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| Daniel Benjamin. 18th August, 2011 - 8:05 pm
 The New York Jets closed out the first week of NFL preseason games on Monday with a 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans.
As one might expect with the matchup being the first game of the year for both teams and with the starters only playing the first quarter there were some mistakes even though the first string offense put together two solid series.
The starting offense put up three points and rolled up 68 yards. Overall, the Jets ran 79 offensive plays for 310 total yards, including 100 yards on the ground. The Jets did have a chance to win the game with 50 seconds left game, however, wide receiver Michael Campbell dropped a beautifully thrown 32-yard strike from rookie quarterback Greg McElroy in the end zone.
Quarterbacks
Quarterback Mark Sanchez, who has only completed 54.4% of his passes in his career, did a nice job in his 16 play appearance. Sanchez demonstrated marked improvement in his accuracy versus the Texans completing six of his seven of passes for 43 yards. The only incompletion from Sanchez was a dropped pass by backup tight end Matt Mulligan.
Sanchez, who was sacked twice, was most effective when he released the ball quickly using three-step drops. Though Sanchez does not have the strongest arm, he is very good at improvising and throwing on the move.
With 40-year old backup Mark Brunnell out with a dislocated finger, the Jets were able to take a long look at Greg McElroy. The seventh round pick, who also does not have a strong arm, did do a nice job in his three quarters of action. McElroy completed 23 of his 39 passes including a touchdown and was particularly efficient in the final two minutes of the game. McElroy marched the Jets 76 yards and would have won the game for the Jets had Campbell held on to the pass.
McElroy has the potential to be a 10-year backup in the league because of his intelligence, poise, mobility and accurate arm. There are things, however, McElroy still needs to work on such as his deep throws and hanging on to the ball.
With the exception of the throw to Campbell, McElroy consistently under-threw his receivers on deep patterns. McElroy also fumbled the ball three times, with two occurring when he was sacked. Additionally, on the last play of the game McElroy made an ill-advised decision of throwing a forward pass after being beyond the line of scrimmage 10 yards.
Running Backs
Shonn Greene was impressive in his five carries versus the Texans, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Greene, who is a load for defenders to bring down, showed his deceptive speed on a 19-yard gallop on the second possession of the first quarter. Greene, who split time with LaDainian Tomlinson last year, should have a productive season as long as he corrected his fumbling problems. Tomlinson is expected to have a reduced role this year, playing mostly in passing situations.
The third running back job is up for grabs between incumbent Joe McKnight and fourth round draft selection Bilal Powell. McKnight, who needs to improve his pass blocking to stay ahead of Powell on the depth chart, got blown up trying to pickup a blitzing linebacker that resulted in a sack. The best asset McKnight has is his speed, so he is at least valuable as a kick returner.
Powell, who can pass block and run inside, had a strong first outing and carried the ball nine times. Powell also showed some elusiveness in his two longest plays a 10-yard run and 19-yard reception.
Receivers
Veterans Santonio Holmes and Derrick Mason were solid in their two series of action. Holmes, who is the Jets main deep threat with the losses of Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards, caught two balls for 17 yards. Both of Holmes catches were on short slant patterns. The 37-year old Mason, who was brought in for his leadership abilities and his sure hands, caught three passes for short gains.
The Jets most impressive receivers were second-year tight end Jeff Cumberland and rookie wide receiver/return specialist Jeremy Kerley. Cumberland showed excellent hands and surprising speed as he hauled in six passes for 77 yards with a long of 25 yards. Though Kerley caught three passes, he was more effective in the return game. The versatile Kerley, who might even take some snaps in the Jets Wildcat formation, totaled 87 yards on four return opportunities.
Another impressive young wide receiver for the Jets was Dan DePalma. DePalma, a rookie out of West Chester University, played just on special teams against the Texans. DePalma, who total 70 yards on kick returns with 48 yards coming on punt returns, registered two tackles. Even though DePalma is unlikely to make the squad it is always nice to see young guys do well.
Offensive line
The Jets makeshift line really struggled against Wade Phillips aggressive defense. The line permitted seven sacks and allowed Sanchez and McElroy to get hit 16 times. The Jets also had a total of 10 negative plays.
To be fair, the Jets were without starting center Nick Mangold (stinger) and left guard Brandon Moore (recovering from hip surgery). The Jets also lost versatile Rob Turner, who was filling in for Mangold, during the game due to a broken right leg. Turner will be out at least two months. In addition, second-year player Vladimir Duccasse, who has not had a chance to settle into one position, struggled mightily Monday night as he was responsible for two of the Texans sacks. Duccasse, who played three positions against the Texans, is now the only backup with NFL playing experience.
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