Nothing that happened during the New York Jets' annual Green-White scrimmage Saturday night under the lights at MetLife Stadium raised red flags or dampened the upbeat vibe of training camp.
Could the starting offense have looked crisper? Yes. Would a few more turnovers by the defense have been nice? Sure.
But all in all, it was a positive night in front of their fans and sets the Jets up for their preseason opener Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here are some of the important things that happened in the scrimmage.
Jets’ Key Takeaways From Green-White Scrimmage
Breece Hall is explosive
Rookie running back Breece Hall ran the ball four times during 11-on-11s. He ripped through the line for runs of 16 and 10 yards on two of them. It was a glimpse into the explosiveness and home run ability the Jets have raved about since selecting him in the second round.
.@BreeceH got the vision. pic.twitter.com/YCpUh2IARt
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 7, 2022
Hall has had a terrific camp, standing out as a runner and receiver, and could be on his way to a Week 1 start against the Baltimore Ravens.
‘Really good’ Zach Wilson
Quarterback Zach Wilson looked decisive and confident running the Jets' offense. He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Conklin on his first drive during 11-on-11 play and set up a field goal on his second drive. The next two did not go as well, though it was hard to blame Wilson for four dropped passes and some blocking issues on the line.
He may not have been Patrick Mahomes-ish, as Chad Johnson called him this week, but Jets coach Robert Saleh was pleased.
“I really thought he was really good,” Saleh said.
Also on the plus side, Wilson used his feet to get some positive yardage on a few scrambles. A definite minus was a poorly thrown interception and issues during two-minute drills.
Like with his work throughout training camp, so far, the needle pointed up for Wilson on Saturday.
Tyler Conklin stands out
Conklin not only caught a 10-yard TD from Wilson, he ended up with seven catches in the scrimmage. It was an impressive showing for the tight end, who signed as a free agent this offseason.
.@ZachWilson + @T_Conk1 = 6 pic.twitter.com/FChb9rr7Fg
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 7, 2022
The 27-year-old came into his own last season with an NFL career-high 61 receptions with the Minnesota Vikings. He has built a nice chemistry with Wilson in training camp.
C.J. Uzomah, another free agent tight end signed by the Jets, also had a good scrimmage, though he was outshined by Conklin.
After years of the tight end position being a black hole on their roster, the Jets now have multiple talented options for their young quarterback.
Getting defensive
It was an efficient night for the defense, which didn’t surrender big plays and got stops from the No. 1 unit on successive drives after allowing a touchdown and field goal.
Sauce Gardner was tested deep twice and not beaten. Quinnen Williams provided pressure up the middle. And Bryce Hall continued his strong play during camp with another quietly effective performance playing in the place of injured corner D.J. Reed.
Sauce Gardner vs Elijah Moore 🔒
(🎥 @Matt19THFC)
pic.twitter.com/pvp8QZAQQY— PFF (@PFF) August 7, 2022
Greg’s still got the leg
Kicker Greg Zuerlein nailed a 56-yard field goal. That made him stand out against Eddy Pineiro, who made all his field goal attempts Saturday, though none as long as Zuerlein’s blast.
Their competition has been tight in camp, and neither kicker has done anything to wow the coaches. Saleh said the other day that preseason games will decide who lands the job and who gets cut.
The Jets have not had a steady kicker since Jason Myers had a Pro Bowl season in 2018.
Injuries
Backup tackle Connor McDermott sustained an ankle injury early and did not return for the remainder of the scrimmage. Saleh said he’d be evaluated further and there was no timetable on the injury.
Other than that, the Jets came out of the scrimmage unscathed.
Reed did not participate because of a hamstring injury. Saleh downplayed the injury, though it should be noted that Reed was limited by a hammy issue in minicamp, too.
Running back Ty Johnson also was out with hamstring injury.
Tackles Mekhi Becton and George Fant were limited during the scrimmage as a precaution. Each is returning from a knee injury, and the Jets are making sure the bookends on the offensive line will be fully healthy for Week 1.
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