Jets @ Giants
Final Score: Jets 32, Giants 24
Writer: Chuck Twohig (@Chuck2E on Twitter)
The Jets and Giants faced off in a MetLife bowl that had some big potential storylines, but none as large as Aaron Rodgers taking his first snaps as the Jets Quarterback. I was very interested in seeing if some of his old safety nets of the past like Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb were going to get the bulk of his attention or if a new weapon like reigning OROY Garrett Wilson would pull added attention from Rodgers.
All of the major offensive and defensive starters for the New York Giants were sitting out this game so that Brian Daboll could assess which bubble players would make the roster after the cut down coming this Tuesday. All in all, this ended up being a fairly tight game most of the way through that had some real sparks of entertainment. The Giants got within a score late and went for an onside kick that went bouncing out of bounds with less than a minute left sealing their fate. Here is what I saw:
Three Up
- How do you not go with Aaron Rodgers here? He looked a little rusty on that first drive but came out on a mission that second drive and threw a great pass ending with a great catch for a touchdown.
- The recipient of that touchdown pass being the insanely talented Garrett Wilson who also tacked on a few more grabs in the first two drives.
- This shouldn’t sound like anything new, but Graham Gano is just one of the best kickers in the NFL.
Three Down
- Tyrod Taylor looked incredibly uncomfortable against the Jets first team defense and made me wonder if he is even the right call for QB2 for the Giants.
- Not necessarily due to his play, but Mecole Hardman left this game with what looked like an injury to his hand and his body language indicated it wasn’t good.
- Michael Carter was once considered a viable option as a starter in the Jets backfield. He simply did not look good tonight at all.
New York Jets
| HOF Game | Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 5/8, 47 yards, TD
Through two drives in his first appearance under center for the Jets, Rodgers had some ups and downs. He did not look like the MVP version of himself on the first drive but when he came out for that second drive, he looked far more poised. He capped off his night with a beautiful score (that happened to also have tight coverage) to Garrett Wilson. If you were wondering if Rodgers was leaning towards any receiver more than others, he definitely targeted Wilson more than anyone else on the field.
This angle of Garrett Wilson’s TD catch from Aaron Rodgers shows just how nasty of a route he ran & how quick his feet are
H1M#Jets
pic.twitter.com/7HzhnHEVas— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) August 26, 2023
Zach Wilson: 11/18, 107 yards | 1 carry
Wilson continues to look like someone who is not ready to be leading a football team under center. He spent most of his night throwing checkdowns and had multiple key misses, one being an easy walk-in touchdown for a receiver who found himself behind everyone in Giants blue somehow. He is going to have to really figure out a way to step his game up if he is eventually going to be the QB of the future for this team, he was outplayed by the Jets 3rd string QB against the same defensive players tonight.
Tim Boyle: 9/11, 107 yards, 2 TD | 2 carries, 2 yards
Running Back
Michael Carter: 4 carries, 1 yard
With Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook not playing tonight, this was a good opportunity for Michael Carter to try and stand out a bit and show that he still belongs here. He did not do that. Things are not looking good for him this coming season with two major backs already ahead of him on the depth chart.
Zonovan Knight: 7 carries, 22 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards
Travis Dye: 5 carries, 16 yards – 0 receptions
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Garrett Wilson: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards, TD
Wilson is the clear-cut favorite of Rodgers from what we could see tonight. Naturally these things can ebb and flow but a former league MVP throwing to the current offensive rookie of the year just makes too much sense, doesn’t it? I would expect to see big numbers from that duo this season.
Mecole Hardman Jr.: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
A few nice catches before a play that was broken up by a Giants defender possibly caused an injury to Hardman. He came up pointing at his hand and left for the locker room immediately and did not return. Definitely something to keep an eye on, and perhaps a huge blow to a team that just had Corey Davis unexpectedly retire earlier in the week.
Tyler Conklin: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
Not what you’re hoping to see if you’re a Jets fan, but he did only play two drives. Conklin had a strong presence last season and could potentially be a huge weapon for Rodgers moving forward, especially if Hardman is seriously injured and they do not reach out for help to replace Corey Davis.
Xavier Gipson: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 79 yards
Alex Erickson: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 38 yards, 2 TD
New York Giants
| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |
Quarterback
Tyrod Taylor: 2/4, 5 yards | 1 carry, 3 yards
Taylor never got his footing in this game in the two drives he played and looked frazzled and chaotic the whole time. He added 3 yards rushing but certainly no stats worth talking about. I would have to guess he will be the QB2 going into the season based on veteran presence alone, but I do think Devito outplayed him a few times this preseason.
Tommy Devito: 19/29, 210 yards, TD, INT | 6 carries, 33 yards
Devito made a horrendous mistake pump faking to David Sills and then still throwing to Sills which became an easy pick six for the Jets first team defense. Outside of that, Devito looked poised and in control. He added another 33 yards on 6 rushing attempts and had a very good preseason. Was it enough to make the roster? I would guess no unfortunately and he will probably become someone that they cut and hope clears waivers so they can add him to the practice squad.
Running Back
James Robinson: 10 carries, 55 yards
The veteran RB had some nice carries in this game, including one where he gained 5 more yards after contact with three Jets on his back. There is a lot of battle for the lower RB slots on this team and I am just not sure that Robinson has done enough to secure himself a spot. We did not see Saquon Barkley or Matt Breida in this one, and with rookie Eric Gray set to receive punts you have to wonder how many RB they will be carrying.
Eric Gray: 7 carries, 11 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 48 yards
The rookie had another lackluster night where he showed moments of an NFL football player, and moments of a back that isn’t going to make the team. He struggles in pass protection, but he does manage to haul in some passes when they send him out on routes. It will be interesting to see what the Giants choose to do here.
Jashaun Corbin: 6 rushes, 6 yards, 1 TD – 2 receptions, 11 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
David Sills: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 81 yards, TD
Sills continues to be someone who shines in preseason and fails to make the roster come week one. Nearly all of the Giants WR who will definitely be making the team sat tonight so this opened up Sills’ opportunity to shine a bit. I still don’t believe he’ll make the cut, but depending on Cole Beasley‘s injury and whenever Wan’dale Robinson is able to return, it is possible.
Lawrence Cager: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 24 yards
I always find myself rooting for Cager to have bigger showings than he does, and he always seems to end up right around the same predicament. He entered this game on the bubble and I’m not sure that he did enough to show that he should make the final roster.
Jamison Crowder: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
Similarly to Cager, you have to think that this performance was not enough to show the Giants coaching staff that Crowder should make the final roster, unless they already wanted him there. The veteran presence might garner him some brownie points but the numbers don’t lie.