Three Non-Rodgers Reasons to Watch Jets' Final Preseason Outing
Aaron Rodgers is the headliner Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
There's no question about that, but there are other questions to be answered for the New York Jets in the August 26 preseason finale against the New York Giants.
While the 53-man roster seems almost complete, competition continues.
"I’m not going to get too specific on how many spots are battling, but obviously there are spots battling and they know. Players are smart, they count numbers," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh on Thursday. "There’s so many different battles happening but it’s not necessarily from position group to position group, but it’s position group versus position group."
For example, will Gang Green opt to keep four tight ends? Zack Kuntz, EJ Jenkins and Kenny Yeboah are trying to make the case for it.
Who will be the next man up behind edge rusher Carl Lawson, who has been out for the past two weeks due to a back issue, should the veteran not be available in time for Week 1?
There's also a decision to be made at running back with four men — Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Israel Abanikanda and Travis Dye — competing for two spots.
In addition to witnessing Rodgers's debut and tracking the status of the aforementioned questions, there are three key reasons to watch Gang Green square off against Big Blue at 6:00 pm ET on Saturday (here's How to Watch).
O-Line Pieces Falling into Place?
Keeping Rodgers upright is paramount to the Jets' success this season and it appears the Green & White have identified the five men who will face the challenge.
Left guard Duane Brown, who is fresh off the PUP list, won't participate, but Gang Green will have four experienced starting offensive lineman protecting Rodgers against the Giants.
After starting guards Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker missed practice time heading into the home meeting with Tampa Bay, "both should be available for the game this week" according to Saleh.
Then, there's oft-injured offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, who will give it a go on the right side of the line on Saturday.
"He did a really nice job in the game [against the Bucs], took over half the snaps, Said Saleh on Tuesday. "He looks like he’s in much better shape, obviously, so, we’re giving him a run at right tackle to see how he does."
As for the left tackle spot that Brown will occupy come Week 1, either veteran Billy Turner or second-year pro Max Mitchell will take first-team reps in the preseason finale.
"There’s been some shuffling around," said Rodgers about the offensive line ahead of Saturday's game. "It will be nice to be out there with those five."
WR Depth Chart after Davis Decision
The Jets' receiver depth took a hit when veteran Corey Davis announced that he was "stepping away from the game" earlier this week. Davis, who built a reputation as a good run blocker, projected as the Jets' WR3/4.
With the Green & White likely to carry six receivers (five at minimum), there are four players who are roster "locks" — Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, Randall Cobb.
Saturday's exhibition contest may go a long way in determining who secures WR5 and WR6 status. Undrafted rookies Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson appear to be the top candidates at this juncture. The former leads the team in receiving this preseason while the latter carries added value as a return specialist.
WR/RS Xavier Gipson (82)
© Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Chance to Retain Bragging Rights
If any preseason game means something, it's this one.
They reside in different conferences, but the Jets and Giants battle for attention and affection in the same media market. Having shared the same stadium for 40 years, there's been a bit of fun rivalry that has developed between the two franchises.
Meanwhile, Robert Saleh owns a 2-0 preseason record against the Giants as Gang Green's head coach, but last year's win did require last-minute heroics from quarterback Chris Streveler (aka Mr. August), who was cut by the team earlier this summer.
"The Snoopy Bowl, I don’t know if it’s still called the Snoopy Bowl, but I do know that the stadium will be more, not regular season live, but there will be more people in the stadium for Jets-Giants [than last week's game against Tampa]," said Saleh.
READ MORE:
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Don't Plan to See These Three Jets' Running Backs Face Giants
Saleh Confirms Rodgers's Starting Status for Jets' Preseason Finale
