Three positives from Jets preseason opener

By Krupka  |   Sunday, August 13, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

New York Jets
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The New York Jets began their exhibition schedule with a 16-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. While they only mustered a mere three points, there are some positives that can be drawn from the disappointment of preseason game one.

The first positive deals exclusively with the quarterback play. Chad Pennington looked more like his old self. In his first action since his second surgery on his right shoulder, he withstood some hits, and completed nine-of-14 passes for 54 yards. He did turn the ball over once on a fumble, but his first performance since Week Three of last season was successful. He had no pain after, and looked comfortable.

Rookie quarterback Kellen Clemens had a solid debut, completing 10-of-14 passes for 92 yards and no turnovers. His arm looked good, he seemed poised in the pocket, and he didn't rush things. Although the 23-year-old was playing against backups, he still put together a good performance in his first appearance. If he continues to play well, he could win the No. 2 spot behind Pennington.

Patrick Ramsey didn't play enough to draw a positive or negative. He attempted only three passes, completing two for nine yards.

A second positive brings us to the No. 4 overall pick from April's draft, rookie left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. In his first contest ever, he was pitted against All-Pro Simeon Rice. You'll notice the phenomenal end is nowhere to be found in the stat sheet. That's because Ferguson did a terrific job handling the speed rusher. The rookie looks to be every bit as talented as the hype surrounding him suggests. He should be a bookend on the Jets' line for years to come.

The third encouraging aspect from Friday's tussle with the Bucs is the entire defense. Last season, the unit, especially the defensive line, was pushed around too many times, which showed in its 29th ranked run defense from a year ago. However, the defense was elite against the pass (No. 2) and still finished a respectable 12th in total defense. The pass defense was good, at least in terms of yardage, surrendering only 138, although the Bucs' quarterbacks completed 14-of-20 passes. The run defense was good at times, but still left plenty to be desired, giving up 167 yards on a 3.8 per-rush average. As a whole, the starters played solidly for the first game of the preseason. Brad Kassel, a four-year veteran backup linebacker, led everyone in tackles, with seven. Linebacker Victor Hobson nearly had two interceptions but failed to haul in either pass that hit him.

All in all, there are some things the New York Jets need to work on, but the positives from the first preseason game give hope that come time for the regular season, the team will be ready to roll. The offense only mustering three points is frustrating, and 44 yards rushing on 16 carries won't get too many people excited. If the ground game gets going, the unit will surely improve. Facing the No. 1 ranked defense from last season is as tough a task as it gets, so things should get better from here on out.

Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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