There wasn’t much to make of the first Jets preseason game. The most impressive man in green, that night, stood on the sidelines showing off his 106 pound weight loss in his 2012 CBS debut. The Jets earned a measly 6 points while giving up 17 to their opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals. A lack of passing yards, offensive line collapses and special teams’ mishaps were the result of a disappointing show for the away team in Paul Brown stadium.

Mark Sanchez started the game in a predictable 3 and out fashion. He was 4 for 6 with 21 yards after being sacked twice. After a less than average debut from the starter, Tebow time commenced. The scramblin’ man did what he does best by avoiding sacks and running three times for 34 yards, setting up a 42 yard field goal attempt for Josh Brown. The back-up was 4 for 8 with 27 yards and threw up an easy interception for Vontaze Burfict to grab in his last play of the game. Fans were disappointed as they did not see Tebow drop a knee on the field in his preseason debut.

The Jets starting offensive line showed no improvement from last season. They kept their star running back in the backfield, as they didn’t allow any holes, starving Shonn Greene of any offensive production. Greene finished with a stingy 11 yards in 5 carries after only playing one quarter. A lack of depth continued in their back-up offensive line unit. Overall, the Bengals recorded five sacks and seven quarterback hits. The Jets addressed their offensive line problems during training camp when they tried to score right tackle Jeff Otah from the Carolina Panthers. After failing his physical, Otah was shipped back to Carolina. This failed attempt results in leaving Wayne Hunter in as their starter, and many troubles in blocking the opposing tight end.

Another kink in the Jets play was special teams. The Bengals scored their first touchdown after recovering a blocked punt and returning it into the end zone. However, special teams coach Mike Westoff found a way to use Tim Tebow in this part of the game. Tebow has been working out as a punt protector throughout training camp and the Jets plan on using him as a trick play threat.

Although there was a lack of offensive production by the Jets in their first game, they have yet to reveal any trick plays or any wildcat offense in a game situation. The Jets brought on Coach Tony Sparano and QB Tim Tebow in hindsight of sparking this new offensive mindset. We have yet to see what this new approach will bring the Jets in the 2012 season, and their offense will be hard to judge until we see this type of play in action.

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Written by Courtney B.

Courtney grew up in a green and white household as her dad has been a Jets season ticket holder her entire life. She graduated from UMass Amherst with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport Management this past May, and has been looking to break into the sports industry ever since. Despite living in a world of New England Patriots fans for 4 years, she has fought for her team through thick and thin. She has had a passion for the NFL all her life but it grew in college as she was able to learn more about the game by beating all the boys in her fantasy football leagues. In her spare time, Courtney likes to travel, go to the beach, hang out with friends, and cheer on her equally beloved New York Mets.