Giants and Jets Had Some Highs and Lows in Third Preseason Game

So how did the Giants and Jets look in the 40th version of their annual preseason meeting?  Both teams are still working the kinks out but that’s what the preseason’s for.  The third preseason game is most telling of how teams will play in the regular season because the starters play well into the third quarter.  There were some good things that happened and there were some bad things that happened in the game for both teams.

The Good:

Jets:

• Mark Sanchez and the Jets receivers were clicking for most of the game.  Sanchez went 13-20 with 149 yards and one touchdown.
• The Jets defense played better against the run and forced two turnovers in the first half.  
• Leon Washington had another great preseason game with 62 yards on nine rushing attempts.  

Giants: 

• The Giants used a no-huddle offense that lead to a touchdown on the first possession of the game.  
• Rookie receiver Hakeem Nicks had six receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns, including a 71 yard touchdown.
• The Giants have found a very viable backup quarterback in David Carr.

The Bad:

Jets:

• Penalties.  The Jets’ defense had five penalties, three offsides and two pass interferences, in the first quarter alone.  Even Kris Jenkins, the nose tackle, jumped offsides.  The Jets had 12 total penalties in the game.    
• The Jets looked susceptible to the big play in the air, although the Giants didn’t convert on two long passes that were open.  

Giants:

• Steve Smith dropped a perfect pass from Eli Manning that would have been a 90 yard touchdown.  There were a few other dropped balls by Giants receivers that needed to be caught.
• The defensive and offensive units played better than last week but still didn’t seem to be fully in sync.  They sacked the Jets rookie quarterback just once. 

There’s still a lot of work to do but Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin will have their teams prepared for opening weekend.  The teams are nowhere near where they need to be.  The Jets host the Eagles in their final preseason game and the Giants will travel to New England.  Starters won’t play for more than one or two series if they play at all.