The Jets closed the preseason with a 23-6 loss to the Giants on Friday night, and while the result itself hardly moved the needle, the game still offered a clear read on a few players fighting for jobs, roles, and trust heading into the regular season.
Most of the starters on both sides sat this one out, but there were still some notable names on the field - including a handful of injured players making their first appearances of the summer. That group included Joseph Ossai, T'Vondre Sweat, and Nahshon Wright, and Ossai’s night ended almost as soon as it started. He left early with a foot injury and did not return.
That’s a tough break for the former Cincinnati Bengal, who was brought in as the Jets’ big-ticket free-agent addition this offseason and is projected to start opposite David Bailey. Given that he opened the summer on the PUP list, there’s a fair argument that Aaron Glenn should have held him out of a meaningless preseason game instead of risking it.
On the other side of the ledger, Nate Lynn kept building momentum. He followed up last week’s two-sack performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers with another disruptive outing, finishing with one sack and one tackle for loss.
For a player who joined the team less than two weeks ago, that’s not just a flash - it’s the kind of production that can force a coaching staff to take notice. His previous ties to Aaron Glenn only strengthen his case.
The Jets also got another look at Cade Klubnik, and the rookie quarterback did not make a strong final impression. Klubnik, who has been the expected backup behind Geno Smith all summer, went 6-of-13 for 59 yards, threw an interception, and picked up a delay-of-game penalty. That’s not the kind of line that gives a team comfort if the depth chart is ever tested in a real emergency.
There was one moment that looked better than the stat sheet showed. Klubnik delivered what appeared to be his best throw of the night before an illegal man downfield penalty on Xavier Newman wiped it out just before halftime.
In the backfield, Chip Trayanum made the most of a crowded opportunity. With Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis all inactive, the undrafted free agent handled most of the work and turned 12 carries into 38 yards. He also scored the Jets’ only touchdown of the night before exiting right before halftime with a scary-looking neck injury that sent him to a local hospital, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.
Trayanum may not be a real threat to crack the 53-man roster, but his summer could still earn him a practice squad spot.
There was also a quiet winner in the secondary: Azareye'h Thomas. The cornerback battle opposite Brandon Stephens has been one of the more interesting competitions of camp, and Thomas benefited from Nahshon Wright’s hip injury.
Wright missed the Jets’ first two preseason games, and Thomas did not play Friday night. That alone suggests he may be in position to start when the Jets’ defense takes the field in Week 1.
Jason Sanders, meanwhile, did not help himself after being named the Jets’ starting kicker earlier in the week. The team moved on from Cade York, but Sanders missed an extra point after the opening touchdown drive and later pushed a 54-yarder wide midway through the fourth quarter. For a veteran kicker, that’s a rough way to answer the call, and it leaves the Jets looking like a team that still needs to keep scanning the market.
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