New York Jets: What We've Learned Through Week 2 of Preseason

We are no longer months away from the beginning of the 2015 regular season; we are just weeks away, and in a couple of days, the New York Jets will no longer be weeks away but days away. 

The time has flown by, but the preseason has not been short on learning experiences. 

Battles are being decided, players are showing their talent, injuries are healing, and we are starting to get a real idea of what the 2015 Jets will look like.

Here's a rundown of some of the things we've learned about the Jets over the past week. 

Leonard Williams Can Make a Quick Impact

Peter Morgan/Associated Press

Let's be honest: Is anyone stunned that Leonard Williams, the draft's No. 6 overall pick, is making a quick impact for the Jets? 

Of course, if you had asked this question about six weeks ago, you might have been met with a fair share of scoffs from Jets fans. After all, in a defensive line that features Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, it would be difficult for a rookie to make his presence felt.

However, a couple of circumstances—an injury to Wilkerson and a suspension for Richardson—have necessitated an immediate payoff for Williams, and the rookie has delivered.

Bleacher Report's expert panel named Williams the preseason Week 2 Rookie of the Week as a result of his 1.5-sack performance that included a safety. Granted, one of those sacks was a gimme when Williams stormed through the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line, unblocked by any of the five opposing linemen, but take nothing away from Williams' ability to capitalize on the situation. 

The Jets defensive line could be one of the best in football in 2015, and Williams' quick learning curve is evidence that the unit may not be slowed down by the absence of one of its best players.  

The Right Guard Competition Is (just About) over

Associated Press

Jets head coach Todd Bowles hasn't come out and said it yet, but it's safe to assume that the Jets' competition at right guard is over.

What once was a battle between Willie Colon, Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi, Dakota Dozier, Jarvis Harrison and Brent Qvale now appears to be finished, with Colon being the "presumptive starter," according to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media. 

Now, the only question is who will back him up. The Jets appear undecided on that front, giving multiple players the opportunity. According to Slater, "Winters has received the vast majority of the No. 2 right guard reps during camp," but others have earned reps as well. Harrison had supplanted Winters in the backup role last week, according to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, but the Jets appear to be headed back to their original plan.

The Jets have younger options available, but Colon is the incumbent for a reason. The 32-year-old has started 32 straight games for the Jets at right guard, and if all goes according to plan, that number will be up to 48 straight games at the end of the 2015 season. 

Jace Amaro's Injury May Be More Serious Than Thought

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The last time anyone saw tight end Jace Amaro was in the Jets' preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. In that game, he landed awkwardly on his shoulder. 

Zach Braziller of the New York Post wrote the injury may be more serious than originally expected:

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What at first he thought was a minor injury has lasted far longer. Amaro landed awkwardly on the shoulder in the team's preseason opener, against the Lions, and hasn't practiced since. Jets coach Todd Bowles said he doesn’t expect him back on the practice field anytime soon, which further makes the tight end's return by the Sept. 13 opener, against the Browns, seem like a long shot. On Monday, Amaro said he hopes to play in the preseason finale, against the [Philadelphia] Eagles, yet the shoulder remains an issue.

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Amaro's absence may just be a precautionary measure; after all, you don't want to be running guys into the ground before the regular season begins. That being said, the practice reps are valuable as the Jets offense is trying to grasp a new system under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. 

Still, it's better to play it safe and get Amaro as close to full health as possible before the regular season than it is to rush him back onto the field and risk aggravating the injury any further.

Brandon Marshall's Talent Can Shine Through, Regardless of Quarterback

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Whether it's Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm of the Jets offense, the quarterback will be much better off with Brandon Marshall split out wide.

The 6'4", 230-pound monster is exactly the big-bodied, physical presence the Jets need to help spread the field horizontally. With Marshall on the boundary, the defense must respect the entire width of the field. Safeties and even linebackers have to roll in his direction to help account for the mismatches he will create. That means more openings and more opportunities for receivers who are running routes over the middle. 

Against the Falcons, Marshall hauled in four of the five passes thrown his way for 62 yards and converted a two-point try to top it all off. With five receptions for 74 yards in the preseason, he is the team's leading receiver. 

The one thing the Jets must do is try to involve Marshall on deep passes. That's been a hallmark trait of his in his previous stops, but thus far, the Jets have not completed one pass of 20 or more yards to their primary deep threat, according to Pro Football Focus.

More explosive plays means more—and easier—scoring drives for a Jets offense that may not necessarily be efficient enough to dink and dunk its way down the field for 10 or 12 plays every time it has the ball. 

Geno Smith Is on the Road to Recovery

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Well, that didn't take long. 

Less than two weeks ago, Jets quarterback Geno Smith took a haymaker to the jaw from linebacker IK Enemkpali. Now, even after receiving a timetable of six to 10 weeks for full recovery, Smith is back on the field with his team at practice, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post:

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Wearing a red non-contact jersey, Smith stretched with the team, worked out in the rehab area, did some jogging and lightly tossed the football with injured wide receivers Shaquelle Evans and Devin Smith. During 11-on-11 team drills, Smith joined everyone else, standing next to offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Before practice ended, he went back inside with trainer John Mellody, presumably to receive treatment. He has been attending meetings for several days, but this is a baby step toward getting healthy, it seems.

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Of course, these are all steps in the right direction. Even if Smith is only sitting in on meetings, it's important for him to make use of his time away from the field by cramming his cranium full of as much knowledge as possible, mastering the mental aspect of Chan Gailey's offense before he takes it to practice.

The Jets won't necessarily hand the job to Smith when he returns, according to Howie Kussoy of the New York Post. Therefore, he needs to make sure he's working as hard as possible to improve while he's off the field so that he can win the job back when he returns if Fitzpatrick is struggling. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.