This was one of the biggest ass-kicking’s in the preseason that I can ever recall seeing, and I’ve watched/studied every preseason game in the NFL for the past like 10 years.
This was not...the Jets were so efficient that they just ran circles around the Packers. No. It was worse than that...much worse than that, because the Jets were kinda sloppy in this game. The Jets won this by physically intimidating the Packers...and the Pack rolled over, like dogs, and showed the Jets their belly/submission -- but the Jets wouldn’t take that, they just went after the Packers on every play of this game.
Aaron Glenn wants the Jets to play the game like he has it in his head...a pack of hungry, wild animals on the loose ganging up on helpless, scared prey...and he got just that here.
I don’t know what the bigger story line is from this game -- how physical the Jets are or how absolutely S-A-W-F-T the Packers are. Both teams are taking on the personality of their head coaches. And in this battle of physicality vs. finesse...physicality won.
The Packers are lucky the Jets didn’t score 50+ points in this game...they had at least two more TDs in hand but it got called back or video replay didn’t help them out, and they settled for field goals instead.
How are the Packers going to win the NFC North with this weak-willed team that showed their weakness by losing all their games to DET and MIN last season?
Player Notes...
-- I gotta lead off talking about the Jets defense...
Usually, when I see a fast moving, high energy, intimidating defense in the preseason...it’s a tell/carryover into the regular season. I am taking this Jets defense more seriously, for sure. They are gonna turn finesse team’s upside down...especially if they get one in the season opener...and they do, with the Steelers offense.
I don’t know if the Jets offense can help, but I do know this defense is gonna force chaos. The Packers dropped several passes in this game...either caught-then-knocked-out or they just dropped them looking up to see where the defense was.
The Jets held a 38+ to 21+ minute ‘time of possession’ advantage because of all the drops and incompletions by GB. The Packers completed 10 of 22 passes for 64 yards total.
Jordan Love was 1-of-5 for 7 yards with the starters v. starters. Malik Willis went in after and went 4-of-9 for 39 yards. The Packers rostered QBs of the past 3 years in the system now went 5-for-16 passing here...probably half the incompletions were drops of some kind, the other half throwing scared/early.
-- Jets RB rotation
Let me show you the Jets RB rotation in this game...the 1st-team offense...the 1st-team was in for the first series, so this is a glimpse of where the Jets’ mind is at...and it’s probably not what you’re thinking/hoping...
(in order of when they were in, rotating around all series)
Hall, Hall, I. Davis, Hall, Braelon, Braelon, I. Davis, Hall, Hall, I. Davis
5 snaps = Hall snaps...3 touches.
3 snaps = I. Davis...1 touch. Mostly in on 3rd-downs.
2 snaps = Braelon...1 touch.
The ‘thing’ for me about this first series was...Isaiah Davis (6-14-0, 1-11-0/1) is not going away. This is a three-headed monster to varying degrees, I’d say it’s Breece Hall (3-9-0) as the lead who will get 60-65% of the action...and then it’s a split/situational thing with Isaiah Davis, who came in on all the 3rd-downs, and Braelon Allen (8-33-0). The other 35-40% of work not going to Breece will go to Davis/Allen.
After the 1st-team left, Braelon Allen was the starting back for a few plays, then Isaiah Davis went in for a few plays and back-and-forth they went, and it just feels like Davis is in a slightly higher regard than Allen. Or just they’re held in the same regard. There doesn’t feel like a ‘Oh my gosh, Braelon is a beast...he’s the future of this backfield!’ sentiment with the coaches. It’s more ‘Allen is a beast for those situations we want a beast, but do you see how versatile that Davis kid is?’
Last year, same thing...when Breece went down, it was an Allen/Davis split. Old regime...Braelon not featured or lauded really. New regime, same thing.
It does NOT look like Breece-Braelon is Coach Glenn’s Gibbs-Montgomery.
*The Jets D and the Jets RBs were the most interesting thing to me from this game. The rest of my notes are a bunch of quick-hitter thoughts. Here they are, rapid fire:
-- Justin Fields (3-4 for 42 yards, 0 TDs/0 INTs) looked solid in his debut. The Pack put up little resistance, however, so it was simple stuff from Fields. The one time he had to make a more ‘real’ pocket QB throw, he tried to do a timing throw to Garrett Wilson (0-0-0/1) to the sideline...and it wasn’t even close...dirted at Wilson’s feet.
-- I was pleasantly surprised to see Jets UDFA QB, nice athlete, suspect thrower Brady Cook (6-8 for 62 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) have a solid debut. He looked like he had some kinda hope of being an NFL QB of some level, maybe, like a #3. Probably needs to go to the UFL for a bit and try to fight his way back to the NFL down the road.
-- Malik Willis (4-9 for 39 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) looks a little better every year but he’s still not a starter level talent.
-- Jets UDFA rookie RB Donovan Edwards (9-42-0, 1-21-0/1) ran the ball pretty decently here. He had a 20+ yard TD run, but it got called back. It will be very tough for him to make the 53-man here. He’s a watch list to be cut by the Jets, and they probably want to put him on the practice squad...but then maybe LAC/his former college coach steps in and claims him?
-- Packers UDFA rookie RB Amar Johnson (7-67-1) was OK here, but like Donovan Edwards he’s not making the team this year, to start.
-- The savviest WR the Jets have might be Tyler Johnson (2-27-0/2). He worked comfortably with Fields here, but it’s obviously a very limited passing game and Tyker is just a great, professional WR not a game changer.
-- Jets UDFA rookie WR, that I really like, Jamaal Pritchett (1-6-0/3) had a sweet 20+ yard diving TD catch in this game, but he was ruled with only one foot down/no catch. He later got a bubble screen and showed a glimpse of his sweet agility skills. I bet this dude makes the team but is a return man primarily plus a depth/developmental WR. I’;d argue he’s the 3rd-best WR on their team right now.
-- I don’t know what happened to Malachi Corley, but it looks like R.I.P. on his NFL career.
-- The one Packers WR who didn’t have a drop/didn’t look like a fool/didn’t look scared in this game -- was Matthew Golden (1-7-0/1). He had a nice quick slant catch in this game. The Packers have so many injured WRs, Golden is getting work handed to him on a silver platter potentially, right out of the gates. Savion Williams is out hurt and losing ground from being a potential weapon right away.
-- Romeo Doubs (0-0-0/2) got the first target for GB, on purpose, caught it but then Sauce Gardner knocked it away. The next throw was to Doubs on an in-route, but Sauce was blanketing him and wouldn’t let it through. Bad start for Doubs, but I’d blame it more on having to face a newly inspired Sauce Gardner.
