Green & White to Host Buccaneers & Giants; Travel to Pittsburgh
Randy Lange
The Jets’ preseason schedule is an fascinating threesome of video games to get them prepared for Aaron Glenn’s second common season as head coach.
They are taking part in two of the video games in opposition to foes they have not seen a lot of in the summertime within the final 20 years, and one recreation in opposition to an opponent they see each summer time like clockwork. They are going up in opposition to one former Jets head coach, then in opposition to two acquainted opposing HCs who’re bringing new life to their new franchises.
The Jets will open at MetLife Stadium in opposition to Tampa Bay, led by Todd Bowles, the Jets HC from 2015-18. And the groups might be going through off within the preseason for simply the second time within the final 20 years. Then they will journey to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers, now below the course of Mike McCarthy, for the primary time in virtually 1 / 4 of a century.
Last would be the preseason finale in opposition to the Giants. The Jets would be the dwelling staff at MetLife Stadium and the Giants, whose fortunes at the moment are being guided by HC John Harbaugh, would be the guests for the groups’ 57th assembly within the final 58 summers.
Game 1 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, MetLife Stadium, Friday, Aug. 14, 7 p.m., WCBS
The Jets have had some preseason familiarity with Tampa. The groups performed seven instances from 1987-2006, with the Jets on the highway for all seven 5 in Tampa, one in Orlando and the 2003 American Bowl Game in Japan’s Tokyo Dome. Since then, the groups have met solely as soon as, in 2023, when the Buccaneers traveled to North Jersey and beat the Jets, 13-6, at MetLife. The Jets are 3-5 within the preseason vs Tampa Bay.
Glenn would like to see some defensive thefts of the aerial variety starting on this one, partly as a result of he has a predilection for preseason-opening picks on a private stage. The Jets’ final 4-INT preseason recreation, within the 1995 opener at Tampa Bay, featured Glenn making the primary decide of his stellar profession, off of Trent Dilfer. (AG had no INTs as a rookie in any recreation in ’94.) Two years later, within the Jets’ 1997 summer time opener in opposition to Philadelphia, Glenn sped 97-yards with a Ty Detmer INT for a landing.
Game 2 at Pittsburgh Steelers, Acrisure Stadium, Friday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m., WCBS
The Jets and Steelers used to summer time collectively considerably usually, assembly eight instances from 1971-2002. The Jets misplaced the primary 5 video games however received two of the final three.
And that is when the groups’ preseason relationship went on hiatus.` The solely August recreation scheduled between the 2 was in 2020 at MetLife, however that recreation was canceled because of COVID.
McCarthy, the previous Green Bay boss, takes the reins as Mike Tomlin’s successor and as solely the fourth head coach employed the Steelers since 1969. Pitt is ready to see if Aaron Rodgers will return to the fold after main their offense final yr. But even when A-Rod is on the Pitt roster in August, the ball will seemingly be positioned within the fingers of QBs Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and third-round draft selection Drew Allar.
Game 3 vs. New York Giants, MetLife Stadium, Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m., WCBS
The Jets will wrap their summer time schedule in opposition to the Giants for the fourth time within the final 5 years. The Green & White maintain a 29-26-1 edge within the preseason rivalry, which has been performed each season besides the 2020 COVID summer time for the reason that groups first met for his or her fateful first time, at Yale Bowl in New Haven, CT, in 1969.
The Jets have received the final two dwelling video games within the sequence, 31-27 in 2022 and 10-6 in ’24. They had received 4 in a row total earlier than final yr’s 31-12 highway loss to Big Blue.
Perhaps it is important, maybe not, thatGeno Smith, declared the Jets starter this season by Glenn, threw his first landing move in his first stint because the Jets QB in opposition to the Giants within the 2013 preseason matchup. It was a catch-and-run 22-yarder to WR Ben Obomanu within the Jets’ 24-21 time beyond regulation win “on the road.”