The Jets’ preseason debut under coach Aaron Glenn couldn’t have gone much better. They looked ready to play, and while they weren’t perfect, they showed some hints of a blueprint that could serve them well during the season: run first, and then use your mobile quarterback, and strong defense, to force opponents into uncomfortable situations.
It worked great against the Packers, with the Jets taking command with their starters and never giving it up as they cycled through the rest of the roster on the way to a dominant 30-10 win.
It was a good start for the coaching new staff, and a key day for several players – some who are fighting for roster spots, others who are fighting for a bigger role. Of course, the work continues this week – and these joint practices with the Giants bring with them perhaps the most important week of camp for those on the bubble for the initial 53, or the 16 [ractice su 53, or to be on the additional 16-man practice squad when the dust settles in early September.
So with the Jets set to host the Giants on Tuesday (and then travel to East Rutherford for another joint practice on Wednesday), here’s who helped and hurt their stock heading into a critical week.
QB Justin Fields
Stock: Rising
Fields knew he needed to respond after a rough stretch of practices. He told us so last week, singling out one last practice before the preseason opener against the Packers.
“That’s why we’re out here working,” Fields said last Tuesday. “The D, they won the day. … It’s about how we respond on Thursday, and we’ve got to come out hot.”
Fields bounced back with a strong practice on Thursday, backed it up with a steady showing in the preseason opener. And now he heads into a fascinating week against the Giants, who have one of the best pass rushes in the league. It’s easy to downplay his success after the fact, but if Fields had struggled to end the week, the outside noise would have ramped up in a big way the Giants practices, so give Fields credit for passing his first test.
TE Jeremy Ruckert
Stock: Falling
There were all the signs that Ruckert should break out this year, especially with a strong start to the offseason program, with a quarterback who played with him for multiple seasons at Ohio State. But it hasn’t translated to the field yet in terms of momentum and results. Ruckert has had some rough moments at practice, and despite heading into Saturday as the clear TE1 with Mason Taylor out, Ruckert did little to distinguish himself – no targets on 22 offensive snaps. Ruckert is still likely to make the roster, but he’s badly in need of a different kind of tone-setting performance heading into a career crossroads of a season.
C Joe Tippmann
Stock: Rising
Tippman was out of position on Saturday night, sliding over from center to left guard to fill in for the injure John Simpson (back) and accommodate Josh Myers, who is competing with Tippman for the center job, to get some live reps with the first-team offense. Well, Tippmann looked clearly like the better blocker, setting the tone with aggressive run blocking and solid pass protection. The versatility is a great thing for the Jets if they need it this season – Tippmann played right guard and center as a rookie. But Tippmann’s strong performance was a sign that he’s likely to hold onto his initial starting jo as well.
DT Jay Tufele
Stock: Rising
We’ve been waiting for a defensive tackle to step up and make a case as the best option to pair alongside Quinnen Williams, and Saturday finally brought a few head-turning performances that should make Jets fans feel a little better about the situation. The 26-year-old had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and two quarterback hits … And he did all of that on just 20 total snaps. It’s not going to lock up the role – especially with Leonard Taylor III also helped himself out a ton with a sack, tackle for a loss, and forced fumble. But it’s good to see a couple of guys stand out in a key spot after a quiet start to camp.
WR Allen Lazard
Stock: Falling
Lazard has been very quiet throughout the offseason program and training camp, but his spot on the roster didn’t appear in jeopardy. Lazard’s limited role almost always includes regular snaps with the starters, and the way Glenn raved about Lazard’s veteran presence made it clear the Jets planned to keep him around. But Lazard’s quiet Saturday night ended with wearing a sling as he walked out of the locker room, according to the New York Post. We’ll have to wait for more information but it certainly could open the door to other possibilities.
Coach Aaron Glenn
Stock: Rising
He seems to have pushed all the right buttons with his words and actions in the build-up to the season – including a during the last week, when he brushed off talk of Fields struggling. Saturday was the first time we saw Glenn’s methods put to the test against another team. And overall, for long-suffering Jets fans, it just has to feel good to turn on the first game of the year and see their team ready to play. Of course, it won’t matter if they show up unready to play against the Steelers. But clearly Glenn’s message and methods are resonating with his players, and that could make the Jets a very intriguing team in 2025.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Andy Vasquez may be reached atavasquez@njadvancemedia.com.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.