Just two days after the punch heard around the locker room, the New York Jets took their laughable stigma to the field in Detroit.
By Robby Sabo
Everybody understands how truly meaningless the NFL preseason is. It’s an exhibition of exhibitions. The games that are used to evaluate lower-tiered talent.
Oftentimes teams who finish 4-0 in the preseason go a paltry 3-13 during the regular season.
Even still, watching the New York Jets take on the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at Ford Field had to sting a bit for the new regime.
A feast fit for @Lions. #NYJvsDET pic.twitter.com/olSkmXAHXG
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2015
Bowles: “If this were the third preseason game, we’d be a little more concerned.” pic.twitter.com/JUKctJ2UNd — New York Jets (@nyjets) August 14, 2015
It wasn’t just a regular 23-3 score in favor of the home team, it was an epic beat-down.
New York didn’t crack the 100-yard mark on offense until midway through the fourth quarter. Aside from the first drive of the game, the offense was nonexistent.
Ryan Fitzpatrick was called on to do basically nothing. He completed a three-step slant to Brandon Marshall and a smoke screen to Eric Decker for his only two completions on the night. A contested Jeff Cumberland chance on third-down in the redzone put a halt to the first-offense’s only drive of the night (settling for a Nick Folk 34-yard field goal).
Bryce Petty came in after Fitz and worked the rest of the game like a rookie. The kid’s clearly not ready. Accuracy issues plagued him all night, finishing 10-18 and just 50 yards in three-plus quarters of work.
Early indications of this Chan Gailey offense gives us a glimpse of a heavy run game with a ton of three-step timing patters.
Chris Ivory ran well on the first drive and the offensive line was solid (six attempts for 25-yards).
If the offense was poor, the defense was absolutely brutal. The fundamentals this Todd Bowles defense showed could possibly be the worst first preseason game showing in Jets recent memory.
Guys were off balance, undisciplined and completely scatter-brained the entire night. Demario Davis and David Harris were smoked by Matt Stafford as he lofted one over their heads in a Cover 3 to connect with Golden Tate for a 35 yard touchdown on Detroit’s first drive.
Welcome back to the end zone, @ShowtimeTate.
It's been a few months. #NYJvsDET http://t.co/TujrWTXLUs
— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2015
Speaking of Davis, he was the ultimate victim of the night courtesy of Lions rookie running back Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah, the Lions high draft selection this past spring, juked Davis out of his shoes in the first quarter and finished with a pretty solid 67 yards on just seven carries.
Ameer Abdullah has already made Lions fans forget about Reggie Bush pic.twitter.com/kfxAtpX0NF
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) August 14, 2015
Abdullah also caught safety Calvin Pryor earlier in the game on a shorter run. Bowles and the Jets will now need to regroup and realize they are way behind schedule. Their next test will be at MetLife Stadium as they’ll take on the Atlanta Falcons next Friday night.
Lions 10, #Jets 3 | 5:30 left in the 1st Q @b_petty14 in at QB. pic.twitter.com/IjV4XhAj4S — New York Jets (@nyjets) August 14, 2015
