Tag: Jets vs. Giants preseason

Daniel Jones tells Zach Wilson to ‘keep slinging it’ after Jets beat Giants

Jets QB Zach Wilson met up with Giants QB Daniel Jones after Gang Green’s preseason win over its rival.

New York’s two starting quarterbacks did not meet on the field when the Jets and the Giants opened the preseason on Saturday night, but they did exchange pleasantries postgame.

Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones met at midfield after the Jets put a bow on a 12-7 win. Wilson provided Jones with insight into the early portion of his NFL journey during their brief conversation, while Jones offered Wilson encouragement ahead of the beginning of his rookie season.

Wilson impressed in his professional debut, leading the Jets to a field goal during one of his two series of action. He finished 6-9 for 63 yards through the air. Wilson looked calm and collected in the pocket, making professional-level throws in the face of pressure and showing some serious zip.

Jones, meanwhile, sat out the Giants’ first action of the preseason in anticipation of his season debut against the Browns.

Gang Green’s preseason opener was an encouraging step for Wilson after he struggled during the Green and White Scrimmage last weekend. The BYU product will look to build on his steady performance against the Giants when the Jets travel to Green Bay for joint practices and preseason action with the Packers next week.

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Studs and Duds from Jets’ preseason opener vs. Giants

The best and worst performances from the Jets’ preseason opener against the Giants.

The Robert Saleh era is off to a winning start, as the Jets edged the Giants by a final score of 12-7 in their preseason opener on Saturday.

While the final score of a preseason game is usually inconsequential, the Jets have plenty of positives to take away from Saleh’s first game as a head coach. Many of the players fighting for either a spot on New York’s roster or a prominent place on the depth chart impressed, giving Saleh and his staff plenty to build on before heading to Green Bay for joint practices against the Packers next week.

Who stood out during Gang Green’s first action of the preseason? Which players did little to help themselves? Here are the Studs and Duds from the Jets’ victory over the Giants.

Robert Saleh loved seeing Denzel Mims ‘play angry’ in preseason win

Robert Saleh loved the performance that Jets WR Denzel Mims put together in New York’s preseason win against the Giants.

Denzel Mims has experienced about as tough an offseason as any player in the NFL.

A nasty bout with food poisoning cost him 20 pounds and left the Baylor product playing catch-up when it came to learning the Jets’ new offense. That was revealed after Mims’ was seen taking training camp reps with New York’s reserves, which left many wondering about his fit with Gang Green at the time.

After months of misfortune, things finally looked up for Mims during New York’s preseason opener. Mims looked a lot like the player who flashed a ton of potential as a rookie, catching three passes for 51 yards against the Giants, including a 20-yard reception in which he put his head down and ran through multiple tacklers in pursuit of a first down.

“It was awesome,” Robert Saleh said. “He has had such a good week, week and a half of training camp and leading up to this game. It paid off for him. His size, his length, his speed, his power, all of it was showcased in a couple of catches that he had. Obviously the third down, but a couple of plays before that he lowered his shoulder on a corner and was able to pick up a few extra yards.”

If there is any way to earn points with Saleh, it is the manner in which Mims played Saturday night. Saleh’s affinity for hard-nosed players is no secret at this point and Mims put together a performance that resulted in a mid-game embrace with his head coach.

“He told me to just keep going, keep playing my game, stay focused, stay locked in, in the moment,” Mims said. “I have nothing but love for coach Saleh.”

Mims has also taken it upon himself to find alternative ways onto the field as he works to become a better route runner for Mike LaFleur’s offense. Mims played plenty on special teams against the Giants, a move facilitated by the 23-year-old himself.

New York’s preseason opener could serve as a springboard for Mims to get back on track and re-establish himself as a potential top target for Zach Wilson. He still has a long way to go when it comes to becoming more of a complete receiver, but Saturday night showed that Mims is willing to grind to improve his standing in the passing attack pecking order.

“I just wanna play angry,” Mims said. “I’m not just gonna let anyone go out there and bully me and run all over me. I just try to make sure I play angry. Try to get my work done.”

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Tevin Coleman misses Jets’ preseason opener due to ‘personal reasons’

Jets RB Tevin Coleman missed New York’s preseason opener due to personal reasons, according to Robert Saleh.

Tevin Coleman did not suit up for the Jets’ preseason opener against the Giants due to personal reasons, according to Robert Saleh.

Coleman had been seeing first-team repetitions at running back along with Ty Johnson, Michael Carter and La’Mical Perine during the first two weeks of training camp. With Coleman absent, Johnson and Carter spearheaded a run-heavy New York offense Saturday night. Johnson rushed for 33 yards on nine carries and Carter contributed 22 yards on seven carries, as well as one reception for nine yards.

Perine, meanwhile, rushed for 30 yards on 12 carries in relief duty of Johnson and Carter, who worked almost exclusively with the Jets’ starters.

New York was also rookie wideout Elijah Moore for its preseason opener. Moore is day-to-day with a groin injury suffered in practice during the week, according to Saleh. The hope is that the Ole Miss product can return to the field in time for the Jets’ upcoming joint practices with the Packers.

Zach Wilson’s solid debut among 8 takeaways from Jets’ preseason opener

Takeaways from the Jets’ preseason-opening win over the Giants.

The Jets kicked off the Robert Saleh era in fitting fashion, putting together a stout defensive performance in a narrow 12-7 preseason-opening win over the Giants.

Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense stymied the Giants’ reserves Saturday night, while Gang Green’s first-team offense showed signs of life with Zach Wilson leading the charge for two drives early in the game. Wilson did not lead the Jets to anything more than a field goal, but he showcased some impressive traits in his brief professional debut.

Between Wilson’s performance and players helping their chances of making the Jets’ 53-man roster, there is plenty to digest from Saleh’s head coaching debut. With that being said, here are eight takeaways from New York’s first victory of the preseason.

Hamsah Nasirildeen not afraid to take another crack at tackling Kadarius Toney

Jets LB Hamsah Nasirildeen tore his ACL trying to tackle Kadarius Toney in college, but he won’t hesitate to bring down the Giants WR Saturday.

Giants rookie wide receiver Kadarius Toney earned himself a reputation for being a slippery player throughout his career at the University of Florida, often making defenders look silly in the open field with his ability to break out of tackles.

One defender who took a crack at bringing Toney down during his days as a Gator was Hamsah Nasirildeen. Now a Jets rookie linebacker, Nasirildeen saw plenty of Toney while at Florida State, as the two programs meet annually in a rivalry game at the end of the regular season.

Nasirildeen lost two of his three matchups against Toney. Worse, he suffered a torn ACL — which cost him most of his senior year — trying to tackle the receiver in their final meeting.

Nasirildeen was asked if memories of that play could give him pause should he have to tackle Toney in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Giants. The converted linebacker dismissed the idea, though.

“I don’t think like that,” Nasirildeen said Tuesday. “I honestly think he’s a good player. I like the way he plays the game, but I don’t really concern myself with stuff like that. We have to play. I have to tackle people every day.”

Nasirildeen’s injury, which was induced largely by Toney’s slipperiness, played a major part in his draft stock taking a hit. That could cause some players to harbor a sentiment of ill will, but Nasirildeen does not hold anything against Toney for simply trying to make something happen for his team.

“He’s out there trying to make a play, I’m trying to make a play,” Nasirildeen said. “That’s all we can do.”

Spring practices and the early days of training camp have indicated that Nasirildeen and Toney have promising NFL careers ahead of them. Nasirildeen is on track to win the Jets’ starting weak-side linebacker spot, while Toney, a first-round pick, has given Giants quarterback Daniel Jones a dynamic new weapon to work with.

Saturday night is the first of what figures to be many matchups between Nasirildeen and Toney. If Nasirildeen is tasked with bringing him down in the open field like he was in Gainsville two years ago, he won’t think twice about accomplishing the task at hand.

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