Joe Flacco, Jets’ first-team offense deliver forgettable performance with Week 1 looming
If Sunday’s preseason finale was a “dress rehearsal” for the Jets’ offense, they may want to delay opening night.
With two weeks remaining before the regular season, the first-team offense got its first work together in the preseason and it was not pretty. The offense had four series against mostly Giants backups and managed three points and 94 yards on 22 plays and two turnovers in a 31-27 win at MetLife Stadium.
Joe Flacco, who is expected to start Week 1 against the Ravens, threw a brutal interception that was returned for a touchdown by Giants linebacker Austin Calitro. Flacco was 7 of 12 for 76 yards and the pick in his only action of the preseason. The interception was the end of Flacco and the rest of the starters’ day.
“It was definitely aggravating the way things ended there, just the way we turned the ball over,” Flacco said. “I was trying to hold on as long as I could and I feel like Michael [Carter] was kind of breaking up the field as I was heading toward the out of bounds line. I was trying to get it up over his head and I just kind of yanked it right into the guy’s chest. It was definitely annoying that that happened.”
You can’t overreact to preseason games, but the Jets surely were hoping for a better showing from their offense. The line played together for the first time in the preseason and looked shaky. Flacco faced some pressure and there was very little push in the run game. Other than an 11-yard run by Breece Hall, the Jets had a hard time moving the ball on the ground.
“You can see we’re just a little out of sync with the offensive line in terms of run game and our running backs hitting the hole the way they needed to,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “That part’s got to be better. Overall, you could see this was a necessary evil to get these guys out on the football field so they can play together.”
On his final play of the day, Flacco faced pressure from Giants linebacker Oshane Ximines and rolled to his right. He then forced a pass intended for Carter that landed right in Calitro’s hands and he returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
Carter had a fumble that ended the Jets’ first drive of the game. The drive was 10 plays and it looked like it would continue as Carter caught a pass from Flacco on third down and was on his way to a first down when he was hit by Giants linebacker Micah McFadden and fumbled at the Giants 28. It was recovered by Calitro.
“Obviously the turnovers stand out but I think when we look back at the film we’re going to say, ‘All right, when we run the ball we’re going to want to find some more positive runs,’ ” Flacco said. “I think that was the main thing besides the turnovers. When you look at the first drive, I think we had 11 plays, it’s like, ‘All right, why are we still on the 30-, 40-yard line.’”
While the starting offense scuffled, the backup offense moved the ball. Quarterback Mike White went 13 of 17 for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Denzel Mims, who requested a trade on Thursday, had a huge game in what could be his last in a Jets uniform. He had seven catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. The question now becomes what general manager Joe Douglas does with Mims. Rosters need to be cut to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday. If Douglas cannot trade him by then, he will have to decide whether to keep the 2020 second-round pick on the roster or cut him. It will be tough to let him go after his performance Sunday.
Saleh said after the game that he wants to keep Mims.
“He’s one of our six best receivers and he’s going to be here as far as I’m concerned unless … all the other questions are for Joe,” Saleh said.
The Jets had some fourth-quarter dramatics with fourth-string quarterback Chris Streveler hitting Calvin Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the game to put the Jets up 31-27. It was Streveler’s second touchdown pass of the fourth quarter. He hit Mims for a 29-yard touchdown earlier in the quarter.
