New York Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Pro Football Focus Recap

Aug 17, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Kahlil Bell (24) dives for a touchdown past Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker LaRoy Reynolds (56) during the third quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Jaguars 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars struggled mightily in the second half Saturday against the Jets when they had mostly second and third string players in. Luckily we got to see quite a bit of the first team offense and defense, which means we can glean a little more from the Pro Football Focus statistics. Let’s see who had the best and worst performances Saturday night according to PFF’s overall grades.

Best Overall Offensive Grades:  Cameron Bradfield (+1.3), Eugene Monroe (+0.8),  Mike Brown (+0.8)

The top overall PFF grades from last week’s game against the Dolphins came from the offensive line and this week was no different. Eugene Monroe will probably be a weekly staple at the top of the overall PFF grades, but the presence of Cameron Bradfield is undoubtedly surprising. Bradfield’s performance last year is one of the main reasons David Caldwell showed no remorse in drafting Luke Joeckel second overall. Bradfield will be a valuable asset as a swing tackle this year if he can start to utilize his natural physical ability. Mike Brown has had a very good training camp and has a knack for squeezing out a few yards after the catch. He has a very good chance to make the opening day roster with the absence of Justin Blackmon.

Best Overall Defensive Grades:  Roy Miller (+1.9),  LaRoy Reynolds (+1.5), Mike Zimmer (+1.3), and Ryan Davis (+1.2)

 The Jets had no problem running the ball against the Jaguars, but not at fault of Roy Miller according to PFF. Miller’s run defense grade (+1.9) was by far the best of the Jaguar defenders. Undrafted rookie LaRoy Reynolds took advantage of his chance to start with Russell Allen out. He looked to have some issues early in the game but he apparently settled down the more he played. Ryan Davis has a good chance to make the final roster if Andre Branch (-0.5 overall PFF grade) continues to disappoint.

Most Disappointing Grades: Matt Scott (-4.3), Chad Henne (-2.5), Jonathan Cyprien  (-3.5), Tyson Alualu (-2.4)

The quarterbacks – after Blaine Gabbert left with a thumb injury – looked downright awful and the PFF grades reflect the downgrade in performance. Matt Scott threw several near-interceptions (-4.7 pass grade) while Chad Henne threw a terrible interception when the team was backed up inside their own 20. Jonathan Cyprien was playing in his first professional football game after being held out of a majority of training camp so it’s hard to really take much from this game. Tyson Alualu didn’t do much to stop the Jet’s running game at his new position.

Other notes:

• Blaine Gabbert had the fourth best offensive grade (+0.8), but we’ll delve deeper into his starter-clinching performance in a later article.
• Ace Sanders bounced back from last week’s poor grade by catching both the passes thrown his way for 44 yards. Justin Blackmon also had a nice return catching 4 of his 5 targets and averaging more than 8 yards after the catch.
• Outside of Roy Miller and Ryan Davis, the defensive line dominated the bottom of the PFF grades. Joining Alualu at the lower end of the spectrum were Jeremy Mincey (-1.3), Jason Babin (-1.0), Sen’Derrick Marks (-0.7) and Andre Branch.

– Daniel Lago

Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89