5 losers from New York Jets’ preseason loss to Giants

After highlighting the winners from Saturday night’s preseason game at MetLife Stadium, it’s time to pinpoint the New York Jets players whose stock went down.

DT Jay Tufele

After a breakout preseason opener, we talked during the week about how Jay Tufele needed to go out and turn his flashes into trends against the Giants.

He wasn’t able to get it done.

Tufele started the game at defensive tackle and received consistent snaps well into the second half, but he rarely made an impact. All he logged in the box score was one tackle, and from the eye test, Tufele did not seem to generate much pressure or penetration, either. He was locked up on Russell Wilson’s 80-yard bomb, giving Wilson the time and space he needed to step into the pass.

Tufele’s strong training camp and Week 1 performance should still be enough to land him on the Jets’ 53-man roster due to New York’s thin depth chart at defensive tackle. However, this game halted Tufele’s momentum toward potentially becoming a starter alongside Quinnen Williams. For now, Byron Cowart (who still hasn’t played this preseason) remains the favorite for that role.

RB Donovan Edwards

After an excellent preseason opener, Donovan Edwards had a chance to force the Jets into a difficult roster decision if he could keep his momentum going.

Edwards wasn’t necessarily bad against the Giants, but he failed to stand out, while his main competitor did.

Kene Nwangwu ripped off a big kick return, had a great play in punt coverage, and was placed on the field at running back before Edwards. Nwangwu also out-produced Edwards offensively, carrying the ball six times for 31 yards (5.2 YPC) while Edwards finished with eight carries for 21 yards (2.6 YPC).

To see if Edwards could provide roster value beyond his potential as a running back, the Jets tried him out as a kick returner, but the results were uninspiring. Edwards averaged 17 yards across three kick returns, with a long of just 18.

With Nwangwu staking his claim on special teams and also displaying some offensive value, the odds are now stacked against Edwards heading into the preseason finale. Nwangwu would be the fourth running back on the Jets’ roster, likely leaving Edwards as the odd man out.

WR Malachi Corley

Malachi Corley did not see any offensive snaps until late in the game, and he did not receive any targets or carries. On his lone kick return, he gained 19 yards.

We highlighted Corley as one of the Jets players desperate to shine against the Giants. He barely got on the field and failed to stand out when he did.

To Corley’s credit, he cooked a defensive back with a pivot route on a two-point conversion attempt, opening himself up for the score, but Brady Cook went elsewhere with the ball.

Still, more important than Corley’s individual performance is the message New York sent with its usage of him. He is far down the depth chart. It does not seem like the Jets are giving him special treatment because of his third-round pedigree.

LB Zaire Barnes

The Giants began picking on Zaire Barnes late in the game, beating him both in coverage and via missed tackles.

The former sixth-round pick could be on his last leg in pursuit of a roster spot. New York has two secure linebackers in Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood, while Jamin Davis and fifth-round rookie Francisco Mauigoa also appear safe. If the Jets are going to keep a fifth linebacker, it’s a battle between Barnes and Marcelino McCrary-Ball.

McCrary-Ball was getting first-team reps in camp until Davis recently surpassed him, while Barnes has remained on the back end of the depth chart. The special teams advantage also seemingly belongs to McCrary-Ball, as he played 200 special teams snaps for the Jets last year and performed well, making seven tackles. On Saturday night, he downed a punt inside the 10-yard line.

One of Joe Douglas’ many late-round RAS darlings could be on the way out.

RB Breece Hall

It’s not as if Breece Hall performed poorly in this game. However, it is becoming tougher to ignore Braelon Allen nipping at his heels.

Allen outshone Hall for the second straight game. Through two preseason games, Allen has recorded 15 carries for 67 yards (4.5 YPC), while Hall has 10 carries for 35 yards (3.5 YPC).

More important than the yardage is the consistency. Allen has produced 4+ yards and/or a first down on 9-of-15 carries (60%), while Hall has done it on 4-of-10 (40%). It’s a carryover from last year’s regular season, when Allen and Isaiah Davis were both more consistent than Hall at producing positive results.

With a quarterback who will probably be limited in the passing game, the Jets must stay ahead of the chains to survive offensively. Stockpiling positive runs will be more important than getting the occasional breakaway run. Hall is clearly the Jets’ top breakaway threat, but it is appearing increasingly likely that he is their third-best option to get four yards on first down or convert a short-yardage situation.

Hall projects to play a major role in the Jets’ passing game due to his top-tier upside in that category and the team’s lack of wide receiver depth. That won’t change. However, Allen and Davis are progressively pushing to steal a larger chunk of Hall’s carries than many people might be expecting.