn’t provide much protection for Fitzpatrick—who was under duress for the majority of his 1.5 quarters of work. There weren’t many running lanes for Chris Ivory, and aside from Brandon Marshall, no Jets receiver created much separation downfield.
With the amount of injuries the Giants are dealing with, the defense that trots out on the field may actually be worse than the second unit of the Falcons. And that, believe it or not, may be exactly what the doctor has ordered for the Jets and Fitzpatrick.
Speaking after Friday’s game, Bowles said he wasn’t worried about how the Jets got in a rhythm, so long as they did. Against the Giants' scrubs, the Jets should be able to move the ball up and down the field, something they haven’t done much in their two previous games.
Can Trevor Reilly take advantage of increased reps?
Reilly has had a solid camp for the Jets this offseason working primarily with the third unit. Last year’s seventh-round pick has shown impressive pass-rushing moves and an improvement in his ability to play the run. He has flashed from time to time.
But that was all against the third team. Reilly isn’t playing against the third team any longer.
With starting linebacker Calvin Pace sidelined with a strained groin and backup Lorenzo Mauldin dealing with a strained knee, Reilly is suddenly the next man up to see an awful lot of snaps Saturday. For a player on the roster bubble, the game against the Giants could be exactly what he needs to show he deserves a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Latest Injury News
3 of 6
Because this is the preseason, teams are not required to release injury reports to the media. As a result, the list below can change, but it is generated through practice observations of players who did or did not take part.
In
- Chris Owusu, Receiver: Owusu has been recovering from a concussion, but Jets coach Todd Bowles confirmed on Wednesday he will play against the Giants.
- Shaq Evans, Receiver: Evans suffered a back injury against the Atlanta Falcons and had been limited in practice all this week. Bowles confirmed on Wednesday he would play against the Giants.
Game-Time Decision (Limited in Practice)
- Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive End, Hamstring
- Matt Flynn, Quarterback, Hamstring
- Durrell Eskridge, Safety, Concussion
- Curtis Brown, Cornerback, Hamstring
- James Brewer, Offensive Lineman, Back
Out/DNP All Week
- Stevan Ridley, Running Back, Knee/PUP
- Daryl Richardson, Running Back, Concussion
- Kevin Vickerson, Defensive Line, Knee
- Ronald Talley, Defensive Line, Hamstring
- Erin Henderson, Linebacker, Knee
- Jace Amaro, Tight End, Shoulder
- Dee Milliner, Cornerback, Wrist
- Geno Smith, Quarterback, Jaw
- Devin Smith, Receiver, Ribs
- Lorenzo Mauldin, Linebacker, Knee
- Calvin Pace, Linebacker, Groin
- Ben Ijalana, Offensive Line, Knee
- Jeremy Kerley, Receiver, Concussion
- Dashaun Phillips, Cornerback, Ribs
.jpg?w=256 "Cowboys Giants Football")
Key Matchups
4 of 6
Darrelle Revis vs. Odell Beckham Jr.
This one will just be a teaser for when the Jets and Giants meet in the regular season, but oh what a teaser it will be.
Beckham took the sporting world by storm last year when he caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games as a rookie. Seven of those catches and 108 of those yards came against the Seattle Seahawks secondary. But Beckham has never faced Revis.
Throughout his career, Revis has established himself as one of the better cover corners the league has ever seen. Last year with the New England Patriots, he showed he’s still at the top of his game and was ProFootballFocus.com’s fourth-best at the position. He allowed a catch percentage of just less than 52 percent.
While it’s just the preseason and the Jets may elect to keep Revis stationed on one side of the field, whenever the two see each other, it will be a show.
Johnathan Hankins vs. James Carpenter
The Jets made it a priority to address the offensive line in free agency. When things didn’t work out with Mike Iupati, they signed James Carpenter to a four-year deal worth just less than $20 million. Carpenter has been solid in camp, but Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will be a true first test.
Last year, Hankins broke out in his second NFL season. The former second-round pick recorded 51 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble. He was PFF’s seventh-best defensive tackle in the NFL. He’s stout against the run and good against the pass. While he’s not J.J. Watt or Gerald McCoy, Hankins is one of the better players at the position.
Hankins lines up over the left guard, Carpenter’s position, on almost every play in the Giants' 4-3 scheme. That means the two will see a lot of each other. If Carpenter doesn’t hold his own, it won’t bode well for when he faces the Miami Dolphins’ Ndamukong Suh twice this year.
Matchup X-Factor
5 of 6
Bryce Petty had an impressive outing against the Atlanta Falcons last week, and the Jets have made it known that if he shows he can be trusted as the No. 2 quarterback, he could get the nod.
What Petty needs to do is continue to improve. He did that, in quite an impressive way, from the Detroit game to Atlanta. Now, he needs to continue to take that next step against the Giants.
As a rookie, Petty isn’t going to be perfect, but he can learn the nuances of the game over time—things such as when to tuck and run to avoid a sack and throw it away instead of forcing the issue. He has to learn to go through three reads instead of sticking with just one.
For insurance reasons, the Jets signed journeyman quarterback Matt Flynn to a one-year deal, and Bowles said on Monday he’d like to get him game action during the preseason. That won’t happen this week as Flynn continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury, which leaves just the fourth week of the preseason for Flynn to get in the game.
That means Saturday will be the last time Petty sees nearly all the snaps. Can he make his case to be New York’s No. 2?
Prediction
6 of 6
All joking aside, Saturday night's matchup with the Giants does carry a little more weight than normal for the Jets. Unlike some teams that have flashed sporadically during one, or both, of the first two preseason games, the Jets starting offense and defense just, well, haven't.
Against Detroit, the offense moved the ball in its only drive but stalled after a poor pass from Fitzpatrick bounced out of the hands of tight end Jeff Cumberland. The defense, meanwhile, allowed the Lions to march 71 yards on just five plays before Golden Tate broke free for a 35-yard catch-and-run score. In Atlanta, the defense again let up a long touchdown, and the offense sputtered until the Falcons removed their starters.
With many of the Jets starters expected to rest during the final week of the preseason, this is the last time to tweak things before the Cleveland Browns come to MetLife Stadium. Fitzpatrick needs to get on the same page as his receivers. The offensive line needs to improve, and the receivers need to find a way to create separation. The defense needs to find a way to jell together like the group that has boasted of being the league's best.
Truthfully? There probably isn't a better team to face to accomplish all of those things than the New York Giants.
Eli Manning and the Giants starting offense have yet to score a touchdown and have managed just three combined points in the first quarter of their two preseason games thus far. Receiver Victor Cruz, offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse and other stars aren't expected to be available on offense. The defense is expected to be without both starting safeties, Jason Pierre-Paul and more. For a team like the Jets that is looking to get in a rhythm, the Giants are exactly what the doctor ordered.
When the final whistle blows Saturday night, the score won't matter as much as what's accomplished. With that being said, the Snoopy Trophy will make a return to Florham Park.
Predictions: Jets 28, Giants 14
Connor Hughes is the New York Jets beat writer for The Journal Inquirer and Scout.com. All quotes and advanced stats referenced and used are gathered firsthand. Connor can be reached on Twitter (@Connor_J_Hughes) or via email (connor_j_hughes@yahoo.com).
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Giants Football")
.jpg?w=480 "STEELERS-RODGERS")
.jpg?w=600 "Battery Charges Against Arike Dropped")
.jpg?w=600 "AEW Dynamite Results & Grades")
