The New York Jets opened their preseason with a 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium.
Quarterback Geno Smith did not play in this game as he was dealing with some soreness in his ankle. Fourth-round rookie QB Cade Klubnik played most of the first half and did a good job overall leading the offense.
The backups on both sides of the ball struggled in this game, especially QB Bailey Zappe, who threw two interceptions that got the Buccaneers back into the game after the Jets led 10-0.
With that, here is Jets Wire's report card following preseason Week 1:
Passing Offense: B-
Klubnik led the Jets on two scoring drives to give the Jets a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. He looked nervous at times, which is to be expected. But, he had a nice rapport with
Garrett Wilson, who had two catches on his only drive of the game. He also leaned on Mason Taylor, who also made a couple of catches on the opening drive. Klubnik finished 5 for 7 with 52 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions. It's too early to tell if he should be the backup to Geno Smith, but he had some encouraging moments in his debut.
Bailey Zappe struggled from the moment he entered the game. He threw an awful interception that was returned 47 yards for a touchdown by Ayden Garnes. On his next drive, he threw his second interception, although Arian Smith could have made a play on the ball. Brady Cook played most of the second half and led the Jets to two field goals. Garrett Wilson, Mason Taylor and Omar Cooper Jr. each had two catches on the night.
Rushing Offense: B
Breece Hall ran for 16 yards on four carries and was pulled after the opening series. He came very close to a touchdown but was slowed down just enough by the Bucs defense to keep him off the scoreboard. Braelon Allen was impressive in his first game back since the injury he suffered last year. He finished with 44 yards on four carries and a 31 yard touchdown run. The Jets ran for 91 yards on the ground. A solid day all around from the running game.
Passing Defense: B-
Connor Bazelak, in his second year from Bowling Green, started this game for the Bucs and was mostly forgettable. He finished 12 for 20, 72 yards and no touchdowns. The Bucs offensive line did a good job protecting their quarterback only allowing one sack to Will McDonald on their opening drive. However, the Jets didn't do a good job generating pressure and there were too many instances where Buccaneers receivers were wide open. It's tough to criticize a team during the preseason, but it was a little troubling that the Jets backups were completed outplayed by Tampa Bay's.
Rushing Defense: B-
The Buccaneers didn't play any of their starters and were led on the ground by Josh Williams, a second-year running back from LSU, with 27 yards on eight carries. Williams scored a touchdown that gave the Bucs the lead for good early in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Jalon Daniels scored the other rushing touchdown on a sneak late in the fourth quarter. The starting unit was good. The backups were not.
Special Teams: B+
Cade York connected on both field goal attempts from 27 and 38 yards, although one looked no good as the first half came to a close. Jason Sanders made his only field goal attempt from 47 yards. This competition remains too close to call as the Jets head into next week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jamaal Pritchett had a 32 yard return, but other than that, it was an uneventful performance from the Jets special teams.
Coaching: B-
Aaron Glenn didn't do much in this game from a coaching standpoint. Frank Reich for the most part called a good game with the starters, but there were a few awkward exchanges during delayed handoffs that cost the Jets yards. They also got brutalized on a botched screen pass that cost them nine yards and some momentum on a drive in Bucs territory.
The first-team offense has potential to be special and one thing that was on display was how many ways the Jets can beat you. Whether Mason Taylor, Breece Hall, Braelon Allen or Garrett Wilson, there are plenty of weapons on this team and they were all on display tonight. The defense needs to be more aggressive and it was disappointing that the only sack the Jets had was on the first drive. They struggled to generate any pressure against mostly backups and players that probably won't make the final roster. Friday's loss had some good moments and some bad moments. Nothing to pull your hair out, but nothing that makes you more confident in the team either.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Report card: Jets lose 24-16 vs. Buccaneers in preseason opener
