He Started vs. Giants, Enjoyed an Eye-Catching 1st Half; Aaron Glenn: 'Just Hats Off to Him'

Randy Lange

It's too late for the Jets' players on the bubble to make a case for themselves today. That hay is already in the barn after the Jets' loss to the Giants on Friday night, and GM Darren Mougey, HC Aaron Glenn and his coaches are deep into the process of making Sunday's final cutdown to 53 players.

But if any player this year, or any college player next year, needs a plan for how to rise from undrafted free agent to an NFL active roster in 28 easy steps or fewer (his number of pro transactions),Marcelino McCrary-Ballis that template.

"I feel like there was just a continual buildup in everything that Coach AG has implemented through his speeches, through what he wants in practices and to see what he wants to see in each of the games," McCrary-Ball said after making plays all over the MetLife Stadium field in the first 30 minutes. "You know, no one has ever gotten the perfect game yet, so there's always been something to correct that following day. However, I would like to believe that we had a gradual incline in just our attention to detail and our execution."

To be sure, the third-year LB out of pre-national-champion Indiana made his game-high 9 first-half tackles against mostly the Giants' twos and threes. But his big plays would have stood out regardless of opponent. On the game's third offensive play, he ranged back to corral the Jameis Winston pass batted into the air by CBQwan'tez Stiggers, returning it 19 yards to set up the Jets' only touchdown drive of the night.

Then on the Giants' next series, there was MMcB again, peeling off coverage, speeding back toward the goal line, and punching the ball from former Jets WR Braxton Berrios' grip, with Stiggers recovering in the end zone for a touchback. Two defensive series, two takeaways, leading to 7 points scored and at least 3 points saved. Despite the 23-6 defeat, those plays still mattered to Glenn.

"The pick, man, it was a tipped ball, He was running to the ball and ended up getting the pick," the head coach said. "And the ability to punch the ball out like he did, that's something that we talk about, that we practice quite a bit. Just hat's off to him for doing what he's always done."

Then mix in those 9 tackles. Not only did they tie for the game high with DL teammate Jack Heflin but they set a pro-game personal best, going all the way back to his two preseasons with San Francisco in 2022-23. Here are McCrary-Ball's top tackle games in his 5 NFL preseasons and 3 regular seasons:

McCrary-Ball has had an interception before, in the first game of his career, the 49ers' preseason opener against Green Bay and Jordan Love, which he returned 57 yards. (Just a note: This year's Week 2 home opener is against Love and the Pack.) He's forced a fumble or two.

But he's just the second Jet to get at least one INT and one FF that the Green & White recovered in a game in at least the last 15 preseasons. The only other defender was S J.J. Wilcox, a sixth-year pro who intercepted former Jets QB draft choice Christian Hackenberg and then forced Hackenberg to lose a fumble on a scramble that was recovered by DL Xavier Cooper. That was against the Eagles in the 2017 summer finale.

"He's a key part of what we're doing," Glenn said. "The things he does in practice actually just show up in the game and that's what we talk about quite a bit. We want to make practice as game-like as much as possible and have game-like intensity and it shows up. So, a lot of times we go to these preseason games, I tell our guys, 'Let's just go to practice.' "

There are very few guarantees in the NFL. But there's a good chance that McCrary-Ball will have survived final cuts and be practicing as usual at 1 Jets Drive. And he'll be on the field and in the LBs room and STs meetings helping the Jets become the best they can be in the regular season ahead.