Making it to the AFC Championship game in both of his first two seasons as Head Coach, Rex Ryan has failed making it into the playoffs the past three seasons. With a combined record of just 22-26, Ryan will be looking to make a playoff run this season, as his job will most likely count on it. With key off-season signings and a decent draft class, will Ryan be able to hold onto his job?
Heading into the preseason, Rex Ryan will look to give his starters some minutes, with a majority playing for the whole first quarter. The rest of the game will be crunch time for all second and third string players, who must perform in order to survive the first round of cuts.
The New York Jets game was the story of their first preseason game against the Colts. C. Johnson rushed for 64 yards on 7 carries, and Bilal Powell added 125 yards on 24 carries. Rex Ryan emphasizes the power run as his go-to scheme, which will help his young quarterback Geno Smith in the passing game. If the offensive line manages to stay healthy, there's no reason why the Jets can't be one the top running teams in the league.
With Quarterback Matt Sims getting cut after the first week, Rex Ryan said Mike Vick and rookie Tajh Boyd will split playing time to see who will become the backup quarterback. Vick threw for 2 touchdowns in the previous game, however he only completed 50% of his passes against second and third string players. Boyd will have to be sure to come out of the game this game and give it his all if he expects to make the final 53-man roster.
Tahj Boyd Remains Poise to Lead Jets to Narrow Victory
After throwing a pick on his first drive of his professional career, Tahj Boyd came in on his second drive and led the team down field to secure a 20-13 lead, with just 3:16 remaining. With the help of Bilal Powerl, the Jets managed to convert three third-down conversions as they marched towards the endzone.
In a quarterback battle that's just beginning to heat up, the numbers would agree Boyd outperformed Vick. The rookie showed signs of great decision making and poise in the pocket. Vick on the otherhand continues to struggle, as his completetion percentage was below 50% this game, completing only 13 passes out of 29 attempts.
Another story to look out for was the poor performance showcased by the defense. It is only preseason, but you can see the lack of stud CB's is allowing opponents to throw all over the field. This could be an ensuing problem heading into the regular season, unless these young guys begin to develop.
Heading into the third game, starters should see a couple more minutes. Pending on player performance, the depth chart should pretty much be set heading into the last week of preseason. Players need to give it their all on field.
The New York Jets just couldn't get anything going on both sides of the ball tonight. Offensively, the run game couldn't get going from the start, as the Giants' defensive line shut down any opportunity that came there way. In turn, that led to many problems in the passing game. The receivers were constantly marked, and all three Jets quarterbacks had a tough time finding the ball to them. Being very inconsistent on third down conversions, just 3-16, made extending drives and getting back into the game unaccomplishable. The Jets will have some work to do in their last preseason game before week 1.