The New York Jets defense came up big tonight, giving rookie QB Eli Manning his first taste of what the NFL football was really like. The Giants' first round draft choice was limited to just 4 for 14, zero touchdowns, two interceptions and one lost fumble. At the end Manning's quarterback rating turned out to be a big fat zero.
The game was basically decided in the last five minutes of the second quarter. First, QB Chad Pennington connected with WR Matt Dominguez for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Less than three minutes later Manning was sacked by DE John Abraham and fumbled the football. Jets' CB Omare Lowe scooped up the lost ball and ran straight to the end zone, making the score 17-7 in favor of the Jets.
In the third quarter the Giants cut the lead to 17-10 and were close to tying the game, but the Jets' defense held up, intercepting Manning once more in the fourth quarter.
Despite the second preseason win in a row, there are still plenty of things that this Jets team needs to work on. Chad Pennington was under constant pressure from the Giants' first defensive unit. He finished the game 6 for 16, 52 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, which was way worse that what he had shown in the previous two preseason games. Backup QB Brooks Bollinger three just 5 passes and completed 3 of them.
RB Curtis Martin carried the ball 12 times for a total of 50 yards and looked like he was ready for regular season. RB Jonathan Reese had 7 carries for 35 yards. RB LaMont Jordan fumbled the ball in the 3rd quarter and most likely sealed his fate in Herman Edwards' doghouse.
On the defensive side, FS Jon McGraw continued his impressive preseason performance, as he recorded 5 tackles (5 solo) and 1 sack. Rookie S Erik Coleman also recorded 5 tackles (2 solo) and a sack on QB Kurt Warner in the 1st quarter. Free agent acquisition CB David Barrett had 5 tackles (3 solo), one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. SS Reggie Tongue, who made his debut with the Jets, intercepted Eli Manning in the 4th quarter. CB Donnie Abraham also had an interception and an impressive pass defense in the first quarter. Unfortunately, Abraham suffered a bruised knee on his interception return and was forced to leave the game.
Stopping the run, however, still continues to be the main problem of the young Jets defense. The Giants gained 140 yards on 27 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Starting RB Tiki Barber had 50 yards on 10 carries (5.0 average) and his backup Ron Dayne gained 47 on just 8 carries, including a 21-yard run right through the middle of the Jets' defense.
Then, if we keep in mind that QB Kurt Warner was 9 for 11, 104 yards with a quarterback rating of 106.1, it becomes quite obvious that this defense still has a lot of work to do before it becomes a competitive consistent unit. Not an easy task with only two weeks until the start of regular season.
Next week the Jets will take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Giants Stadium. The game will be used to decide who is going to fill the remaining roster spots, as the starters are not expected to play at all.