The preseason has officially come to an end, and the regular season is on the horizon. But before we fully turn the page, we spotlight three defenders who contributed to two of the biggest defensive moments of the game.
The Jets lost 23-6 to the Giants, but forced two turnovers, one of which resulted in an offensive scoring drive, in the first half.
“I loved the fact that we had two takeaways on defense,” head coach Aaron Glenn said postgame. “That’s been a trend for us which we like.”
Here are the three players that made it happen.
DT T’Vondre Sweat
It all started in the trenches.
The Giants faced third-and-long on their opening drive and T’Vondre Sweat battled against two offensive linemen, yet when QB Jameis Winston threw the ball, Sweat found a free hand and tipped the trajectory.
The pass still arrived at WR Odell Beckham Jr., but Qwan’tez Stiggers broke it up, knocking the ball into the air and into the hands of LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball.
“When you’re able to [take up two gaps] as a big man, that allows the linebackers to get a chance to run,” Glenn said. “He’s going to take up two blockers which means they’re missing a blocker when you’re on someone. That’s the reason he’s here.”
Sweat played eight snaps in his first preseason action. He started training camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List before returning to practice mid-August.
On the Giants’ second drive, Sweat made a run stop at the line of scrimmage with a tackle from behind. While his size (366 pounds) will be an asset against the run, Glenn sees him doing much more than that for his defense.
“He has the ability to push the pocket in the passing game also, and I think he’s shown that over his career,” Glenn said. “I want to utilize that player and take advantage of everything that he has.”