Over a span of 20 years as a coach in a grab bag of positions -- from intern to wide receiver coach to QB coach and offensive coordinator -- Frank Reich has always planted himself on his team's sideline during games.

That all changed last Friday night when the Jets' offensive coordinator took the elevator up to the coaches box at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh and called plays from a lofty perch ... for the first time in his coaching career.

"I've never called it from upstairs, but I actually really like it," Reich said.

Though it's a small sample size, the result of the opening drive, a dynamic 10-play series leading to a TD pass from Geno Smith to Jelani Woods, surprised Reich and may have laid the groundwork for his higher calling.

"I asked Coach at the beginning, I said, 'Listen, I think I want to do this from up top,' " he said, referring to HC Aaron Glenn. "And he was OK with that. And I told him ' I'll try it for the preseason, and if I don't like it I might want to come down.'

"But I've liked it and feel like our coaches on the sideline are doing a great job. I don't feel you lose a little bit, but the things that I feel like I gain up there and the way I can see it, and I've liked it being up there."

He likes the big picture, but gave no indication whether it would continue in the final preseason game against the Giants or carry over to the regular-season opener at Tennessee on Sept. 13.

"Seeing the whole thing and between series just gathering my thoughts," he said. "Clearly talking to everybody, looking at the call sheet. You can do it from downstairs, but it's just all laid out right in front of you. So I don't know. It just felt good."

DC Brian Duker on T'Vondre Sweat
The Jets have been taking a conservative approach with DT T'Vondre Sweat, who has been participating in training camp practices, but has yet to play during the preseason. He had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury, but DC Brian Duker sees the 6-4, 366 "large human" as a potential game changer.

"I think the first impact is at the linebacker level," Duker said. "When you have a guy like that, it's not easy for the O-line to climb up to them, and so it makes those guys able to be on block to the point of attack. That's the most obvious correlation, I mean, certainly based on numbers alone, right? If they're blocking him with two, somebody else is free. And so I talked about it at the linebacker level, but also a lot of times it means, let's say, you're the defensive end to his side, it means you've got the single block, right? And the guard's probably heavy on that nose right there, so you got a good chance to win inside on that sometimes as well."

STC Chris Banjo on Dane Belton
As S Dane Belton competes for a starting spot in the Jets' defensive backfield, special teams coordinator Chris Banjo knows he's got a special player on his hands. Belton, who signed in free agency after four seasons with the Giants, has amassed 1,144 snaps on special teams, 300-plus in each of the last three seasons.

"Just a football player, he's the ultimate football player, regardless of whatever it is you ask him to do," Banjo said. "I'm sure you guys [reporters] have seen him make plays on the defensive side of the ball as well. But when you talk about what he's done from a special teams perspective, you can go watch his tape before he got here. But I encourage you to watch his tape since he's been here. Again, he's just been a football player from top to bottom, and I think he's really been a great addition to our room."

QB Geno Smith Likes These Guys
As the Jets' field general, QB Geno Smith has taken notice of some of the younger "recruits" on the team:

Braelon Allen: "He's done a great job at not only being physical in the run game, being an asset in the passing game as well. He's a guy who can truly do it all, and it feels like that entire running back room has a bunch of guys that are multifaceted. Extremely talented player, great person, and he studies, he works hard, and I think the world of him."

Omar Cooper Jr.: "Omar's a guy who came in right away and has been a true professional. He studies, he works, he's always in the right places. He's taking advantage of his opportunities when they come, and he's a guy who I think is going to continue to get better every single day, just by the way that he works, and that's something that you can see early on in players, and I think that's something that he's shown us and will continue to show us."

David Bailey: "The thing that stands out about David is that he's always in the backfield. Every time I watch film, or when I'm out there on the field, you know you can find [No.] 31. He's always around the ball. Humble kid, doesn't say much, but you know he speaks through his play, and you can see it right away. Just the way that he goes about his business. Again, he's a professional. He knows what it takes. He does all the little things, and he shows up."