The Jets got a reminder that practice can turn on a dime.
One session after Geno Smith went a perfect 15-for-15 with four touchdowns, he ran into a rougher day, finishing 3-for-8 with no touchdowns and one interception. Cade Klubnik, meanwhile, answered his two-interception weekend by settling in and going 8-for-12 without a pick. The weather helped set the tone too, with rain and wind at 1JD making life a little more difficult for everyone involved.
That kind of back-and-forth is exactly what’s been showing up early in camp. The offense has had its moments.
The defense has had its moments. And that balance, at least in these sessions, is the whole point.
The Jets need a lot of things to go right if they’re going to change the way people talk about them. They need to be sharp in the red zone.
They need to keep Geno Smith upright. They need to generate pressure without leaning on the blitz.
They need turnovers. They need better run defense.
So far, there’s been evidence of all of it.
Geno looked sharp in the red zone on Saturday. Membou has won more battles than he’s lost.
Bailey has shown he can hold his own, and so have McDonald and Enangbare. Fitzpatrick, Stiggers and others have already collected interceptions, and now that the pads are on, the expectation is that forced fumbles will start showing up too.
Yesterday, the defense controlled the run game.
None of that guarantees anything once the real games start. Practice against a roster that plenty of people think is one of the weakest in the league is one thing.
Doing it against Josh Allen in Buffalo or Myles Garrett in LA is something else entirely. But right now, the signs are positive.
The energy is there. The competitiveness is there.
The belief is there.
Still, the next test is the one that matters most. As Mike Tyson put it, everyone has a plan until they get smacked in the mouth, and how the Jets handle that moment is something nobody will know for a month.
The line work tilted toward offense, with Armand Membou getting the better of Bailey and Will McDonald and Tippmann handling Onyemata. The one blemish there was a hold on Fashanu against Bailey.
Minkah Fitzpatrick came away with the interception on Geno Smith, and that’s exactly the kind of play he was brought in to make. No one wants to see the starting quarterback throwing picks, but the defense is benefiting from those turnovers.
Omar Cooper Jr. made a strong deep catch off Geno after adjusting on the fly, just like he did in Indiana. Jelani Woods also turned in a good practice while getting extra reps with Sadiq out. Brandon Stephens and Dane Belton both stood out, Will McDonald had what would have been a sack in 11-on-11 work, and Arian Smith hauled in a deep ball from Geno Smith.
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Jets Rookie Is Suddenly Forcing His Way Into A Bigger Role
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Jackson entered camp with the idea that his first year might be more about learning than playing, but injuries can quickly reshape those plans. If the Jets keep dealing with absences up front, his path to a larger role may come faster than expected, giving the rookie a chance to turn a temporary opening into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]