Zach Wilson, NY Jets, Giants
Zach Wilson, NY Jets, Giants, Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Zach Wilson’s NY Jets debut highlighted by a victory

  • New York Jets 12 (1-0)
  • New York Giants 7 (0-1)
  • NFL, Preseason Week 1, Final, Box Score
  • MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Behind a quiet yet effective evening from Zach Wilson, and a dominant defensive performance, the New York Jets began the 2021 preseason on the right note, topping the New York Giants by a 12-7 final on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium.

Ensnared in a defensive struggle, the Jets (1-0) held the Giants to 163 yards of offense and earned four sacks.

New York Jets, Giants, Zach Wilson
New York Jets, Giants, Zach Wilson, Getty Images
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First quarter

The Jets’ offseason obsession with finding a pass rush was vindicated immediately, forcing the Giants into a three-and-out with a relentless attack on Mike Glennon and the Giants’ starting unit.

Bryce Huff had the finishing touch with a seven-yard sack.

The Jets got the ball on their own 36 after a Riley Dixon punt. Behind 18 yards from Zach Wilson-to-Corey Davis hook-ups and 34 yards on the ground from Ty Johnson and Michael Carter, the Jets earned the only points of the first half, a 30-yard field goal for Chris Naggar.

Wilson, as promised by head coach Robert Saleh, played one more series, earning another third-down conversion through a 16-yard hook-up with Keelan Cole.

Despite another 13-yard tally to Tyler Kroft, Wilson was unable to earn more points, as the drive ended in a turnover on downs. He ended the day with a 6 of 9 tally for 63 yards.

Second quarter

The Giants (0-1) nearly got on the scoreboard when a Brandin Echols pass interference penalty set them up in the red zone, but Hamsah Nasirildeen’s forced fumble from Corey Clement went to Michael Dwumfour, ending Big Blue’s threat.

Dwumfour also shared a sack with fellow rookie Jonathan Marshall before leaving with a calf injury. Jets defenders earned five sacks overall, as Huff had one more while undrafted rookie Hamilcar Rashed Jr. put up 1.5.

Third quarter

The defensive battle continued in the second half, though the Jets finally broke through in the third quarter with a four-yard touchdown tally for La’Mical Perine.

Fourth quarter

The Giants would finally break through on the scoreboard when Kenny Yeboah’s fumble set them up at the Jets’ 17. Clayton Thorson found Damion Willis for a 21-yard tally to narrow the gap to 10-7.

One more big defensive play awaited the Jets at the end, as Marshall sacked Thorson in the end zone for a safety that created the 12-7 final.

The Jets return to action next Saturday night on the road against the Green Bay Packers (4:25 p.m. ET, WLNY/NFL Network).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags 

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Geoff Magliocchetti
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran football writer with years of credentialed experience with the Jets and Giants. Email: geoffmags90@gmail.com

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