The Jets’ preseason opener against the Buccaneers is officially in the books, a tough loss on the scoreboard, but man, did some guys make some noise! One player, off the radar completely, was Mory Bamba. He was initially noticed for getting beaten cleanly in the red zone, only for a poor throw to let him recover and break up the pass. But after that shaky start? Bamba was straight-up lockdown, holding up in coverage and batting away four passes. Not just that, he popped off on special teams, too. This dude made one of the strongest cases for a surprise roster spot in recent memory, and honestly, who saw that coming?
Rookie QB Steps Up, McDonald Gets on the Board
Talk about a surprise! Rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik got the start after Geno Smith’s ankle injury, and everyone knows how much every single throw from a rookie gets dissected in exhibition games. Klubnik, though, didn’t do anything flashy, but he was efficient, getting more good than bad on his stat sheet. Crucially, he avoided any glaring mistakes, ending the night 5 for 7. He looked like the best of the three Jets’ quarterbacks on the field and took a serious step toward snagging that backup job. That’s a huge deal for depth.
Meanwhile, on defense, Will McDonald has felt a bit forgotten with new additions at his defensive end spot, plus a second-overall pick. But Joseph Ossai’s injury opened the door for McDonald to start. Sure, he was facing backups, but you play who’s in front of you. McDonald delivered, getting on the board with a sack in his limited action. You love to see a guy seize an opportunity like that.
Allen’s Comeback Explodes, Kicking Battle Heats Up
The competition for the second running back spot behind Breece Hall is wide open for a few weeks, thanks to Isaiah Davis’ knee injury, and Braelon Allen owned that stage. The big question for the third-year back was whether he’d recovered from his own knee injury that cut his 2025 season short. Well, Allen answered loud and clear, ripping off a 31-yard touchdown run in the first half! Again, it wasn’t against starting competition, but seeing him pull away from defenders suggests that second gear is absolutely still there. That’s a massive confidence booster for him and the team.
Then we hit special teams, where the kicking competition is getting spicy. Both kickers technically had a perfect night, but there’s a serious debate about Cade York’s 38-yard field goal. Most folks don’t think he made it, looking like the officials might have botched that call. Jason Sanders, on the other hand, absolutely nailed his only attempt from 47 yards out. You know the coaches are going to be grading every single detail, and a controversial call like that can definitely sway who gets the nod.
What’s next? These guys are battling for their careers. Klubnik’s performance has the backup QB spot officially in contention. Allen just made his case for RB2 undeniable. And Bamba? He’s probably got coaches buzzing about a surprise roster spot. Every rep, every play in the next few weeks is going to be massive for these dudes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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