Jets Camp – Bucs Fights; Stiggers Hospitalized

The New York Jets welcomed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Florham Park on Tuesday for the first of two joint practices ahead of Friday night’s preseason opener at MetLife Stadium. After weeks of competing against their own teammates, the Jets finally got a chance to measure themselves against another team. The intensity was noticeably higher, with several fights breaking out during practice. There was also a concerning moment when Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers required medical attention and was transported to a local hospital. From our vantage point, the Jets defense had the better overall showing, while the Buccaneers defense kept the Jets offense in check for much of the day. Here are our Jets Camp notes:

General Notes

-Most of the day, the Jets offense worked against the Buccaneers defense on one field while the Jets defense faced Tampa Bay’s offense on the other. The last 20 minutes were red zone offense vs defense, on the same field.

-Practice ran over the alloted time due to the Stiggers injury.

-The teams went from 7-on-7 work into full 11-on-11 periods.

-There were several confrontations between the teams throughout practice. The biggest fight came following an interception and quickly brought players from both sides into the scrum. At one point, a Jets helmet was thrown during the altercation.

-The physicality and intensity increased as practice went along. With another joint session scheduled for Wednesday, it will be interesting to see how Aaron Glenn and Todd Bowles manage things on Day 2.

-There was a scary moment involving Qwan’tez Stiggers. The Jets cornerback required medical attention on the sideline, with players dropping to a knee as he was treated. An ambulance was brought onto the field, and Stiggers received an IV before being transported to a local hospital.

-Aaron Glenn said after practice that Stiggers was conscious and able to speak. The Jets later announced that Stiggers had been released from the hospital and was recovering at home.

Special Teams

The Jets spent several periods working on their punt and punt return units. There was a dedicated punt return period before the teams returned to offense-versus-defense work. Later in practice, the Jets worked on punt coverage, with Arian Smith and Kene Nwangwu standing out in punt coverage.

These reps will become increasingly important as roster decisions get closer. Players competing for the final few spots will need to show they can contribute on special teams.

Jets Defense Has a Strong Day

The Jets defense appeared to have the better day of the team’s two units. David Bailey continued what has been an impressive training camp. Bailey generated pressure against Tampa Bay and had a rep that likely would have resulted in a sack under game conditions.

That’s significant because Bailey’s performance is becoming a trend rather than an isolated flash. We’ve mentioned him repeatedly in our Jets training camp reports, and Tuesday provided his first opportunity to show what he could do against another team’s offensive line.

The Jets defensive front as a whole seemed to create problems for Tampa Bay. The group played with energy and generated pressure while making things difficult on the Buccaneers offense. That continues an encouraging theme we’ve seen throughout training camp. The defensive front has consistently been one of the more disruptive areas of the roster.

Buccaneers Defense Keeps Jets Offense in Check

-The Jets offense had a tougher afternoon. Tampa Bay’s defense generally controlled the early 11-on-11 work and prevented the Jets from consistently generating explosive plays.

-Breece Hall did have a few flashes. There were moments where his burst was evident, but sustained offensive success was difficult to find against the Buccaneers defense.

-The passing game also left some opportunities on the field. Mason Taylor had a good practice with some nice catches.

-Geno Smith had Isaiah Williams open deep on one play but overthrew him despite having good protection. Later, Smith came back to Williams on a skinny post. Geno did a nice job holding the safety before delivering a pass that went through Williams’ hands. It looked like it could have resulted in a touchdown.

-Williams continues to be an interesting player to watch. He has consistently created opportunities throughout camp, and Tuesday was another example, even if the Jets weren’t able to capitalize on them.

-Late in practice, Geno connected with Garrett Wilson near the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown from our vantage point. Wilson continues to be one of the most consistent players we’ve watched throughout camp.

Geno Smith

This wasn’t one of Geno Smith’s better practices of training camp.  He threw an interception during 7-on-7 work, although there was a flag on the play, and the Jets passing game wasn’t able to consistently generate big plays against Tampa Bay. He also had a pick 6 and wasn’t very sharp overall. There were also missed opportunities with Isaiah Williams.

At the same time, there were some positives. The skinny post to Williams was a well-designed and well-executed play by Geno until the drop, and he finished with the late connection to Garrett Wilson. Geno has been consistently sharp through much of camp, so Wednesday will be important to see how he responds.

Cade Klubnik

Cade Klubnik had some uneven moments during team periods as well. On one play, he held the football too long as the Tampa Bay rush closed in before eventually forcing an incompletion. Several times he did show the mobility that has been evident throughout camp, taking off when nobody was open and creating a positive play with his legs.

The rookie has shown some encouraging traits throughout camp, particularly his athleticism and willingness to make plays outside the pocket. Facing another NFL defense in a joint-practice environment is another step in his development. Wednesday and Friday will be nice tests to see if he is ready for the backup QB spot.

Standouts

-David Bailey
-Jets defensive front
-Garrett Wilson

Final Thoughts

The Jets defense was the most encouraging football development from Tuesday’s practice. David Bailey continued his strong training camp, and the defensive front generally made life difficult on Tampa Bay’s offense. Bailey has now flashed enough times that his performance is becoming one of the more consistent stories of camp.

Offensively, there wasn’t the same level of success. Breece Hall had some flashes, and Garrett Wilson made his presence felt again, but Tampa Bay’s defense generally kept the Jets offense under control. There were also opportunities in the passing game that the Jets simply didn’t finish.

The football, however, took a back seat for a period when Stiggers required medical attention. The encouraging news came later Tuesday when the Jets announced that he had been released from the hospital and was recovering at home.

The Jets and Buccaneers will return to the practice field Wednesday for their second joint session before Friday night’s preseason opener at MetLife Stadium.