Three Jets Who Deserve Praise In Preseason Loss Against Buccaneers

For the first time since January 4th, the New York Jets took the field at MetLife Stadium for a preseason showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, while the preseason may not matter too much, it gives fans a fun way to take a look at some of the young guns on the team and see what we’re working with. The Jets ended their 2025-26 campaign with an abysmal 3-14 record. Unfortunately, they didn’t even get a high quarterback draft pick out of it. With that said, at least now the Jets could have their pick of the litter when the 2027 NFL Draft comes around. Now on to the Jets preseason standouts for week one.

Nonetheless, this was a pretty fun opening game for the Jets. Did they win? Heck no. However, there certainly were a couple of players who stood out in the loss. The Jets got off to a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Buccaneers stormed back as the Jets only entered halftime with a 13-10 lead. The third quarter saw the Buccaneers find the end zone, but the Jets found nothing, as the Buccaneers took a 17-13 lead into the fourth. In the end, a Buccaneers touchdown with less than four minutes remaining in the game cemented the Buccaneers’ win, 24-16. So, who are three Jets players who deserve praise for their showing in this one?

Offense: Braelon Allen, RB

Braelon Allen might be one of the most complex names that the Jets have ever found. He’s a very interesting case. He is a preseason stud, and that remained the case in this one. Allen entered this one having only played in four games all of last season. He finished the 2025-26 season with 18 rushing attempts for 76 yards. Allen picked up a touchdown in his 2025-26 season and hauled in two receptions for 17 yards. Unfortunately for Allen, he suffered an MCL injury in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. He was ruled out for 8-to-12 weeks and placed on injured reserve, thus ending his season very early.

Now, Allen was well-rested, healthy, and right back to normal. He finished this game with 44 yards on four carries, averaging 11 yards a run. His game-changing play came at the end of the first quarter when Allen took the ball 31 yards to the end zone to put the Jets up 10-0. Now, there was a lot of game left to be played, and no lead is safe, but Allen more than did his part to put the Jets in a good position to win. This was a very promising sign for the Jets’ ground game, especially coming after Breece Hall’s injury scare.

Hall recently went down in practice with a non-contact injury, where he appears to have sustained an injury to his groin. While this is certainly the best-case scenario, Hall may miss weeks, as opposed to months. With that said, if Allen is going to ball out, we very well might get to see him a lot more often early in the regular season. Fingers crossed that Hall’s injury heals up quickly, but this game was a very promising sign that Allen might be able to take some of the load off of Hall this season.

Defense: Mory Bamba, CB

Mory Bamba declared for the 2026 NFL Draft following a strong senior season with the BYU Cougars. He tallied 23 total tackles, and an impressive four pass deflections. Fast forward to the first game of the preseason for the Jets, Bamba shined and looked like Sauce Gardner had never left the Jets. This was truly a sight to see. Bamba finished with a total of five tackles, three solos and two assists, and a whopping four passes defended. Those four passes defended matched his total number of pass deflections in his senior season of college football.

Mory Bamba’s preseason debut
4 PD
3 rec allowed on 9 targets pic.twitter.com/CliAz8PB2h

— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 15, 2026

Bamba also showcased himself on special teams as a gunner throughout the game. Preseason football is always full of great underdog stories, and Bamba’s debut on Friday could be the beginning of an under-the-radar player making a push for a spot on the 53-man roster. The Jets signed Bamba as a UDFA out of BYU shortly after the 2026 NFL Draft. Bamba’s football career hasn’t been a linear path, though, dating back to his days in high school. A track star throughout his early life, the BYU product didn’t play cornerback until his senior year of high school in 2019. Bamba then began his collegiate athletic career running track for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a Division III school. He then transferred to ASA College in Florida.

Bamba then returned to the football field in 2022 when he joined BYU, where he has spent the last four years. Across four seasons at BYU, Bamba played 36 games with eight starts, tallying 48 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and nine passes defended. Entering training camp and even after Friday’s performance, Bamba has an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, his road got harder too as he’s out for weeks with a knee injury. Nonetheless, this performance put him in great company.

Special Teams: Jason Sanders, K

One of the New York Jets’ most underrated storylines throughout the offseason has been their quest to replace kicker Nick Folk, who was one of the most consistent members of the 2025 roster. New York has cycled through several names this offseason, including international prospect Lenny Krieg and ex-Pro Bowler Younghoe Koo, before finally sticking with Cade York and Jason Sanders heading into training camp. Jason Sanders had a great showing in the game, hitting his one field goal attempt from 47 yards, and nailing one extra point.

While both kickers technically had a perfect night, I can’t find anybody who believes Cade York actually made his 38 yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half. It’s felt like both Sanders and York have been neck and neck throughout training camp, and even in the Jets’ first preseason game, both kickers nailed every single one of their attempts. But the reports out of practice on Monday suggest one kicker is pulling ahead of the other, Jason Sanders, and a few more efficient performances through the preseason and training camp may just be enough to land him the starting job.

Sanders, a former All-Pro with the Miami Dolphins, is hoping to put a stranglehold on the Jets’ kicking competition. For any fan who watched New York’s preseason opener, they’re likely hoping he’s the man for the job. Unfortunately, Sanders missed all of last year due to a hip injury. However, now he is primed and ready to show out with his new team. As long as Sanders stays healthy, we may have a great kicker on our hands for years to come.

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