Saturday night proved to be pivotal in position battles for both the New York Jets and New York Giants. When we look back in the long-term about the 2013 annual Jets vs. Giants preseason game, it will be remembered for Rex Ryan inserting Mark Sanchez (who injured his shoulder) in the 4th quarter while playing with the second and third stringers. However, this game should be remembered by who won or lost their starting spots, along with the long list of injuries for the Giants.
Jet takeaways-
Saturday night we learned that much to the Jet fans dismay, Geno Smith is not ready to be the Jets starting quarterback. Smith in the first half went 11-for-25 for 134, with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions (not to mention a safety that even a 3rd grader would not have taken). As Rex Ryan would say, it was ‘brutal’, and showed that he is not ready to take the reigns of the first team offense. The Jets front office wanted Smith to perform much better than he did, but with 3 first half interceptions, it gives the Jets no other choice but to start Mark Sanchez, assuming he is healthy week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We also learned that Stephen Hill is still inconsistent, and shows some flashes, but also makes you want to pull your hair out. Hill was penalized for a 15-yard facemask penalty after letting his emotions get the best of him, after taking a swing at Giants linebacker Jacquian Williams. Hill also fumbled a catch, after not securing the ball properly. However, Hill did catch all 4 passes thrown his way, ending up with 56 yards receiving.
Lastly, we learned that the Jets defense could possibly be a bright spot. After giving up a 84-yard touchdown to David Wilson on the first offensive play of the game, the Jets defense managed to recover quickly. Thanks to Smith’s 3 interceptions, the Giants had great field position on multiple occasions. The Jets held the Giants to 3 points on their next 8 possessions, after a goal line stand, along with holding the Giants for a field goal after Stevie Brown’s interception that gave the ball at the Jets 21. The Jets also dominated the Giants offensive line, applying pressure on Eli Manning and sacking him once.
Giant takeaways-
The Giants offense is struggling. It is still the preseason, but Giant fans have to be worried about the lackadaisical first team offense. Yes, they were missing Victor Cruz, David Baas and David Diehl, however their play in what is considered the ‘dress rehearsal’ just did not cut it. Eli Manning finished 8-for-20 with 83 yards passing. Manning has not had a good preseason outside of his long touchdown pass to Victor Cruz in week 1.
David Wilson continues to impress. On the first offensive play of the game, he took a 84-yard handoff to the house. Although the Giants managed just 55 yards rushing after that play, the Giants have to be excited about how Wilson has performed thus far. He has shown he is capable of hitting the ‘homerun’ on any play, and his explosiveness is something that is going to give opposing defenses nightmares all season long. If he continues to play at this rate, he will take pressure off of Eli and the passing game, making the Giants offense that more dangerous.
The Giants continue to struggle in the redzone, which drives Tom Coughlin nuts. The Giants had a first and goal at the Jets 4 yard line and failed to score a touchdown. They also had the ball at the Jets 23 after Stevie Brown’s interception, and gained only 1 yard before kicking a field goal. In last weeks’ preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Giants had the ball 4 times at the Colts 12 yard line or better, and failed to score a touchdown each time. It is still only preseason, but after struggling in the redzone last season, this is a concerning trend that must be fixed if the Giants want to contend in the stacked NFC East.
The Giants defense is shaking up. After watching Stevie Brown intercept Geno Smith, my first thought was how he always manages to be where the ball is. Unfortunately, a second later while trying to make a cut, I saw him go down and not get back up. Instantly, I knew it was a torn ACL, and that the Giants lost a playmaker on defense. Brown led the Giants with 8 interceptions last season, and it is tough to see anyone go down, especially on a ‘non-contact’ play. It seems as if every year the Giants secondary is hit hard in the preseason, with Terrell Thomas tearing his ACL twice, Kenny Phillips tore his ACL and Prince Amukamara broke his 5th metatarsal as a rookie. The Giants do have depth in the backfield, however losing Stevie might prove to be a big loss.
Justin Lerner: PureSportsNY