C.J. Mosley felt bold following his return to action on Saturday night.
The linebacker made a tackle and defended a pass in his first game of any kind since Week 7 of the 2019 season, but it wasn’t his own performance that had Mosley making declarative statements in his postgame press conference.
Rather, it was the “explosive” showing from New York’s defensive line that prompted a warning from Mosley.
“If people come with that same mentality, they’re going to get their [expletive] blown out,” Mosley said, referring to the Jets as a whole when asked specifically about people sleeping on the d-line. “That’s 100%, no matter if we’re at MetLife or anywhere else. If they think there’s anything old about this Jets team, it’s not going to end well for them. That’s the mindset that we’re going to bring to work every day.”
Mosley made similar comments about Gang Green when he signed with the team before the 2019 season. This time, his comments followed a 12-7 preseason win over the Giants. The game hardly guaranteed anything about the Jets’ prospects in 2021, but New York’s defense, particularly the line, looked stacked against Big Blue.
The Jets defense totaled 10 QB hits, seven passes defended, five sacks, four TFLs and one recovered fumble on Saturday. Granted, many of the Giants’ starters sat the game out, but the Jets’ pass rush did its work against first-teamers at times, and a slew of young defenders made eye-catching contributions.
In addition to marveling at New York’s defense, Mosley also found himself appreciating his return to the field. Aside from a few quarters, the 29-year-old missed his first two seasons with the Jets after suffering injuries in 2019 and opting out last year due to the pandemic.
“I was embracing everything today. It was the same for me once we got on the field and that first play, it was just like I was back at home,” Mosley said. “It was fun to be out there with the defense.
“You can never take this game for granted.”
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