The Jets defeated the Giants 10-6 at MetLife Stadium, finishing the preseason unbeaten for the seventh time in franchise history.
With the regular season approaching, 35 players from the Jets’ 90-man roster didn’t play Saturday night. QB Adrian Martinez, the UFL MVP for the Birmingham Stallions, started the game, but it was the Jets’ relentless pass rush that stole the spotlight. The defense recorded 8 sacks, 13 QB hits, and 3 tackles for loss in a dominant performance.
“I think [defensive line coach] Aaron Whitecotton does an unbelievable job with that group every year,” said head coach Robert Saleh. “We feel like we’re always going to find ways to have depth, and every year we’re going to have to let somebody go who’s a 53-man roster-caliber player. But there’s some decisions to make on that front, and a lot of guys made it difficult today. It was cool to watch all those guys get after it.”
The Jets’ defense set the tone early, with three sacks, four QB hits, and four tackles for loss in the second quarter alone.
After winning the coin toss and deferring, the Jets’ CB Tre Swilling forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, which was recovered by rookie CB Qwan’tez Stiggers at the Giants’ 45-yard line.
On the Jets’ first offensive series, second-year RB Israel Abanikanda carried the ball five times for 28 yards, setting up a 38-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein. Abanikanda later broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, giving the Jets a 10-0 lead. He finished the game with 9 carries for 83 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per carry, before sitting out the second half.
“I knew I was going to pop off today,” Abanikanda said about his performance. “I had a couple of runs early in the game that went for 10 yards or so, and I knew one was going to pop, but I didn’t know I was going to get that free.”
The Giants managed to get on the board just before halftime with a 43-yard field goal by Jude McAtamney. Giants QB Tommy DeVito, who played the entire game, led a 14-play, 65-yard scoring drive in the second half to narrow the lead to 10-6. However, the Jets’ defense sealed the victory with key stops, including a sack by Braiden McGregor and a crucial tackle by Tanzel Smart on DeVito during the Giants’ final drive.
The Jets now face the challenge of trimming their roster to 53 players by Tuesday. Undrafted rookie DL Leonard Taylor capped off his preseason with 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hits, and a tackle for loss. DE Takk McKinley also had a standout game with 2.5 sacks.
“[McKinley] has got pedigree being a first-round talent,” Saleh said. “He’s got elite strain, length, speed, physicality, mindset. I’ve always said it, it just takes guys some time sometimes for one reason or another. A lot of times they have to find themselves, and I feel like he’s in a really good place right now, both physically and mentally. I thought he did a really nice job during training camp.”
On Taylor, Saleh added, “He’s really come along the last couple weeks. Obviously, he’s still a rookie and has a long way to go. But definitely over the last couple of weeks, I thought he’s done a really nice job.”
Martinez ended his night with an impressive two-minute drill, leading the offense to the Giants’ 15-yard line before a missed field goal attempt. He completed 12 of 20 passes for 99 yards and rushed three times for 23 yards, including a 20-yard run on third down. Rookie QB Andrew Peasley led a quiet second half, completing 4-of-10 passes for 36 yards.
