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Jets’ second-year pass rusher Will McDonald, who they hope takes a big step this season, beat right tackle Ricky Lee for a sack in the Jets’ 15-12 win over the Carolina Panthers in the preseason.
In the first quarter of the Jets-Commanders preseason game, McDonald beat Washington left tackle Mason Brooks with an inside move and hit quarterback Jeff Driskel as he threw. He was called for roughing the passer, but this was a heck of a spin move.
So this should be viewed as a good sign for the Jets, McDonald with two impressive wins over tackles in the first two preseason games.
However, not to take anything away from McDonald’s progress, these are not elite tackles, backups at best.
And in the case of Brooks, he was released by the Commanders not long after that game, and ironically claimed by Carolina.
Lee, entered the league last year as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina Central, who has never started an NFL game.
You often see young edge-rushers beating backup offensive tackles in the preseason who can be overwhelmed athletically.
Now let’s see what McDonald does when facing starting quality tackles moving forward . . .
Late in the first quarter, Olu Fashanu was called for holding on a run by Isaiah Davis off right tackle.
This was the first game where Fashanu was used as a right tackle after a few practices at this position in practice during the week.
Perhaps getting used to the hand placement at the new position, and having to reverse things, is leading to some holding early on. I saw him hold in the Carolina practice at right tackle.
Switching sides is extremely difficult. Going from left to right tackle is like a lefty learning how to play righty . . .
In the Jets-Carolina game, on third-and-one, Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen ran for four yards up the middle. This play is one of the big reasons they picked the former Wisconsin standout.
The Jets desperately needed to improve their short-yardage run game from last year, and 6-1, 235 pound back is just the man to do it . . .
The Jets are going to have a tough decision to make at the backup linebacker spots.
Obviously, C.J. Mosley, Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood are going to be in the first three slots, but Chazz Surratt, Zaire Barnes and Samuel Eguavoen have all looked good this summer, and all three did some good things against Carolina on Saturday night.
It’s unlikely the Jets will carry six linebackers.
Who will stay and who will go?
My guess is they release Eguavoen and try to sneak him to the practice squad . . .
The Jets’ run defense was substandard last year, and one big problem was the inconsistency of their defensive ends setting the edge.
In the first quarter against Carolina, undrafted rookie free agent Braiden McGregor had a textbook example of how you set the edge.
Panthers running back Mike Boone attempted to run off left tackle, but could not turn the corner because McGregor did such a good job setting the edge. The former Michigan Wolverine pushed the left tackle toward the left sideline, not allowing the runner to take the edge. Jets cornerback Brandon Echols tackled Boone for a four-yard loss, but it was McGregor’s work setting a hard edge that blew up this play.
On the next series, Boone went off right tackl, for 12 yards, with the Jets doing a poor job setting the edge. I’m not going to name names of who might be at fault, because I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but it wasn’t handled in an ideal fashion.
If you compare the two plays side by side, this makes McGregor’s play on the prior series shine even more.
McGregor is making himself very tough to cut.
August 19, 2024
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