Brandyn Pokrass @BPok24 In just under an hour, the joint practice between the Jets and Commanders will be underway. Check out my latest for @jetsxfactor previewing what to watch in today’s practice and Saturday’s game! https://x.com/BPok24/status/1821539879303422055 The New York Jets are finally facing a different opponent. After almost two full weeks of padded practices, the team will welcome the Washington Commanders to Florham Park for what promises to be an intense joint practice. The teams will then meet on Saturday for each of their first preseason games. There are plenty of obvious matchups that fans will want to watch, such as Garrett Wilson going up against the Commanders’ secondary or how the secondary looks against Washington’s skilled wideouts. However, there are some fun and interesting aspects that are flying under the radar. This article will aim to highlight those things so that you will be the most prepared starting on Thursday morning. Evaluating the Jets’ linebacker room Among the Jets’ defensive units, the defensive line and secondary will likely garner the most discussion heading into the joint practice and preseason game against Washington. Many people, and rightfully so, will want to see how the Jets’ defensive line battles against Washington’s offensive line, or how Sauce Garnder, Qwan’tez Stiggers, and the rest of the secondary cover a talented Commanders wideout room. However, the linebackers should be monitored closely, specifically the depth options. Starters C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams are already NFL mainstays; fans should expect to see top-tier performances from both of them. The interest should surround Jamien Sherwood, Zaire Barnes, Chazz Surratt, and Sam Eguavoen. Sherwood has been the best of the bunch, locking down receivers and swarming downhill in the running game. Barnes has not been far behind him, looking like a missile flying around the field. He had one of the biggest tackles of camp with his hit on Izzy Abanikanda. Surratt and Eguavoen have also looked the part, each providing decent coverage and becoming heat-seeking missiles downhill. Facing Washington, who offers some interesting personnel at slot receiver, tight end, and running back, will be a new kind of test. Keep an eye on this group’s consistency. If they can stay productive against Washington, it will show that the linebacker room is extremely deep. If they falter, it may show that they have not improved as much as believed. Wide receiver musical chairs The Jets need to see where their room stands behind Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, who was recently activated off the PUP list. This should mean that Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson, and Allen Lazard will see plenty of reps. Corley should be monitored for his usage and ability to separate against a different team; depending on his progress in this regard, he could start to see more work on the first team. Gipson needs to show if he’s improved his route running and if he is reliable enough as a separator. Lazard must prove that he can return to being a reliable red-zone and situational threat for Rodgers. In addition to those three, Jason Brownlee needs to show that he has taken steps to improve his separation and contested catch skills. The other depth options, such as Malik Taylor, Irvin Charles, Tyler Harrell, and Isaiah Winstead, must find ways to stand out and prove they belong on the 53-man roster. Beyond the top two spots, the Jets’ wide receiver unit remains up in the air. Depending on who capitalizes on their opportunities against Washington, there could be some shifts in how the pecking order is perceived. Diamonds in the rough in the trenches In both the offensive and defensive trenches, keep an eye on some possible diamonds in the rough. Potential defensive gems are highlighted by Eric Watts, Braiden McGregor, and Takk McKinley. These three players have displayed the most upside among the bubble players. Going up against another team, they will have a chance to prove if they should challenge for a roster spot or be relegated. On offense, keep an eye on Kohl Levao as a possible find for New York. Signed out of the UFL, Levao has shown some nice anchors in pass-protection reps and has flashed in the running game. For a unit seeking out interior depth, Levao might be the exact piece New York was looking for. Running backs getting to roll Specifically for the preseason game, keep an eye on how the running backs look with full contact. Braelon Allen could get the chance to show off his skills in a live-game format, meaning that fans should watch to see how much of his success in practice translates to the field. The same can be said for Isaiah Davis, who has seemingly solidified himself as the team’s RB3. Behind Davis and Allen, the battle for a possible RB4 should provide clarity on Izzy Abanikanda’s roster status. The former University of Pittsburgh running back has to stave off Xazavian Valladay and the recently signed Deon Jackson. Valladay has arguably looked better than Abanikanda. Izzy needs to truly get busy in the preseason to prove that he can make an impact on the Jets. Otherwise, he is seemingly in danger of losing his spot on his hometown team. Hints toward the future of the Jets’ offense Outside of specific player storylines, keep an eye on possible hints toward the Jets’ 2024 scheme. New York is unlikely to reveal anything significant, but the team’s personnel and player usage may dictate how the offense will look in Week 1. Is Corley getting more touches? Is Allen sharing the field with Breece? Where is Garrett lining up in the formation? The answers to these questions will not provide concrete answers, but they could create a blueprint for how the Jets plan to win games in 2024.
https://jetsxfactor.com/2024/08/08/ny-jets-jayden-daniels-stat-joint-practice/ NY Jets hold Jayden Daniels to gruesome stat line at joint practice By Michael Nania Aug 8, 2024 - 12:20 pm Even when you are the better team, there is always a bar to clear. For the New York Jets’ first-team defense in Thursday’s joint practice with the Washington Commanders, that bar was extremely high. The rain was pouring, the Jets had “home-field advantage,” and a rookie quarterback stood under center for a Washington team that ranked 25th in scoring last season. New York’s starting defense was expected to not only succeed, but to completely dominate. And that’s what they did. According to Lynnell Willingham of Washington D.C. radio station 106.7 The Fan, Commanders starting quarterback Jayden Daniels completed only 7-of-15 passes against the Jets’ defense, with all of the completions being checkdowns or screens. Willingham estimates that Daniels’ passes netted “25 yards at max.” Some people may choose to ignore this performance due to the inferior competition. However, it’s the degree of the Jets’ dominance that makes it notable. If the Jets’ defense only performed “pretty good” in this situation, then yes, it wouldn’t be anything to write home about. But they utterly destroyed the Commanders’ offense, asserting their dominance as one of the league’s elite defensive units. The bar was high and they cleared it. To win a Super Bowl, you obviously must be capable of beating elite teams in the playoffs. The Jets still need to prove they can do that, and with their preseason/joint practice schedule featuring the Commanders, Panthers, and Giants, they won’t get any chances to prove it until the season opener in Santa Clara. With that being said, before you can worry about winning playoff games, you need to be consistently successful against inferior opponents to secure a favorable position in the playoff bracket. The starting defense’s performance against the Commanders’ starting offense was a step toward proving that despite some big changes to the lineup this offseason, they are still an elite group that will rise to the occasion every week – and will not allow itself to play down to its competition.
Brian Costello @BrianCoz · Follow Aaron Rodgers is not on the field as the Jets stretch. 10:24 AM · Aug 8, 2024 Zack Rosenblatt @ZackBlatt Aaron Rodgers is not practicing today because of the weather. It was Robert Saleh’s decision. He pulled him. 10:25 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Robby Sabo @RobbySabo · Follow Inside #Jets LB positionals. (What a day to host another team; the rain isn’t crazy, but it’s annoyingly consistent. WAS is on the other side of the field right now.) - Video https://x.com/RobbySabo/status/1821557552804474964
Nick Faria @Nick_Faria1720 · Follow #Jets begin 7v7 work with Tyrod Taylor completing a quick pass to GW for a completion. 10:45 AM · Aug 8, 2024 Zack Rosenblatt @ZackBlatt · Follow Jets offense off to a nice start in 7 on 7. Tyrod Taylor hits Garrett Wilson. Andrew Peasley to a wide open Lance McCutcheon. 10:45 AM · Aug 8, 2024 Brandyn Pokrass @BPok24 · Follow Jets offense starting some 7-on-7. Tyrod starts it off with a quick one to Garrett. Dusted the Commanders slot corner off the line. Peasley then finds McCutcheon down the sideline for a long TD. #Jets 10:45 AM · Aug 8, 2024 Zack Rosenblatt @ZackBlatt · Follow Tyrod Taylor with a BEAUTIFUL throw into Garrett Wilson’s bread basket down the field. Beat Benjamin St-Juste on a great route. #Jets 10:47 AM · Aug 8, 2024
@NYJets_Media · Follow Tyrod Taylor lofts a BEAUTY deep to Garrett Wilson Garrett is COOKING the Commanders DBs early in 7 on 7s From the slot #JetUp 10:47 AM · Aug 8, 2024 Video of the Taylor to Wilson TD pass https://x.com/NYJetsTFMedia/status/1821561262444105816
@NYJets_Media · Follow Tyrod Taylor finds Allen Lazard for a would be 1st down Tyrod is 3/3 so far #JetUp 10:48 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Nick Faria @Nick_Faria1720 · Follow Ball hasn’t hit the ground yet in 7v7 for the #Jets first or second teams yet. Washington’s pass defense may not be good again this year. 10:48 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Brandyn Pokrass @BPok24 · Follow Tyrod continues rolling with a sideline pass to Lazard. Nice grab from him. Corley then makes a nice catch on a short route for a quick gain from Peasley. #Jets 10:49 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Robby Sabo @RobbySabo · Follow Tyrod finds Garrett Wilson on a vertical, 1v1, as Tyrod read the coverage nicely (nothing overtop, at least nothing when thinking GW), and GW points at somebody with his left arm while going OOB (perhaps the FS? Not sure). #Jets 10:49 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Nick Faria @Nick_Faria1720 · Follow Fashanu just stonewalled a Commanders edge rusher in a 1v1 drill. Couldn’t see the player but obviously a great sign. #Jets 10:50 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Harrison Glaser @NYJetsTFMedia Will McDonald beating one of the Commanders OL at joint practice (Video) https://x.com/NYJetsTFMedia/status/1821560463114539245
Robby Sabo @RobbySabo Martinez gives Kuntz a shot, as the TE ran a solid route, not much around him. Ball has to be caught, wasn’t. Kuntz rocking no gloves in the rain, and I get it. As alien and great as the WR gloves are today (would have been illegal two decades ago), they are tricky in the rain. The preference in the rain is incredibly diverse across the board. I guess it was that way it was for the old Newmans, too, but they may have played better in the rain. #Jets 10:54 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Brandyn Pokrass @BPok24 · Follow Zaire Barnes might’ve just leveled Eckler if that kickoff was full speed. Continues to show value for the #Jets this summer 10:54 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Brian Costello @BrianCoz · Follow The starting O line is together at the start of team drills 10:58 AM · Aug 8, 2024 @NYJets_Media Tyron Smith & Morgan Moses both in Team Drills in 11 v 11 #Jets 10:59 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Michael Nania @Michael_Nania · Follow Aaron Rodgers just ripped off his jacket and pants to reveal a full uniform underneath. To the applause of fans, he RKO'ed Tyrod Taylor & intercepted the snap from Joe Tippmann. He evades a rusher and throws a lefty bomb 90 yards down the field into the arms of Chad Hansen. Wow 10:55 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Nick Faria @Nick_Faria1720 · Follow Breece Hall just took off for a TD in team. GREAT pull block from Joe Tippmann to set that run up. #Jets 10:59 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Brandyn Pokrass @BPok24 · Follow Team drills starting now. Breece Hall goes for a short gain on first down. He gets it on second, reads the blocks well, and rips off a touchdown. Loud Breeeeeece chants come after the run #Jets 11:00 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Nick Faria @Nick_Faria1720 · Follow Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith both got beat in team red zone drills. #Jets are running at will against Washington though. 11:01 AM · Aug 8, 2024
Nick Faria @Nick_Faria1720 Olu Fashanu looking pretty damn good in team so far. #Jets 11:03 AM · Aug 8, 2024
