Five Things to Watch For: New York Jets vs. New York Giants

Aug 9, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

1) Geno’s first start at MetLifePredictable, I know. But this is arguably the most important game yet, for the Jets. With Geno Smith missing out on last week’s action, it’s his moment to shine, and to prove he’s ready to lead this team. This is his chance to prove he’s the guy.Can he unseat Mark Sanchez as the New York Jets starting QB?

It remains to be seen, but his play will do the talking. If he stinks up the joint, his play will still speak for itself. Essentially, it means that he is not ready to start, and needs to watch/learn from the sidelines.But if he plays good?Or even decent?Forget about it. The job is his.(And by decent, I meant avoiding turnovers, of course.)

No matter how many times I hear it, it still sounds good:“I’d rather watch Geno grow and make rookie mistakes, than watch Mark Sanchez make the same (rookie) mistakes in his 5th year.”— x% of Jets Nation who want to see Geno start week 1.

But it’s true. We’ve seen the Sanchez movie too many times. He throws an interception, then comes back to throw a touchdown. And vise-versa. He’s up, he’s down. He’s Mark Sanchez.

If Geno proves he is not ready, that’s ok. We can win with Mark under center. But the point is; we know what we have with Mark. Let’s see what Geno can do, starting tonight.

2. WILSONNN!!Kyle Wilson has been all over the field, as of late. He has played corner inside, outside, and even safety. His versatility is certainly a luxury for Rex Ryan, who is without Darrelle Revis. With Revis in the rearview mirror, Rex needed another corner to count on. Yeah he has Cromartie, but Cro can’t do it alone. The Jets lost LaRon Landry as well, so it’s important for Wilson to step up. He needs to be, and will be a versatile DB in this system. Kyle Wilson has good range, which will help make up for Landry’s absence. Yeah the Jets have Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen/Jaiquawn Jarrett, but they are (more or less) one-dimensional. Wilson, on the other hand, can cover inside, outside, up at the line of scrimmage, or deep downfield. He’s a good tackler, as well.

Rex has to be happy with Wilson in his 4th year. He has taken on more responsibility, and learned a lot through experience.

3. Wide Outs

Will Braylon Edwards make this squad? Whether he is playing or not, is not the question. Will he make this team?With Mohamed Massaquoi now on the depth chart, Edwards could lose out. Obomanu is another name to watch for, as he is competing for the same job as Braylon, and even Ryan Spadola.

Jets GM John Idzik has always gone the “competition” route, and the wide receiver position is no different.

It will be interesting to see how this position plays out, especially with Santonio Holmes back on the active roster.

4. SafetyHere we go again; Competition. Jaiquawn Jarrett is competing with Antonio Allen, and Allen gets the start this time around. This seems like the weak spot for the Jets. Look for Allen to make his mark. If he fails to show he can be a starting caliber safety in this league, the Jets could (and rightfully so), look elsewhere to fill the spot.

Whether that is via trade or free agency, Rex will find his guy to play safety in his complex defensive system.

5. Bohanon is impressing.With Lex Hillard out of the picture (injury), watch for Bohanon to prove he’s the guy– to start as Fullback in this offense.Bohanon has been great so far. From camp in Cortland, to the most recent game vs. Jacksonville, Tommy has proven he deserves at least a shot to show what he can do against the Giants.We’re all rooting for him. Quite frankly, the Jets lost out on Vonte Leach (free agent, went to Baltimore), so they better have a plan. They didn’t want to acquire Leach, for whatever reason. Whether they felt good about the competition between Hillard and Bohanon (before Hillard’s injury), we don’t know.

With that said, the West Coast Offense does not rely heavily on a Fullback. So pretty much, Bohanon needs to show that he wont mess things up. His role is simplistic, giving him a great chance to replace an expendable John Conner/Lex Hillard.

Rex loves his fullbacks to be physical football players. If I were Bohanon, I would light somebody up, ultimately securing myself the starting fullback position for the New York Jets!

Now that’s some pretty cool stuff!

Thanks for reading!