The Jets beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in preseason action Friday night by a score of 17-0. Who were the big Jets winners?
Geno Smith: I don’t know that Geno necessarily needed to “win” anything since he is locked in as the team’s starting quarterback. Still, after a strong preseason debut by Cade Klubnik against Tampa Bay, a fan and media generated quarterback controversy might have picked up steam with a poor performance. How much would it have mattered in reality? Perhaps not much, but nobody needed that sort of potential distraction.
Smith only played a series, but it was close to perfect. He finished 7 for 7 with a touchdown. Things were going so well for Geno that even a deflected pass ended in the arms Dylan Parham, providing us with a rare quarterback to left guard connection.
I’ve watched enough preseason to know how much predictive value one preseason drive has. I remember Adam Gase’s first team Jets offense rolling down the field against the Giants in its one series. I also remember Justin Fields’ touchdown drive in Green Bay a year ago. A touchdown in the preseason doesn’t guarantee anything, but at least the Jets starters on offense couldn’t look more ready for the real games to start.
Adonai Mitchell: There has been buzz building around Mitchell since the offseason program. His preseason opener was quiet, but he added a pair of receptions on Smith’s touchdown drive, including a nice toe tap. At this point, the Jets seem to view him as the team’s number two receiver.
David Bailey: Again, I am naming a player who is locked into a starting job. Bailey didn’t improve his odds of making the roster or increasing his playing time. He is locked in to being the team’s primary pass rusher, but he did register his first preseason sack in this game. Of course it was helped by an inexperienced third string quarterback who doesn’t know how to navigate the pocket well, but Bailey’s burst off the line of scrimmage really stood out to me. You never know exactly what a rookie is going to produce when the real games start. Bailey’s play has been the talk of training camp, but it was nice to see him show that his skillset can cause problems at real game speed.
Jason Sanders: The kicker battle continues to be a tad under the radar, but Sanders connected from 39 yards out on his only attempt while Cade York missed from 59 yards out to end the first half. It isn’t that missing from 59 is a massive mark against York, but it was an opportunity to make an impression that he did not capitalize upon.
Nate Lynn: It might be a tad too late for Lynn to mount a serious challenge to earn a 53 man roster spot. There aren’t many free spots along a defensive line full of proven veterans and recent Draft picks. Lynn still deserves some attention after registering a pair of sacks. At the very least, he could earn a practice squad spot if he has a strong game against the Giants. And if late camp injuries open up a spot or two, maybe he will get a look.
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