EAST RUTHERFORD — The preseason is over for the New York Jets, but there was plenty to be pleased about if you’re a fan of Gang Green. Several players who needed to play well did so, and the home crowd even got to see their franchise quarterback in action for two drives.
More importantly, there do not appear to be any serious injuries suffered in any of the four games which means the Jets will be relatively healthy heading into Week 1.
Before we begin to turn our focus to Buffalo though, let’s look back at some of the most important takeaways from the four-game preseason slate.
Mekhi Becton’s transformation is complete
Arguably no player had a more impressive preseason than Mekhi Becton. Just four weeks ago there was concern that he needed to take himself out due to lingering concern and a lack of trust in the knee that has cost him the last two NFL seasons.
That isn’t the case anymore. After another strong preseason game against the Giants, Jets head coach Robert Saleh confirmed that Becton will be the starting right tackle on offense to begin the 2023 season. It’s a move that certainly wasn’t a surprise. Becton gave up just one pressure in Saturday night’s win and three throughout the entire preseason.
Gang Green is better when Becton is on the field and with this season being an important one for the former first-rounder (he’s a free agent after the year is up) it’s very encouraging to see him seize the opportunity like he did.
It may be premature to give up on Zach Wilson
Maybe the jokes on Zach Wilson were a bit premature. Wilson was very consistent during the preseason slate with strong passes and quick reads. Wilson finished the preseason completing 66% of his passes for 365 yards and a touchdown pass. He wasn’t helped at times with bad drops and made some questionable decisions on his own, but this was an important step for the former second-overall pick.
His best throw came in the final game and wasn’t even a completion. In the second quarter against the Giants, he threw a perfect deep pass to Mecole Hardman who had a walk-in touchdown…if he could catch it. The drop forced the Jets to punt but the throw was something that the team hadn’t seen from the young quarterback.
It was a very important first step for Wilson.
The Jets’ D-Line is going to win football games by themselves
This is the most obvious takeaway from August. New York’s wave of pass rushers showed out against every team they played against. Yes, not all of the groups were starters, but not all of the Jets’ pass rush was on the field together. Whether it was Bryce Huff’s 3.5 sacks, Will McDonald’s impressive spin move, or the dominance of Jermaine Johnson, the Jets’ defensive line will be the strongest group during the year.
On most Super Bowl-caliber rosters, the defensive line is a big reason why. The Jets have built their roster for that kind of deep playoff run and should be very pleased with how they looked.
A clear weakness has been found
Every team has a weakness to them. While the offensive line may be seen as the weakest link, they are not what will sink the Jets’ championship hopes this season.
What will sink them is undisciplined football. The mental mistakes that are so important can separate a team like the Chiefs from those like the Chargers. A clear example can be found in Saturday’s win. New York was driving in the first possession of the game but a bone-headed penalty by Randall Cobb pushed them back and killed the drive. A personal foul call on Jermaine Johnson on defense also gave the opponent an added chance.
These two plays can be chalked up to the excitement of being on the field, but they cannot happen during a game. The Jets can beat Tyrod Taylor and the Giants’ third stringers up, but other quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow will make the team pay for those kinds of mistakes. It’s something that needs to be corrected immediately.
