CHARLOTTE, NC — Haason who?
OK, that might be an exaggeration, but Jets defensive end Will McDonald sacked Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer on Saturday night, giving hope that the 2023 first-round pick can help fill the void left by Haason Reddick if his absence extends into the season.
McDonald made the play in the second quarter of the Jets’ 15-12 win over Carolina in their second preseason game of the summer.
Jets coach Robert Saleh again decided to give all of his regular players a rest, so there was not much to take away from this game, in which seven field goals were scored.
McDonald delivered the only notable game of the evening.
The Panthers had a third-and-12 attempt at their own 28-yard line.
McDonald used his patented spin move to beat Panthers tackle Ricky Lee.
He then grabbed Plummer and brought him to the ground.
“Will can pressure the passer,” Saleh said. “We’re not worried about him. It was pretty cool to get him on his inside move.”
The sack was a positive for McDonald, who didn’t play a big role as a rookie last year.
After the Jets selected him 15th overall in the draft, he only played 16 percent of defensive snaps.
McDonald actually managed three sacks in this limited playing time.
“I have to perform,” McDonald said after the win over the Panthers. “That’s my main goal.”
The Jets are relying on McDonald to take a step forward this season after letting top edge rusher Bryce Huff leave as a free agent.
Huff led the team with 10 sacks last season.
The Jets also traded John Franklin-Myers, who had 3 ½ sacks last season.
The Jets need McDonald and Micheal Clemons to fill the void left by these losses and the continued absence of Reddick.
“At the end of the day, they’re the next guys, right?” Saleh said. “The only thing I expect from all of them is phenomenal effort and effort. If they do that on our D-line, they’ll have success. I think Will plays at that level. He’s getting better every day and I’m excited for him to get more opportunities.”
The team acquired Reddick from the Eagles in a trade this spring, but Reddick stayed away from the team except for one day when he appeared for a physical and a press conference.
Reddick is interested in a new contract and requested a move earlier this week.
The Jets don’t want to negotiate with Reddick unless he shows up for training camp.
Despite fines of $50,000 a day, he has not given in yet.
The trade request made it seem possible that his strike could extend into the season.
The Jets open the season on September 9 against the 49ers, giving them three weeks to find a way to make Reddick happy.
McDonald had a good training camp.
Coaches have praised him for getting stronger, even though he hasn’t added much weight to his 235-pound frame.
In the Jets’ first preseason game against the Commanders, McDonald used a spin move to hit Washington quarterback Jeff Driskel, but was penalized for unnecessary force against the passer.
Other than McDonald’s big play, there was nothing memorable about this game.
We can forget about Aaron Rodgers being used. The Jets didn’t even play backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor on Saturday.
Rookie Andrew Peasley started the game and played the first half before Adrian Martinez took over in the second half.
The two quarterbacks are fighting for the No. 3 job and probably also for a spot on the practice squad.
Peasley completed 7 of 11 passes for 33 yards and led the Jets on a 17-play drive that ended with a field goal just before halftime, tying the game at 3-3.
Martinez was 7 of 17 for 67 yards with one interception.
Rookie running back Braelon Allen had eight carries for 27 yards and two catches for 12 yards.
Fellow rookie Isaiah Davis had four carries for 14 yards and one catch for zero yards. Rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley had two catches for 10 yards, one of them on a fourth-and-1 play.
The Jets scored five field goals – four of them by reserve kicker Austin Seibert.
The Jets will finish the preseason next Saturday against the Giants.
They left the door open for Rodgers to play in the game, so maybe that could be more interesting.
