Game One Thoughts

East Rutherford, NJ – He has a knack . . .

Sam Darnold has got a knack for making plays off-schedule (when the play kind of breaks down).

Like on his one drive, that ended in a TD pass to Jamison Crowder.

Two key plays on this drive were made where he had to move around, and then make a throw. First big play, he was under pressure, had to move around, and he hit tight end Chris Herndon for a gain of 32 on a cross. Then, on another play where there was pressure, and he had to create time, he hit Crowder on a cross for a gain of 28.

His first pass of the game, on schedule, an out on the right side to Quincy Enunwa, was almost picked of by Jabril Peppers. It’s weird, Darnold seems to thrive when the play doesn’t go exactly as planned. He’s outstanding “off-schedule” as they say in the football world.

According to a league source, Adam Gase loves this about him, and feels he’s better at this than the QB he had in Miami, who kind of got messed up when the play didn’t go according to plan . . .

How smart does the Joe Douglas’ trade with Baltimore for guard Alex Lewis look right now?

Early in the Jets preseason loss to the Giants, Brian Winters left the game with a shoulder injury.

If he’s out for an extended period, Lewis could end up starting. It would likely be Lewis or veteran Tom Compton, who signed with the Jets in the off-season, and has 29 career starts . . .

There was so much talk about the Jets running a 3-4 defense under Gregg Williams, but tonight they came out in a 4-3 with Bronson Kaufusi and Henry Anderson at defensive end, and Quinnen Williams and Nate Shepherd at defensive tackle. While the Jets will run some 3-4, expect plenty of 4-3, which has been Gregg Williams base defense for a long time . . .

Mixed bag for Quinnen Williams in his pro debut.

Williams with a terrific play to end the Giants’ first possession. He stopped the Giants’ running back Wayne Galman short of the first down while being engaged by Giants LT Nate Solder. On the Giants’ second possession, Williams was manhandled by Solder on Gallman gain of six up the middle . . .

Frankie Luvu had a really good game. On the last play of the first quarter, Luvu shot into the backfield and stopped the Giants runner Paul Perkins for a loss. Late in the second quarter, Luvu crushed Perkins after a catch, causing a fumble, recovered by Neville Hewitt, deep in Giants territory, leading to a Chandler Catanzaro field goal . . .

I wrote a blog leading into this game pointing out how this preseason is important for the Jets’ corners, as the team figures out what they have.

The Jets’ starting corners didn’t play long tonight, just on Eli Manning’s short first possession.

But then second- and third-string corners didn’t have a good night, as quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Alex Tanney and Kyle Lauletta ripped them apart.

The Jets might need to do more cornerback shopping.

August 8, 2019

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