New York Jets Indulge on a Giant Sacked Lunch

In what was an immensely close game for the entire evening, the Jets’ displayed the most resilience when it counted. No longer just the other team in New York, the Jets’ played hard football to secure a 10-7 victory over the New York Giants.

The New York Jets destructive defensive performance pummeled the New York Giants all throughout their preseason contest. Big Blue's signal callers were under intense pressure all night long as different Jets' defenders collapsed the pocket from all angles.

The Jets overpowered the defending Super Bowl champions' offensive line, terrorizing three different quarterbacks to record a total of eight sacks.

However, the evening did not come without some shocking errors on the Jets' behalf. A team highly regarded as one of the least penalized in the NFL saw yellow flags fly over 10 times with an absurd amount of offensive miscues. False starts and illegal formations forced the Jets into long yardage situations much too often.

Penalty flags flew in the first quarter, negating an incredible 40-plus yard touchdown play from Brett Favre to Jerricho Cotchery.

After Bubba Franks went in motion, someone missed their cue and didn't get back to the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped. Favre's perfectly placed ball to Cotchery down the right sideline was called back.

The most ridiculous sequence of penalty events came at the start of the second half when Kellen Clemens took over the offense. A mediocre kick return started the unit on the 20-yard line. Four penalties later, the team was pinned deep in their own territory facing a first-and-25 situation.

But some precise passing from Kellen Clemens led the team all the way up field for the first points of the game. Clemens and company orchestrated a nearly 10-minute drive, involving a successful fourth-down conversion, and finally culminating in a Mike Nugent field goal from 24-yards out.

Brett Ratliff made his first error of the pre-season, tossing an interception directly into the hands of a Giants' defender. The Giants' pass rush was on, and Ratliff looked eager to dispose of the ball. That turnover led to the Giants' only touchdown of the night, and gave them their only lead of the night.

After sitting out a series to give Clemens another opportunity, Ratliff returned to action and led a two-play touchdown drive, hitting Paul Raymond in the end zone and giving the Jets the lead they would hold for the remainder of the evening.

The victory was definitely exciting. Watching all of the quarterbacks display ice cold performances, and show that they weren't phased by any of the predicaments that would normally end a drive was immensely satisfying.

However, the greatest satisfaction was watching Jets' defenders find their way to the quarterback all evening. Most of the defensive packages were very basic in the first two contests. But this game provided blitzes from all angles, systematically breaking down any attempts at blocking.

Calvin Pace's two-sack performance showed off his quickness and ability. Spinning around tackles and kicking his speed into another gear to level Eli Manning was a nice preview for what fans expect to see all season.

David Harris' sack came when a lane opened up right through the middle of the offensive line as Kris Jenkins generated a double-team from the Giants' center and left guard. One year ago, Dewayne Robertson wouldn't have forced that kind of attention, and that sack would've never happened.

Abram Elam provided what is arguably the most impressive sack of the evening. He sprinted in from the defensive backfield, leveled an offensive lineman, got back up and still chased down the Giants' quarterback to record the sack.

While all of the sacks are incredible stats to reference, the most important thing to note is that outside of Calvin Pace, each sack was recorded by a different man from a different side of the field. This is a testament to a successful game plan, and not just individual performances.

If one player records four sacks, fans will say that he had a great game. When defensive backs, linebackers, and linemen are rushing the quarterback from all angles, that's a sign of a great scheme.

As expected with a successful pass rush, coverage in the secondary is able to improve. Hank Poteat blanketed receivers in the red zone, and Drew Coleman's interception to end the game are proof-positive of what a defensive back can do when pressure is properly applied to a quarterback.

At this point, the Jets need to clean up the mental errors on offense before the snap. False starts and illegal formation flags can't be credited to poor calls by the officials, and are inexcusable mistakes for a team to make during games. The Jets' offensive line helped solidify their reputation as a strong unit.

Dustin Keller and Jerricho Cotchery continue to impress as targets for Brett Favre. But Brad Smith made some incredible strides after a fairly quiet off-season. A spectacular one-handed grab by Smith was another of the Jets' many plays negated by a pre-snap penalty.

The New York Jets have purchased more real estate on the sports pages with their victory over the New York Giants. A dominant defensive performance against the defending Super Bowl champs helps validates the team's off-season spending spree.

And let's face it—all of the moves were made in attempt to be considered a valid force in the NFL.

Bumps & Bruises
CB Justin Miller was carted off the field with what's being reported as a foot injury.
Giants' All-Pro DE, Osi Umenyiora left the game in the first quarter with an apparent knee injury.

Angel Navedo is the Head Writer at NYJetsFan.com, boasting Jet Fuel Radio, frequently updated news and opinions, and a premier fan community.