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New York Jets Week 2 Preseason Studs and Duds

By Maurice Moton

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Todd Bowles’ New York Jets turned the tables on an embarrassing preseason-opening loss with a 30-22 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Jets started the game sluggish, allowing big chunks of yardage in the first two drives against the Falcons’ starters but saw major improvement from their young players and the backups.

Here’s a listing on the studs and duds from Week 2 of the Jets’ preseason.

Leonard Williams: Stud

Aug 21, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams (62) reacts with teammates New York Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison (94) and New York Jets outside linebacker Calvin Pace (97) after sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback T.J. Yates (13) during first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Gang Green’s first-round pick provided the first beacon of light on horrible start from the first unit.

Defensive end Leonard Williams sacked Falcons’ quarterback T.J. Yates in the end zone for a safety as the first score for the Jets in this contest. He finished the evening with 1.5 sacks and four tackles in total.

The Jets defense may not miss defensive end Sheldon Richardson if he doesn’t get his off-the-field act together.

Richardson will serve a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He faces further punishment for resisting arrest after leading a high-speed car chase that concluded with authorities finding a semi-automatic handgun and a 12-year-old in his vehicle that reeked of marijuana, per NFL.com’s Conor Orr.

Williams likely takes a lot, if not all, of Richardson’s snaps while he serves his due punishment. This could develop into a battle between two first-round picks assuming Muhammad Wilkerson finally gets an extension.

This year’s first-round pick clearly shows potential and poses an interesting dilemma as the cheaper high-value option once Richardson’s contract expires in 2017.

Bryce Petty: Stud

Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

After a rough preseason opener, quarterback Bryce Petty set his feet and delivered some pinpoint passes from the pocket.

He completed 12 of 19 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in relief of starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who parked his arm in checkdown city.

Petty didn’t take the safe route. He threw the same amount of passes as Fitzpatrick, completed one less pass, but accumulated 50 more passing yards than his starting counterpart.

Let’s hold off on hoping Petty challenges for the starting position, but he made significant strides within a week. As a quarterback who spent two seasons starting at Baylor in a spread-offense, he’s making the adjustments needed to eventually run the huddle effectively.

Petty could put himself in the conversation as a starter in 2016 pending his continued learning curve. Yes, this is just the preseason, and he faced the Falcons’ backups. However, he’s showed unexpected improvement very early.

Quinton Coples: Dud

Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Woes in pass coverage reared its ugly head for defensive end Quinton Coples. Naturally, he’s a defensive end in a 4-3 alignment. He compiled 24 sacks in four seasons at North Carolina from 2008-11.

Now, he’s positioned at outside linebacker in the 3-4 saddled with the added responsibility of covering the flat and short passes on the outside. Coples’ Friday night game film shows there’s work needed in that particular area.

Coples chased down fullback Colin Mooney who slipped past his pass coverage with a 60-yard gain down the left sideline. Then, he whiffed on a tackle on a four-yard run from running back Terron Ward. Missed tackles happen to some of the best in the game, but Coples must clean up his coverage skills on the practice field. No gassers needed.

Rontez Miles: Stud

Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Antonio Allen’s season-ending Achilles injury opens up an opportunity to secure a roster spot as a backup safety.

Third-year safety Rontez Miles firmly placed his bid for that spot with sure tackling in coverage and in the backfield. His fumble recovery for a touchdown puts the icing on the cake.

Miles could see daylight on the active roster similar to his clear pathway to the end zone Friday night. He could potentially add some impact to the defense after two years in the shadows, spending much of professional career on the practice squad.

He made stops all over the field Friday night and took full advantage of additional snaps with Allen out and fellow safety Calvin Pryor tending to his family, per New York Daily News writer Seth Walder via Twitter:

Eric Decker: Dud

Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Someone put wide receiver Eric Decker’s face on a milk carton because he’s been lost for the first two games of the preseason.

He contributed one first-down catch Friday against the Falcons and it’s partially due to Fitzpatrick clinging to checkdown mode. However, one catch and one holding penalty doesn’t cut it for a receiver who once recorded back to back 1,000-plus yard seasons with double-digit touchdown totals.

Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Brandon Marshall continue to build their rapport. Marshall caught four passes for 62 yards. But Decker must step up and build his connection with Fitzpatrick to help the Jets’ passing offense run efficiently in time for the regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Decker and Fitzpatrick have two preseason games to get on the same page. Fitzpatrick needs a solid No. 2 wide receiver to rely on in order to diffuse the heavy coverage toward Marshall.

Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for Jets’ news and updates.

All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

In-game play-by-play is provided by NFL.com. 

Jets roster is courtesy of NewYorkJets.com

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