The New York Jets (2-2) beat the Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) 16-10 in the final week of the preseason. The game came down to the wire with the Eagles having a chance to win as they were eight yards away from the end zone with nine seconds left on the board. This was the final tuneup before the 2017 season which starts September 10th. These are the Jets takeaways from this Preseason Week 4 matchup.
New York Jets Preseason Week 4 Takeaways
Intrigue at the Quarterback Position
On Monday, Josh McCown was named starting quarterback for Week 1. With the announcement made, the quarterback story seemed to be put on hold for now. However, quarterback is always a story for the Jets.
Leading up to the game there were a few questions that remained. Will Bryce Petty be healthy enough to play, who will win the backup job, and will McCown see playing time although he’s already the starter?
McCown did indeed play as Bowles hinted at on Tuesday. It’s rare for a starting quarterback to see time in the preseason finale. For McCown, it did make some sense considering he only played in one series all preseason, but you never want to unnecessarily push a quarterback or put him in harm’s way. He gave the Jets a scare as he took a nasty hit to the midsection, but fortunately only missed one play.
Petty did not see any reps in this game, but appears ready for Week 1. Hackenberg did play and finished 10-for-22 with 102 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Since Petty didn’t play and Christian Hackenberg didn’t stand out, it makes it harder to determine who will win the backup spot.
The Defense Shined
Similar to the preseason opener, the finale featured top-notch defense by the Jets. Not only did they limit the Eagles to only ten points, but they also limited them to 270 total yards (89 rushing yards and 181 passing yards).
The defense combined for 39 tackles, 22 assisted tackles, four sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. They shined on fourth down as the Eagles were 0-4 on fourth down attempts.
Statistically speaking, the best defender of the night was Kony Ealy, the Jets’ recent acquisition. He made three tackles, recorded one sack, and forced one fumble for a loss.
Sloppiness Abounded
Although the Jets won, they played sloppily. While the Eagles were penalized twice for 15 yards, the Jets were penalized seven times for 80 yards.
The Jets are slated to be one of the worst teams in 2017, but their defense should keep them in games. They showed a little of that so far in preseason. They limited the Tennessee Titans to seven points, the Detroit Lions to 16 points, and the Eagles to ten points. While it is only preseason, the Jets are set at defensive line and they revamped their secondary with their first two picks in the 2017 NFL Draft. If the Jets can limit the penalties, they can keep games interesting.
The Jets’ worst moment of the game came late in the fourth quarter. Eagles defensive tackle Gabe Wright forced a fumble with slightly less than two minutes to go. At that point of the game all the Jets needed to do was run the ball. Even if they didn’t get a first down, they would’ve at least punted the ball far enough away that the Eagles wouldn’t have had a real chance to win. Instead they kept the Eagles in it and they got real close. The Jets got away with it this time, but they may not have been as fortunate if it were the regular season. Many of the Jets losses in 2014 and 2016 came on small mistakes at the wrong time as well.
