Jets Rookie Mason Taylor Shakes Off Debut Nerves in Preseason Game

East Rutherford, NJ — New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor made his NFL debut Saturday, after a week-long delay, during a preseason game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Taylor’s first touch came on a 4-yard reception from quarterback Justin Fields during a bootleg play, easing some of the nerves he had built up leading to the game.

“Thinking about it building up to the game was building my nerves a little bit,” Taylor said. “I’m definitely hard on myself, so I’ll wait [to count one] until Week 1.” In practice earlier that week, Taylor had impressed fans with a diving catch in joint drills against the Giants.

Defensively, the Jets struggled in the game, conceding an early touchdown. However, the team’s offensive strategy focused heavily on the run, as they ran the ball on their first ten plays of a three-point scoring drive. Coach Aaron Glenn noted, “In general, it wasn’t good enough…I thought we ran the ball fairly well, but overall, I thought we were sloppy.”

Fields completed just 1 of his 5 passing attempts for 4 yards, with his only successful pass being the throw to Taylor. “We ain’t playing [for real] yet,” Garrett Wilson, a teammate, said. “We need to iron some things out.”

The Jets also relied on running backs like Breece Hall and Braelon Allen during the game, attempting to capitalize on the Giants’ weaknesses against the run. Although the Jets gained 47 rushing yards and 5 via penalty, their overall performance raised questions about their passing attack ahead of the regular season.

With only four more practices before the Jets’ opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fields emphasized the importance of improving. “I’m always going to say we have room to improve,” he stated. “That goes with everything.”