Jets
The preseason game between the Giants and the Jets on Friday night at MetLife Stadium will revolve much more around each team's ability to address glaring deficiencies than the local rivalry.
Although the Giants have swept their first three preseason games, that does not reflect the woes of the first-string offense under the new coordinator Ben McAdoo. Starters produced one touchdown, and Eli Manning, playing behind an overhauled line, competed 1 of 9 passes for 6 yards the last two games.
Despite the Jets' 2-0 mark, a secondary that lacked depth before it was battered by injuries is eager to rebound from a dismal performance in a 25-17 victory at Cincinnati last Saturday. The Bengals' Andy Dalton hit all eight of his passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. The Bengals' first unit built a 17-3 advantage.
Giants Coach Tom Coughlin used the short practice week to emphasize to starters on both sides of the ball that their play was severely lacking. They fell behind Indianapolis, 20-0, on Saturday before the reserves rallied for a 27-26 win.
'I would hope that there is a significant production and better quality of play from our ones, certainly,' Coughlin said of his expectations for the Jets game.
Jets Coach Rex Ryan knows his goals of fielding a top-five defense and returning to the playoffs cannot be achieved if the secondary remains porous. 'We have to get back with our communication and playing our proper techniques,' Ryan said.
The secondary was viewed as suspect even before injuries to cornerbacks Dee Milliner and Dexter McDougle. Milliner's status for the regular-season opener, Sept. 7 against the visiting Oakland Raiders, is uncertain because of a high left ankle sprain. McDougle sustained a season-ending knee injury.
The Giants' progress on offense was hindered by a hamstring injury to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was drafted in the first round to provide a dynamic complement to Victor Cruz. The Giants thought Beckham was finally ready to make his debut against the Jets. But he developed soreness early this week and is not expected to play, compounding the problem of missed time in the off-season.
Even without Beckham and with McAdoo not revealing the meat of the playbook, the Giants' lack of production in the new West Coast offense is confounding. They went three-and-out on their opening possession in all three games, leaving Coughlin to push for much more.
'He has a way of saying it that makes it very loud and very clear - so we got the message, and we understood that,' Cruz said. 'He didn't even have to say anything for us to know that we had to play better and we had to perform better.' Cruz does not have a preseason reception.
Concern about the Jets' secondary built during the off-season, especially when the free agent Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie signed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Giants a day after he visited the Jets.
The Jets added the well-traveled Dimitri Patterson to start opposite Milliner, a first-round draft choice who blossomed as a rookie late last season. Injuries limited Patterson to 15 games in the last two seasons, and he has been slowed by quadriceps, calf and ankle injuries throughout training camp. But he returned to practice on a limited basis this week. In the team's eagerness to find solutions on the roster, Antonio Allen, a former college linebacker who was drafted as a safety, is being tried at corner.
CHIEFS LINEBACKER INJURED The banged-up Kansas City Chiefs suffered another blow Thursday when linebacker Joe Mays was told he would need surgery on the wrist he injured last weekend at Carolina. Mays was expected to start alongside Derrick Johnson at inside linebacker.
The Chiefs were already dealing with a rash of injuries. The Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry (heel) and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (quad) are among several Kansas City players who have not been practicing.
The Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles returned to practice after missing a week with a foot injury, though he is not expected to play Saturday night in a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. (AP)
MASCOT REACHES SETTLEMENT The man who has performed as the Chiefs' mascot for 24 years has reached a legal settlement over a back injury he sustained last November while practicing a zip line routine at Arrowhead Stadium. In a statement, a lawyer said the man, Dan Meers, was recovering and was talking with the Chiefs about a modified role as KC Wolf in the future. (AP)
TURF WOES AT NEW STADIUM The San Francisco 49ers cut short their practice at their new Levi's Stadium after loose turf on the playing surface had to be replaced. But San Diego Coach Mike McCoy said his team was assured the field would be fine for their preseason game Sunday at the stadium. (AP)
Post a Comment for "Jets"