After an eventful week of practice, the Jets hit the road for the first time in 2019 as they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons in Week 2 of the preseason.
Following a Week 1 loss to the Giants, New York has plenty of kinks to work out against the Falcons. Not only will the Jets be working to fine-tune their offensive, defensive and special teams units, but Adam Gase and his coaching staff will be spending the duration of the game evaluating as the first major round of roster cuts nears.
Here are some storylines to keep an eye on throughout the course of Thursday night’s action.
Next man up at cornerback
With Trumaine Johnson and Kyron Brown both sidelined due to hamstring injuries, Thursday night’s tilt against the Falcons will be all about who steps up for the Jets at cornerback.
Darryl Roberts, Arthur Maulet and Brian Poole are penciled in as the starters, but it will take more than just that trio to get the job done in the secondary. New York’s cornerback depth is inexperienced and unproven. Against Atlanta, Adam Gase will be left with no choice but to throw them into the fire.
Experience will be gained and spots will be earned at corner in Week 2 of the preseason. Players like Maulet and Tevaughn Campbell have a chance to carve out an unexpected role in New York’s defense. Will they take their game up a notch and put an end to the worries about Gang Green’s current cornerback situation? We’ll find out soon enough.
Le’Veon Bell’s status
It looks like Jets fans will have to wait another week for the debut of star running back Le’Veon Bell.
Nothing has been confirmed, but it’s unlikely Bell plays against the Falcons. Bell’s workload was ramped up throughout the week in practice, but there’s no inclination for the Jets to play him as he works his way back into the mix.
Bell has not appeared in a preseason game since 2016. Don’t expect that to change on Thursday night.
Brian Poole’s return to Atlanta
Throughout spring workouts and training camp, Brian Poole has established himself as one of the Jets’ more reliable cornerbacks. On Thursday night, he’ll get a chance at revenge against his former team.
The Falcons non-tendered Poole in January after three seasons with the team. The Florida product was coming off a season in which he recorded career highs in sacks and interceptions, but Atlanta decided to go in a different direction at nickel corner.
Now entrenched as a starter with the Jets, Poole will get the opportunity to stick it to the Falcons. How many reps he gets remains to be seen, but expect him to make the most of his playing time in Week 2.
Bertolet’s Back
When Chandler Catanzaro announced his retirement on Sunday, the Jets turned to a familiar face to fill the void at kicker.
Taylor Bertolet is back and will take the field against the Falcons for his first game action with the Jets since last preseason. The Texas A&M product went 4-4 in the preseason a year ago, but missed one extra point attempt before being released prior to the beginning of the regular season in favor of Jason Myers. This time around, he’s hoping he performs well enough to win the starting job.
Bertolet’s road to redemption begins on Thursday night. If he kicks well enough against the Falcons and throughout the rest of the preseason, the Jets might not have to bring in another kicker to compete with him.
Position Battles Rage On
There aren’t many high profile position battles taking place at One Jets Drive this offseason, but there are still a handful to keep an eye on entering Week 2 of the preseason.
Ryan Griffin has a leg up on the competition at tight end, but after not doing much against the Giants a week ago, Eric Tomlinson, Trevon Wesco and Daniel Brown all have a chance to help themselves. The three-man battle between Nathan Shephard, Foley Fatukasi and Bronson Kaufusi on the defensive line is heating up, while both Trenton Cannon and Greg Dortch are fighting to lock up spots in the return game.
Thursday night will serve as a proving ground for any player fighting for a starting spot or place on New York’s 53-man roster. Position battles make preseason games worth watching. Fortunately for Jets fans, there are plenty going on right now.
Adam Gase vs. Dan Quinn
When the Jets hired Adam Gase in January, he joined the organization with the reputation as a fiery competitor who will do whatever it takes to win — especially against Falcons head coach Dan Quinn.
Back when he was interviewing for head coaching jobs prior to his tenure with the Miami Dolphins, Gase was asked about his record against Quinn, who was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks at the time. Well aware of his 0-2 mark against Quinn, Gase acknowledged his shortcomings against Seattle’s defensive playcaller, but vowed to never lose to him again with some very colorful language.
In 2017, Gase’s Dolphins defeated Quinn’s Falcons 20-17, making him 1-0 against the man he said he would never lose to again. On Thursday night, Gase will have the chance to remain undefeated against Quinn as a head coach.
