The New York Giants absolutely demolished the Jets on Friday night, outgaining them a staggering 400 yards to 139 in a dominant 23-6 victory. This final tune-up for the preseason slate showed the Giants are feeling good about their depth, while the Jets have some serious soul-searching to do before the real games start.
Zvada Nails It While Tracy’s Future Hits a Snag
What a night for rookie kicker Dominic Zvada! After securing the placekicker job over Ben Sauls, Zvada iced the game with a monstrous 53-yard field goal in the third quarter, then added another early in the fourth to extend the Giants’ lead to 16-6. Contrast that with the Jets’ kicker Jason Sanders, who not only missed an extra point but also shanked a 54-yard field goal. Ouch. On offense, the Giants overcame two early turnovers to take a 10-6 lead, thanks to a Tyrone Tracy touchdown run and Zvada’s first short field goal. Tracy ran hard, picking up 37 yards on four carries and that score in the first half, but then he got sidelined with a head/neck injury. That’s a huge blow, especially with new addition Najee Harris also playing well with 59 yards on 12 touches and Tracy’s roster spot not entirely secure. Quarterback Jake Haener connected with former Jets receiver Xavier Gipson for a 37-yard touchdown, making it 23-6 with just over 10 minutes left.
Jets’ Defense Flashes, Offense Stalls Out
The Jets actually started strong, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on their first possession with a 10-play drive that ended in a short touchdown run by undrafted rookie Chip Trayanum. But that was it for them offensively for the half. Their offense just disappeared. Two of their biggest offseason defensive acquisitions, defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat and edge defender Joseph Ossai, finally got on the field after missing the first two preseason games due to injuries. They absolutely flashed, with Sweat blowing up a run in the backfield and Ossai getting in Jameis Winston’s face to break up a pass. The Jets’ defense, which was historically bad at forcing turnovers last year, showed some playmaking ability, with linebacker Marcelino McCrary intercepting a deflected pass and then forcing a Braxton Berrios fumble that cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers recovered in the end zone. However, Stiggers had a mixed day, getting burned deep and picking up a personal foul on special teams.
With the preseason officially wrapped up for both these teams, the pressure is on to finalize those 53-man rosters. The Giants have some clear standouts, but also some big questions around Tracy’s health. The Jets, well, they just need to figure out how to put a full game together and get their special teams ironed out. It’s going to be a tense few days as cuts loom for these squads.
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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