Jets vs Eagles: 5 Quick Hits

So after concluding the preseason tonight against the Eagles, here are 5 points on the New York Jets 28-10 in Philadelphia .

1.

The New York Jets finally score a touchdown! A 7 play scoring drive led by 3 string quarterback Greg McElroy resulted in a scoring throw to Terrence Gannaway. McElroy looked every part the NFL quarterback with his solid preseason performance against a solid Philadelphia defense. The offense was nicely balanced, and McElroy made some nice throws and protected the football nicely throughout his 3 plus quarters of work. I’m not going to say should Sanchez go down injured that McElroy should start, but tonight he went a long way in showing he can be a valuable NFL quarterback.

2.

Quinton Coples continued to impress with a strong effort in the defensive front. Adding 4 tackles and 1.5 sacks Coples was menace to the Eagles offensive lineman, providing pressure on the quarterback and stopping the run with consistent penetration. Coples never appeared to quit, which is a positive sign since a few comments were made recently regarding Coples displeasure with expanded playing time. Overall this was a very important performance for a player that is going to have significant impact on the New York Jets defensive front.

3.

Garret McIntyre may have made a push towards a more significant role in the defense with tonight’s performance. McIntyre was all over the field totaling 7 tackles including a tackle for loss and QB hit. McIntyre also made some nice plays in the open field, on a few occasions making one on one stops on a receiver in the flat. His motor never seemed to stop, even when tripping or being held McIntyre always gave second effort towards the ball, showing his desire and commitment towards making an impact on the Jets defense. This is a good sign for the New York Jets as McIntyre can add pass rushing depth and provide another talented defender for Coach Rex Ryan to scheme against defenders with.

4.

Eron Riley had a nice game at wide receiver. While only amassing 4 catches for 28 yards Riley accounted for exactly a third of the Jets pass completions. While it is a definite possibility that Riley won’t make the 2012 edition of the New York Jets, he did make some tough catches in traffic, something Jets starters haven’t shown much of this preseason.  Riley has good size, with extremely long arms and a good set of hands, showing good effort on run blocks as well. It isn’t often that a Jets backup receiver makes any type of statement in the preseason, so a few nice catches from Riley was good to see for both the Jets and the second year receiver out of Duke.

5.

The offensive line did not impress. With a mix and match of a few first and second stringers along with some third teamers the offensive line gave up 6 six sacks the Eagles defense. It should have been more though as McElroy had a few nice runs to avoid instant pressure and gain yardage on the ground. Vladimir Ducasse failed to impress and no Jets lineman stood out in run blocking or pass protection, including newly acquired Jason Smith. This is not a good sign as the team is lacking depth for an important position for both offensive success and the health of starting quarterback Mark Sanchez.