After a week of joint practices, the Jets kicked off their three-week preseason slate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium on Friday night, and neither team had its starting quarterbacks see any action.
Despite having the halftime lead, the Jets fell 24-16 to the Buccaneers, who scored two rushing TDs in the second half.
Cade Klubnik became the third rookie quarterback in Jets history to make a preseason start as QB Geno Smith (ankle soreness) was held out for precautionary reasons, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. All other veterans saw limited game action in the first quarter.
Klubnik, on his first passing attempt, connected with TE Mason Taylor on a 12-yard pickup up the middle. He led the Green & White on a 12-play, 65-yard opening drive resulting in a 27-yard field goal off the foot of Cade York.
The rookie QB orchestrated two scoring drives, and created a 10-0 lead, completing 5 of 7 attempts for 56 yards, before Bailey Zappe, and later Brady Cook, took over. Klubnik's longest completion was a 21-yard pass to WR Garrett Wilson who made the grab by jumping over S Rashad Wisdom.
The Jets starting defense played two series, forcing the Buccaneers' offense, led by QB Connor Bazelak, to punt twice. Edge Will McDonald IV had a sack, for a loss of 7 yards, on Tampa Bay's opening drive. QB Baker Mayfield did not play.
Overall, the Jets' starters saw limited actio. CBs Mory Bamba and Jordan Clark held down the secondary. The Buccaneers looked toward Ted Hurst III in the end zone on their third drive, but Bamba broke up the play and held the Bucs to a 23-yard field goal.
Bamba finished the game with 4 PDs and Mykal Walker and Clark led the team each with 6 tackles.
The Green & White still maintained a 7-point lead after RB Braelon Allen, who added weight and power this offseason, showcased his speed, breaking through the right side of the trenches and rushing seemingly untouched for a 31-yard score on the Jets' second drive of the game.
Zappe took over at QB in the second quarter and had a shaky start before leading the Jets on a 10-play, 54-yard drive resulting in a 38-yard York field goal to go up 13-10 before halftime.
See all of the best game photos from the Jets Week 1 preseason game against the Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay capitalized on Zappe's early misfires with Ayden Games intercepting his pass intended for TE Jelani Woods and returning it for a touchdown. On the following drive, Zappe was sacked and was intercepted by Wisdom at the Jets' 40-yard line; however, the Buccaneers were unable to score off that turnover.
The Jets went three-and-out coming back from halftime and the Buccaneers, who put Jalon Daniels in at quarterback in the second half, led a 12-play, 90-yard drive resulting in the team's first TD of the game — RB Josh Williams rushed 12 yards for the score. Daniels later had a 1-yard rushing TD in the fourth quarter to put the Bucs up by 8.
Zappe went 6 of 10 for 55 yards during his shift and QB Brady Cook took over with five minutes left to go in the third quarter and finished the game 9 of 15 for 108 yards, leading one scoring drive resulting in a 47-yard field goal from Jason Sanders.
