Five Under The Radar Observations From Saturday's Preseason Win

Whether you take plenty of stock in the preseason or no stock at all, the New York Jets were impressive in head coach Aaron Glenn's debut with a 30-10 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers.

While there were some takeaways that were obvious for debate and interpretation, like the performance of quarterback Justin Fields, there were others that flew under the radar that not many people are talking about.

Whether they ultimately help or hurt the team only time will tell, but they are still worth keeping an eye on as we get closer to the start of the regular season.

Here are a few observations that flew under the radar from Saturday's Jets-Packers preseason outing.

Lack of Creativity on Fourth Down

No matter who the offensive coordinator has been for the Jets, it always seems to be the same play every time the team gets a chance to convert on fourth down. Hand off to the running back up the middle in hopes of getting one yard to move the chains for a first down. More times than not, the Jets fail miserably at getting that one yard.

With Tanner Engstrand calling a good game on offense, there was hope there would be some creativity when the Jets got into a short-yardage situation. After all, Engstrand was part of a Lions team that played the Jets in 2022 that executed a beautiful play-action pass on fourth and one to tight end Brock Wright for the game winning 51 yard touchdown that stunned Gang Green in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

But, in their only opportunity to convert on fourth down last week against the Packers, instead of a play-action pass or a Jet sweep, the Jets tried the same tired play, running up the middle with Braelon Allen. He was promptly stuffed for a loss of two yards and it resulted in a turnover on downs.

The Jets have a few players who are more than capable of running gadget plays and Engstrand is a very capable coordinator that should be able to draw up something defenses haven't seen on fourth down. It was very disappointing that they did the same run into a pile play that always fails. Yes, a coaching staff should have all the confidence in their offensive line to open a hole for the running back to get one yard. But, it's a boring and predictable play call that defenses smell from a mile away. Let's hope the Jets try and get more creative on fourth down with their play calling when the opportunity presents itself.

It's Anyone's Guess Who Will Round Out The Wide Receiver Room

Immediately after Saturday's win, anyone with a social media account and a pulse put out their projected 53 man roster based on performance. When it came to the wide receiver portion of the roster build, the selections were all over the place with some opting to stick with the veterans simply because of experience while others went outside the box and selected based on potential, which is Glenn's calling card.

Every receiver made plays last week which is why we don't jump any conclusions after one preseason game. Allen Lazard had a couple of receptions, but suffered a shoulder injury. So did Tyler Johnson and Brandon Smith. Quentin Skinner, an undrafted free agent, made a beautiful 26 yard catch using his 6'5 frame to get over the cornerback. Even Malachi Corley was involved with one catch and had a chance for another, but the ball was under thrown by Brady Cook.

Corley's spot is not in danger because he only had one catch for eight yards while Brandon Smith had two receptions for 23 yards. It's way too premature to make a final projected roster after one preseason game. Even if a receiver didn't have a great game last week, there's still plenty of time to make an impression with two games left. It's anyone's guess how it'll turn out, but it will be a lot of fun to watch.

Special Teams, Special Teams, Special Teams!

While it doesn't look like he'll beat out Nick Folk to be the kicker, Harrison Mevis isn't going away quietly. The former Missouri Tiger had a great game last week, making all three field goals attempted as well as two extra points. Folk is signed to a $2.875 million contract for this season and that money alone means his job is secure, unless he opts to retire before the regular season begins. But, if Mevis continues to kick well in the preseason, he's got a chance to stick around on the practice squad.

Not to be outdone, Austin McNamara may have secured the punting job after his first game. The former Bengal punted three times and averaged close to 50 yards per punt. His long was 60 yards and three of his punts were inside the 20. Green Bay was under flood watch and conditions were not great for most of Saturday prior to the game. Factoring in the weather, it was a very impressive debut for McNamara.

Thanks to McNamara's strong leg, the Jets special teams had a strong game and played a big role in the Packers struggles getting good field position. Quantez Stiggers had a terrific tackle on former Jet Mecole Hardman, who surprisingly did not call for a fair catch, that put the Packers at their own three yard line to start the next offensive series. Hardman also fumbled a fair catch which was recovered by rookie Ja'Markis Weston that ultimately led to a Jets field goal.

Micheal Clemons will be his own Downfall                  

Something's gotta give with Clemons, who's had an "outstanding" camp according to Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. He's been showing the talent, but the attitude negates any steps forward he takes as a defensive end.

Packers offensive lineman Zach Tom was about to receive a penalty for Unnecessary Roughness until Clemons said "Hold My Beer" and started shoving Tom, which resulted in offsetting penalties. These are exactly the situations that burned him last season as he has a very difficult time keeping his emotions in check on and off the field. His lack of discipline really hurts this team and it's always at the worst possible moments. Glenn immediately took Clemons out of the game to remind him that this isn't Robert Saleh's team anymore and that behavior will not be tolerated.

If he has any chance of having a long NFL career, whether with the Jets or another team, Clemons must get his attitude and his temper under control. Emotions run high during games. Everyone understands that. But, when it becomes detrimental to team success, it becomes a major issue. Clemons hasn't earned a roster spot just yet. We can respect standing up for your teammates. But, it doesn't have to be his fight all the time.

There's Some Real Potential With Adrian Martinez

Glenn announced today that Tyrod Taylor will miss the entire preseason due to arthroscopic knee surgery. Brady Cook was injured during today's joint practice with the New York Giants and he can ill afford to miss any games during the preseason.

Cook was battling it out with Martinez, the second-year quarterback out of Nebraska, for the right to be a healthy inactive or emergency QB on game day. Both QB's played well last week, but Martinez looked more comfortable and had a better zip on his passes than Cook. He finished 11 for 16, 152 yards, a touchdown and a QB rating of 119.8. The touchdown was on a screen pass to Stone Smartt and Martinez did a great job waiting for the play to develop before dumping off to his tight end who took it the rest of the way for the score.

If Cook has to miss time and with Taylor not playing at all in the preseason, Martinez is primed to receive plenty of reps that could really develop his game. He's made some terrific throws in training camp and has the ability to scramble to make something out of a broken play. We shouldn't take too much stock in a performance against a third-string defense. But, he's got potential and with the right coaching, Martinez could be developed into a very capable backup quarterback, something that is lacking these days on most NFL teams.

This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Some Areas of Potential and Concern After the Jets Win Over Green Bay