Both teams rested most of their main contributors for Saturday night’s game, but the Jets and Giants still contested a competitive game with many players on each team looking to secure their roles for the upcoming season.
The Jets led 10-3 at the half as Israel Abanikanda boosted his roster chances by breaking a 45-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Abanikanda racked up 83 yards on the ground in the first half.
The Giants, with Tommy DeVito at the helm, ran the ball well in the first half but struggled to get anything going in the passing game. At one stage, the Jets had sacks on three consecutive plays with undrafted rookie defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III credited with a half-sack on all three plays.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Giants drove down into the red zone but had to settle for another field goal to cut the Jets’ lead to 10-6 and were unable to score again.
Here are the key takeaways…
– Unfortunately, injuries were a big story in the first half with the Giants losing both John Michael Schmitz and Evan Neal to ankle injuries. Schmitz, who is due to start at center for the team this year, was in the game to get some extra reps having missed some time in camp, while Neal was seeing his first action in the preseason having only recently returned from another injury.
– The Jets also had a few players with a chance to make their roster who left the game with injuries. Tight end Kenny Yeboah and offensive linemen Max Mitchell and Xavier Newman were all on the active roster as they played 26 games and started 12 between them in 2023 but they all exited this game in the first half.
– Before leaving the game with an injury, there were worrying signs from Neal, who struggled so badly last season. Takk McKinley blew past Neal easily for a first quarter sack. It looks highly unlikely that Neal is going to start for the Giants this season, even if he’s healthy. McKinley added 1.5 more sacks after halftime.
– There is always an opportunity to…
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