For as good as the New York Jets’ offense looked throughout Friday’s practice, the unit struggled mightily the very next day. Gang Green’s defense won handily Saturday during New York’s Green and White scrimmage.
A restless, packed audience became increasingly frustrated over the organization’s struggles on the offensive side of the ball.
That wasn’t the only major takeaway from the morning of action, though.
It’s time to break down what we saw here.
Jets Green and White Scrimmage Takeaways
This was as close to a full scrimmage as NFL teams will get at this point in camp. The Jets were in full pads, and the defense was allowed to tackle to the ground for everyone except the quarterback.
That didn’t help New York’s offense at all, though. Instead, it only hurt them throughout the day.
Let’s get to the top takeaways now.
Penalty Concerns
To say Saturday was a disorganized mess would be an understatement for the Jets’ offense. During the almost two-hour practice, the unit committed over 10 penalties, many of which came on holding calls and pre-snap movement.
The penalties also came at terrible times. The Jets offense would move into scoring range, but a false start penalty, or a holding call would negate any progress that was made.
Having 10 penalties in a game is unacceptable. Having them take place in practice is just shocking, and a good sign of the amount of work that needs to be done for the unit moving forward.
Head coach Aaron Glenn has spoken repeatedly about limiting penalties for a unit that led the league in that category for the last two years.
They have a long way to go to fix that.
Underrated Standouts
While the Jets offense did struggle, one player stood out in a positive way.
Second-year running back Isaiah Davis looked the best he has all camp on Saturday, with a blend of physicality and receiving ability that New York is counting on this year.
Davis was easily the best offensive player on the team during Saturday’s practice. Other standouts included UDFA cornerback Jordan Clark, who made numerous hard hits on opposing ballcarriers.
New York’s top defensive players also got in on the fun. Sauce Gardner has been elite throughout camp, and Saturday was no exception. Quincy Williams and Will McDonald each recorded sacks on the day, and Brandon Stephens continues his strong camp as well.
It was a good day for the Jets’ defense.
Running Success
For as bad as New York’s offense looked throwing the ball on Saturday, they were able to run it pretty effectively throughout the practice. Breece Hall and Davis were both running through gaping holes on the right side of the field, and even Fields got in on the action.
The Jets are going to be a run-first team. There’s no sense in denying that. The fact that they have been pretty effective in actually running the ball, though, is a good update to this point.
It means their identity is at least something that can find success in 2025.
Kicking Questions
Perhaps New York’s kicking questions aren’t as solidified as many expected.
After Nick Folk’s perfect practice on Thursday, the Jets saw him miss two field goals from over 50 yards out. Harrison Mevis was even worse, though, as he missed four from all over 40 yards out.
This still seems like it is Folk’s job to lose at this point, but it’s never a good sign when each player struggled a bit from long range.
Injury Update
New York did not escape from Saturday’s practice injury-free. Just days after losing All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and offensive lineman John Simpson to minor injuries, the Jets saw receivers like Josh Reynolds and Xavier Gipson all suffer injuries during the later portions of practice.
Glenn later announced that special teams ace Kris Boyd and Gipson have shoulder injuries. Safety Jaylin Simpson suffered a hamstring injury as well.
Injuries, much like New York’s current penalty problem, are starting to increase for the Jets at camp.
