The Cincinnati Bengals are getting closer to the point where offseason optimism and preseason evaluations have to give way to some very difficult decisions. With the preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles over, the Bengals will soon have to determine which players from their crowded roster have done enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster — and which ones will be looking for work elsewhere.

There is plenty of reason for optimism around Cincinnati entering the 2026 season. Joe Burrow is healthy, the offense has its familiar collection of elite weapons, and the Bengals have made significant investments in rebuilding the defense, most notably with the additions of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen.

That optimism is reflected in the current betting market, too. FanDuel currently lists Cincinnati at +170 to win the AFC North, +900 to win the AFC Championship, and +2000 to win Super Bowl LXI. The Bengals are also -196 to make the playoffs and -165 to win more than 9.5 games.

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FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest NFL odds

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Of course, none of those expectations make roster decisions any easier. The Bengals have several position groups with legitimate competition for the final few spots, and some players who appeared relatively safe entering training camp may now face a much less certain future. Below, we’ll keep track of the Bengals’ roster cuts as they happen, along with some of the more notable surprises and decisions.

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Cincinnati Bengals 2026 Roster Cuts Tracker

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Running Back

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Wide Receiver

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Tight End

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Offensive Line

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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DEFENSE

Defensive Line

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Edge Rusher

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Linebacker

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Cornerback

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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Safety

Cut: —
Surprise: —
Notes: —

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SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

Cut: —
Notes: —

Punter

Cut: —
Notes: —

Long Snapper

Cut: —
Notes: —

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Notable Roster Decisions to Watch

While the final cuts will ultimately determine the 53-man roster, there are already several players who have emerged as names worth watching as Cincinnati works through its decisions.

Tahj Brooks: The former Texas Tech running back hasn’t necessarily shown enough to make his roster spot feel completely secure. With competition at running back and the Bengals having other options available, Brooks could be one of the more interesting decisions.

T.J. Slaton: Cincinnati’s offseason additions along the defensive interior have created a fascinating numbers game. Slaton has plenty of NFL experience and could very well make the roster, but the Bengals have added significant competition to a position group that could force a difficult decision.

Mitchell Tinsley: Tinsley’s recent emergence has made the wide receiver competition considerably more interesting. If he continues to show the ability to contribute on offense and special teams, he could force the Bengals to make a tough decision elsewhere.

Charlie Jones: Jones has plenty of experience in the Bengals’ offense and has been a valuable return option, but the emergence of Tinsley, Dohnte Meyers, and Ke’Shawn Williams has made the receiver/returner competition one to monitor closely.

Jack Endries: Endries is another player who has made the roster conversation more interesting. The tight end competition is crowded, and the Bengals will have to determine how many players they want to carry at the position versus using those roster spots elsewhere.

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The Final Roster Is Coming Into Focus

The next several days should provide the Bengals’ coaching staff with its final opportunity to evaluate players before the regular season begins. While some roster spots have essentially been decided, the bottom of the roster is where things become particularly fascinating.

For players on the bubble, one play can make the difference between making the 53-man roster and finding themselves on the practice squad or looking for another opportunity.

And for the Bengals, those decisions could prove particularly important.

Cincinnati has legitimate aspirations of returning to the postseason — and perhaps making a much deeper run than that. With Burrow openly talking about manifesting a Super Bowl and the betting market giving the Bengals a legitimate chance to win the AFC North, the margin for error is getting smaller.

Now comes the difficult part:

Deciding which 53 players give Cincinnati its best chance to make that happen.

This tracker will be updated as the Bengals make their roster decisions.

The New Orleans Saints finished the preseason on a high note, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 27-24. The Saints found efficiency in the run game, and each backup quarterback made a final push for the QB2 job.

Saints Scoring

K Daniel Carlson – 38-yard field goal

Newly signed Saints kicker Daniel Carlson opened up scoring for the black and gold with a 38-yard field goal.

WR Barion Brown – 7-yard touchdown run

Wide receiver Barion Brown continues to shine, this time on the ground, rushing for a 7-yard touchdown.

QB Spencer Rattler – 8-yard touchdown run

Spencer Rattler adds another rushing touchdown for the Saints, reaching the end zone after an 8-yard run.

RB Zamir White – 11-yard touchdown run

For their third rushing touchdown of the day, newly acquired running back Zamir White finds the end zone on an 11-yard run.

K Daniel Carlson – 53-yard field goal

With less than two minutes remaining in the game, New Orleans looks to their veteran kicker to win the game. Carlson nails a 53-yard attempt to put the Saints over the edge.

Team Stats

3rd-down efficiency: 3-9

Total Yards: 326

Pass Yards: 157

Sacks-Yards lost: 2-15

Rushing Yards: 169

Yards per rush: 5.3

Red Zone Efficiency: 75%

Penalties: 4-39

Turnovers: 0

Players Stats

QB Zach Wilson: 9/12, 93 passing yards, 96.9 RTG,

QB Spencer Rattler: 8/10, 79 passing yards, 99.6 RTG, 1 rushing touchdown

RB Audric Estime: 4 CAR, 46 rushing yards, 11.5 AVG

RB Kendre Miller: 9 CAR, 42 rushing yards, 4.7 AVG

RB Zamir White: 4 CAR, 23 rushing yards, 5.8 AVG

WR Ronnie Bell: 6 REC, 65 receiving yards, 7 targets

WR Bryce Lance: 2 REC, 28 receiving yards, 4 targets

LB Isaiah Stalbird: 8 total tackles, 4 solo, 1 sack, 1 TFL

DL Khristian Boyd: 7 total tackles, 4 solo

DL Garrett Nelson: 1 total tackle, 1 solo, 1 sack

K Daniel Carlson: 2/2 FG, 53-yarder, 1.1 XP

P Ryan Wright: 3 punts, 128 yards, 42.7 AVG, 1 touchback, 1 within 20, 55 long

On to the regular season

After finding their first win of the preseason, beating the Cowboys 27-24, the Saints will head into the regular season with a bit of momentum. New Orleans will take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field Sunday, September 13, at 12 p.m. Central.

The Jets wrapped up their 2026 preseason on Friday with a 23-6 loss to the crosstown (and cross-conference) New York Giants. With all key starters rested, it was a game where the spots on the fringes of the Jets' 53-man roster were likely decided.

Jason Sanders didn't enter preseason in a position battle for the title of Jets kicker. However, after his dismal performance against the Giants, he might have forced the team to look for another option ahead of the Jets' season opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sep. 13.

Sanders missed his PAT after Chip Trayanum rushed for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Then, in the fourth quarter, his 54-yard field goal attempt didn't even reach the uprights.

"I didn’t like the fact that we missed these field goals," said head coach Aaron Glenn postgame. "The thing is, we’re not going to panic, and we’re going to make sure we make the right decisions."

After seven strong seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2018 to 2024, Sanders missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a hip injury. He was released during the offseason, and was claimed off waivers by the Jets in early June of this year.

"Jason’s been good for us, he’s been good in practice, so I'm going to evaluate that and see what direction we'll go," the Jets head honcho asserted.

A first-team All-Pro in 2020, Sanders' 84.3 percent career field goal conversion rate is 14th best among all active NFL kickers with at least 100 career field goal attempts. Among that same field, Sanders' 96.6 percent career extra point conversion rate is tied for eighth best.

"Either we fix those issues, or we get the right person in here," Glenn concluded.

The Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs played to a 9-9 tie that was as ugly as the final score suggested, but it was not a totally disastrous night. There were some great moments from quarterback Jalen Milroe, such that I don’t think there should be too much discussion over whether or not he makes the 53-man roster. Rookies like Emmanuel Henderson and Andre Fuller made some nice plays, while cornerback Trevon Diggs’ Seahawks debut saw him make an immediate impact with an interception.

If there was one worrisome story from Friday’s game, it was Jason Myers. Seattle’s longtime kicker has not been his usual self all preseason, and his two misses against the Chiefs included an extra point and a game-winning walk-off field goal. Five total misses through three preseason games for Myers, is it time to worry?

Myself and The Hawks Eye Podcast host Bryce Coutts are live at 8:30 pm PT with analysis and takeaways from Seattle’s preseason finale. Are we going to talk about Jalen Milroe? Of course. But there will be other things worth discussing as we now turn our attention to roster cuts and opening day of the 2026 regular season.

Watch the video below!

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Memphis Redbirds vsCharlotte Knights (Postponed due to rain)
Charlotte’s date with the International League East leader has been postponed due to rain. The Knights and Redbirds will play a doubleheader on August 29.

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Birmingham Barons 3, Rocket City Trash Pandas 2
Thanks for coming out of hiding, Barons pitchers, we’ve missed you all season! It’s better late than never, as despite a terrible, 54-70 season record, Birmingham remains one game out of second-half postseason qualification, at 28-27.

Barons pitchers were shoving. Rocket City had to settle for just one run during starter Jake Palisch’s five innings, as he allowed just six hits, two walks, and that sole run while punching out five. Mathias LaCombe built off the pitching momentum and blanked Rocket City while adding three strikeouts of his own, and Liam Paddack followed in step with two whiffs and a strikeout looking in the eighth. But the ninth was a whole other ball of wax. Paddack’s no-nonsense eighth was a distant memory, as he walked two and hit two batters and gave up the tying run with two outs and the sacks packed. Though it was an admirable night on the pitching front, it came to a disappointing close.

The mostly lights-out pitching provided Bham’s offense enough leniency to survive with hits that were few and far between. Colby Shelton got a break from being an RBI workhorse, but he still scored on a Jose Colmenares sac fly in the third. Alec Briley, as expected, generated the second run with a sac fly in the fifth, scoring Dylan Campbell. For much of the game, the Barons did nothing else to produce runs, going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine on the bases. However, in the bottom of the ninth and the game knotted at two apiece with runners on the corners, Caleb Bonemer came through with a walk-off single to remind fans why he’s still the top shortstop on the farm.

MVP
Jake Palisch: 5 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 5 K

Runners-Up
Mathias LaCombe: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Colby Shelton: 2-for-3, R, BB
Alec Briley: 1-for-3, RBI
Samuel Zavala: 1-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB
Caleb Bonemer: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, K

Cold Cat
Grant Magill: 0-for-4, 3 K

Runners-Up
Dylan Campbell: 2-for-5, 2 K
Ryan Burrowes: 1-for-3, BB, K

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Bowling Green Hot Rods 11, Winston-Salem Dash 7 (10 innings)
Despite the 10 1/2-game difference between Bowling Green and Winston-Salem, the battle among the South Atlantic League South leaders was an even match. Until extra innings.

The Dash needed a team-wide effort to keep up with the Hot Rods at the plate and offset their own pitching blunders. Although they did get some help from George Wolkow’s sac fly in the sixth and a bases-juiced walk in the eighth, Javier Mogollón’s exceptional three-hit evening and home run sent the game to extras:

By the start of the 10th, Justin Sinbaldi’s costly pickoff error and Drew Conover’s three-run relief outing were forgotten. But Winston-Salem wasn’t anywhere close to out of the woods.

Landen Payne, who has been exceptional this year with eight saves and 42 strikeouts, didn’t deliver the closeout everyone expected. After allowing the ghost runner to steal third, Payne secured one out before giving up the go-ahead run on a competitive pitch almost in the dirt. His confidence shaken, he was pulled from the game and replaced by Carlton Perkins, who did worse. The next three batters walked and were hit by pitches, turning the 7-7 tie into 9-7 within moments. By then, the writing was on the wall, and all the Dash could do was figure out the fastest way to end the game.

Although it ended unceremoniously and the Hot Rods pulled back ahead of the Dash in the second-half standings, notable performances by Riley Gowens and Mogollón helped Winston-Salem keep the game within arm’s reach.

MVP
Javier Mogollón: 3-for-6, 3 2 R, 3 RBI, K, HR, SB

Runners-Up
Riley Gowens: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K
Ely Brown: 2-for-6, 2 R, RBI, K
James Taussig: 2-for-5, R, K
Jackson Appel: 1-for-2, R, RBI, 2 K
Trey Cooper: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

Cold Cat
Justin Sinbaldi: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K, E

Runners-Up
Drew Conover: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, K
Blake Perkins: 2/3 IP, H, 2 R, BB, K
George Wolkow: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
Landen Payne: 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K

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Hill City Howlers 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1
Hill City got the best of Kannapolis in a match where nothing went in the CBs’ favor. The lineup tallied 15 strikeouts and managed just five hits, with Efran Teran accounting for three. Jaden Fauske and Grayson Fitzwater created plenty of wind energy, the former striking out thrice and the latter earning a golden sombrero. Landon Hodge drove Jake Berkland in to score Kanny’s only run in the second, but the rest of the offense was dead. Considering only three runners got into scoring position, it’s a miracle the Ballers didn’t get blanked. While things couldn’t have gotten much worse with hitting, the pitching crew didn’t do their best, either. Fabian Ysalla exhibited another disappointing start, but at least he lasted five innings. By the time Ysalla was pulled and Andrew Berg and Frankeli Arias came into the game, it was clear the bats couldn’t rally, so surrendering two more runs didn’t make a difference for the struggling relievers.

MVP
Efran Teran: 3-for-3

Runners-Up
Landon Hodge: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Jake Berkland: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
Frankeli Arias: 2 IP, 2 H, R, 3 K

Cold Cat
Grayson Fitzwater: 0-for-4, 4 K

Runners-Up
Jaden Fauske: 0-for-4, 3 K
Fabian Ysalla: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, K
Steven Lancia: 0-for-4, 2 K
Crew McChesney: 0-for-3, 2 K

The Green Bay Packers won a thriller, if there can ever be one in August, in their preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. Mike LaFleur, trying to best his older brother, called two timeouts in the final five seconds of the game, trying to set up a Hail Mary after receiver KiSean Johnson’s second fourth-quarter touchdown for the Packers.

The Cardinals’ Hail Mary attempt fell short, though, and was batted away by a crowd of green and gold as Arizona fell 42-38 with zeroes on the clock.

The Packers did not play their best players on Friday Night, as 37 were held out. 32 of those players were among the 46 we listed as Packers “roster locks” earlier this week, with the remaining five comprising four players on Green Bay’s physically unable to perform list and tight end Thomas Yassmin, the Packers’ international exemption player who is currently dealing with an injury.

On top of that, others who were “active” were held out as reserve/emergency players, like backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor — who didn’t play a single snap in the game. Instead, it was Kyle McCord, Green Bay’s QB3, who played under center for the offense today.

The most interesting part of the game, from a players participating standpoint, was probably that the second-team offensive line was able to go for the game and mid-round picks Chris McClellan and Dani Dennis-Sutton (who was inactive for the first two preseason games) suited up on the line of scrimmage.

The second-team offensive line was made up of John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Jager Burton, Travis Glover (who hasn’t been getting work with the second-team up to this point) and Anthony Belton (from left to right). Glover was later kicked out to replace Belton, and Darian Kinnard, who was the team’s sixth offensive lineman in the second half of the Packers’ 2026 season, came off the bench to play right guard. Kinnard has had maybe the biggest drop on the depth chart of any returning player on Green Bay’s roster.

Defensively, the standout was easily Dennis-Sutton, who recorded one sack in his NFL debut, several pressures and a couple near-sacks, too. He looked like an NFL rookie playing against a group of practice squaders, so he’s checking the box there.

McCord continued a solid summer for the rising quarterback, completing 22 of 35 for 226 yards and four touchdowns versus the Cardinals. In total, his preseason has amounted to 70 passes for 37 completions, 446 yards (6.3 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Taylor was 8 of 16 for 38 yards (2.4 yards per attempt) this preseason, but it appears that Taylor will be Green Bay’s backup — barring an outside addition — as he was shielded from contact tonight.

Receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who is the most likely undrafted free agent to make the Packers’ 2026 initial 53-man roster on Sunday as a seventh receiver and special teams contributor, led the team with six receptions for 112 yards, despite Johnson hauling in one more touchdown. Meanwhile, Isaiah Neyor, who is pushing Sturdivant for a roster spot, dropped a wide-open deep ball from McCord. Will Sheppard, who has been ninth in the receiver pecking order this preseason, returned a punt for an 81-yard touchdown against the Cardinals, too.

Rookie kicker Trey Smack continues his perfect stretch of play, as he hit two more field goals and four extra points versus Arizona.

Unfortunately, the reserve defense was lunch, as they gave up 326 yards in the air (including sack yardage) and 166 yards on the ground. Obviously, an 80-point game isn’t going to have much defense played in it, but the Packers could have been much better in that department tonight. Notably, rookie cornerback Domani Jackson, who had an alright NFL debut last week after missing the preseason opener, played pretty poorly opposite Jaylin Simpson, who himself hasn’t looked good as either an outside cornerback or a slot defender this preseason.

Maybe Green Bay should just keep four true cornerbacks, if you consider Kamal Hadden a “safety” now that he’s playing in the nickel spot and” third-safety” packages on the team.

The Packers end the preseason 2-1, with more good than bad put on tape. If we’re going to crown anyone a preseason MVP this summer, it’s probably McCord, who will likely be offered a practice squad job in Green Bay this upcoming season, assuming he clears waivers on Monday. Initially, McCord battled with undrafted rookie Kyron Drones for third-team offense snaps until Drones took three sacks in four dropbacks in the preseason opener and was quickly waived — giving McCord the clear runway as the QB3.

The Arizona Cardinals’ preseason is officially over and the regular season kicks off for them on September 13th in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

However, the first order of business for the Cardinals is to cut their 2026 roster down from 90 to their initial 53-man roster by Sunday, August 30th at 3:00 p.m. Arizona Time.

Here is something that is wild for the Cardinals even before roster cuts happen for every team in the NFL… According to our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, no team has longer odds to make the playoffs in 2026 than the Arizona Cardinals at +1600.

That is an insane number when you remember that the Miami Dolphins exist and are only +1500. In the NFC, the next team with the lowest odds is the Washington Commanders at +285.

No one believes in the Arizona Cardinals.

With the preseason over, the Arizona Cardinals will begin their roster cuts to get down to their 53-man roster on Sunday and we will update it as we get the information.

The Cardinals are historically one of the last teams to announce their cuts, but maybe this year will be different.

Confirmed cuts:

With preseason finally over, the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league have to now get down to the nitty-gritty of roster manipulation to get under the league mandated 53-man limit. New additions via the waiver wire or trade will surely shake some things up, but as things stand right now below is a final 53-man roster prediction for the Cowboys.

Quarterback (2)

Dak Prescott, Joe Milton

Prescott is the unquestioned QB1 and a MVP candidate this year, and Milton will once again be his primary backup after outperforming Sam Howell. Ideally Howell is traded, if not, hopefully clears waivers and re-signs to the practice squad.

Running back (4)

Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Hunter Luepke

Williams and Davis are the Cowboys top two backs and Luepke will reprise his role as a Swiss Army knife FB. Blue provides an explosive element and could have a specific package just for him. Phil Mafah and Israel Ibanikanda hopefully revert to the practice squad.

Wide receiver (6)

CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown

After the top four, a tough decision will have to be made. The Cowboys are high on both Mingo and Brown, the former due to his blocking/special teams ability and the latter due to his upside. Both stick with Anthony Smith and Jordan Hudson hopefully re-signed to the PS.

Tight end (4)

Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker, Michael Trigg

Both Ferguson and Spann-Ford are the unquestioned top TEs for the Cowboys, and as such, are roster locks. We believe Schoonmaker and Trigg will round at the group. No. 86 for insurance and Trigg due to his upside and the fact he likely won’t make it through waivers.

Offensive line (9)

Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, TJ Bass, Nate Thomas, Nick Leverett,, Drew Shelton

Dallas’ starting five OL is set with Thomas backing them up as the swing OT and Bass as the backup iOL. Leverett has proven to be a solid backup C/G, but could be replaced by an outside addition. Shelton makes the cut for now purely based on his draft status, but hopefully can be stashed on IR to make way for a more proven vet swing OT.

Defensive tackle (5)

Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, LT Overton

The top three are easy predict, but after that less so. Overton and Bullard make the cut for now, but the latter could revert to short-term IR to be recalled later. Keep an eye out for an experienced vet DT to add to the mix and look for Tommy Dunn and DJ Withers back on the PS.

Outside linebacker/Edge (5)

Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Von Miller, James Houston

The top four are locked in with Houston rounding out the group. Marist Liufau or Sam Williams could force the Cowboys to go six and deep here, but neither has looked particularly impressive. A waiver wire addition or trade wouldn’t be shocking here.

Inside linebacker (5)

DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Shemar James, Justin Barron

Overshown, Winters, and Barham will rotate as the starters with James and Barron backing them up. No. 55’s pass rushing ability also helps going a little short at OLB. Adding a veteran such as Bobby Wagner to solidify things could still be very much in play.

Cornerback (5)

DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, Devin Moore, Reddy Stewart

Dallas’ top three CBs are locked in, but the depth behind them is still in question. Moore, much like Drew Shelton, makes the cut due to his draft status and we believe Stewart rounds out the group with Ameer Speed barely missing out. Hopefully Speed slips through to the PS.

Safety (5)

Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, Markquese Bell

The Cowboys love for Bell forces them to go five deep here with the top four already locked in. They would love to find a way to hold on to Julius Wood, also keep an eye on Alijah Clark to return to the PS. He was on the first team kick return unit in practice.

Special teams (3)

Brandon Aubrey, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg

Nothing new here. There’s no questioning these three are roster locks.

The New York Giants finished their preseason on Friday with a 23-6 victory over the New York Jets. Odell Beckham Jr. had a big night. Dominic Zvada learned he had won the placekicking job. Let’s review the action in our unique ‘Kudos and Wet Willies’ style.

Kudos to …

Odell Beckham Jr. — Is anyone still questioning whether or not Beckham is making the 53-man roster? Beckham nearly had a 73-yard touchdown reception, but Jameis Winston slightly overthrew him and the ball fell incomplete.

Beckham still had an outstanding night. He caught three passes for 53 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch, with the longest being a 23-yard grab. He has enough juice to be a useful player for this Giants team.

John Harbaugh said after the game that Beckham has done enough to make a roster, but stopped short of anointing him as part of the Giants’ 53-man roster.

"Super grateful for the opportunity. At this point, it's in God's hands. I know that I have a good feeling about myself – there's ball to be played, plays to be made."

– Odell Beckham Jr. pic.twitter.com/aLCY7LCHgA

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) August 29, 2026

Tyrone Tracy — The third-year running back needed a big night after mishaps in the first two preseason games. He got one with four carries for 37 yards, including a 16-yard run, and a 6-yard touchdown. He also survived an injury scare, passing a concussion test and seeming to be fine while on the sideline in the second half.

Offensive line — There were holes to run through and pockets to pass from all night. The Giants traded offensive linemen Daniel Faalele and Josh Ezeudu over the past week, because they liked their depth. Friday night you could see why. Sisi Mauigoa was outstanding in his brief stint. Guys like rookie J.C Davis, Evan Neal, and Jake Kubas all played well. It was fun, and sort of mystifying, to watch Neal push guys backwards all night. Where has that been for the last four years?

Zaire Barnes — Barnes capped off an excellent summer with a tremendous, athletic interception. The fact that he was also a game captain was a massive pre-game hint that he is making the 53-man roster.

Trace Ford — I don’t know if there is a place for Ford on the 53-man roster, but he certainly made a case on Friday for the Giants to find one. Ford, an edge defender, had five tackles, three for loss, a sack, two quarterback hits, and two passes defensed. Question is, will he have a roster spot on Sunday night?

Dominic Zvada — Zvada has won the placekicking competition with Ben Sauls. Zvada made field goals of 23, 46, and 53 yards, and added two extra points. It didn’t hurt that short-time Giant Jason Sanders missed an extra point and was short on a 54-yard field goal try. John Harbaugh made it official after the game that Zvada will be the placekicker.

Jake Haener — After just joining the Giants a couple of weeks ago, Haener was impressive in his only game action of the preseason. He went 6 of 7 for 101 yards, a touchdown, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Haener’s touchdown was a beautifully directed and thrown ball to wide receiver Xavier Gipson. Did Haener do enough to take a practice squad spot away from Brandon Allen?

Jordan Stout — Thanks to a penalty, Stout was forced to re-kick after a 63-yard punt. He responded with an amazing 81-yard punt that was nearly downed at the 1-yard line by Darius Muasau and Dalen Cambre.

Najee Harris — The newly-signed running back got his first game action, and looked good. He carried 11 times for 39 yards, with a long run of 9 yards, as the Giants got him ready for Week 1.

Wet Willies to …

Run defense — Not sure that the Giants need to be scouring cuts for defensive line help? All you had to do was watch the Jets’ opening 10-play, 36-yard drive to know that the answer is absolutely. The Giants need rotational players to join D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris, and they are sorely lacking in capable run defenders on the interior defensive line.

Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Leki Fotu, and pretty much everyone the Giants put out there left a lot to be desired in run defense. Jamison-Travis and his sack celebration are fun. His job, though, is run defense. He needs to get better at it.

Turnovers — The Giants committed two. One, a Jameis Winston interception after a pass bounced off Beckham’s hands, set up the Jets’ touchdown. The other, a red zone fumble by Braxton Berrios, denied the Giants a scoring opportunity.