Following their preseason victory against the Packers, the Jets will now practice against players who aren’t on their own team.
Beginning on Tuesday, the Jets will have two joint practices against their crosstown rival, the Giants.
The Jets will host the Giants on Tuesday before traveling to Big Blue’s practice facility at East Rutherford on Wednesday. This will lead up to Saturday’s annual preseason matchup.
“I think the players really enjoy that because they go against somebody different than their own guys,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said. “And you get a chance to test yourself against some of the other elite players in this league. I mean, I’m looking forward to seeing [Malik] Nabers, I’m looking forward to seeing Russell [Wilson], I’m looking forward to seeing all those guys.
“That D-line they have, now I know our O-line is looking forward to competing against those guys. So, to get a chance to go against another team with really good athletes, really good players, like that’s what you look forward to. And you look forward to seeing how your team is going to operate in stressful situations, because it is. I mean, we’re going out there for one thing, it’s to get better.”
Here are four areas to keep an eye on during this week’s joint practices.
Gardner versus Nabers
If training camp performances are any indication, Sauce Gardner could potentially have the best season of his career. He has not only maintained his elite coverage skills, but his tackling has also improved.
Now, Gardner will have his biggest test of the summer when he lines up across from Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers. During his rookie campaign, Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,205 yards and seven touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors.
One of the up-and-coming receivers versus the best cornerback in football, not named Patrick Surtain II. Get your popcorn ready because this will be fun to watch.
“He do a lot of things well,” Gardner said about Nabers. “He has great hands, elite route running. You know, he kind of reminds me of myself a little bit.
“He came into the league and immediately established himself as one of the top guys. That’s my guy, we are cool outside of football. It is great seeing him stay humble with all the success coming his way, but when he gets on the field making those plays, you are going to know he’s making those plays.”
Fashanu facing his former Penn State teammate
For the first time since both entered the NFL, Abdul Carter and Olu Fashanu will face each other. They were teammates for two seasons (2022-23) at Penn State and would practice against each other sparingly.
Back then, Carter was an off-ball linebacker, but he transitioned to the edge during his final season at Penn State. He registered 68 tackles, 12 sacks en route to winning the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. The Giants selected Carter third overall in April’s draft.
Fashanu was drafted a year earlier at 10th overall. He eventually became the Jets’ starting left tackle in Week 11 after an injury to Tyron Smith.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing him,” Fashanu said about Carter. “I haven’t seen him since I went to the Ohio State game last year.
“So, definitely would just want to see him congratulate him on his success. Definitely looking forward to going against him because you know, a player like that, he’s very special.”
Fields against Giants’ stout pass rush
Not only will Justin Fields face one of the better young pass rushers in Carter, but he will have his greatest test of the summer against the Giants’ defense.
Fields does face a difficult Jets defense every day. However, after weeks of camp, he has begun to learn their tendencies and vice versa.
“I’m ready to compete,” Fields said. “The Giants are a pretty good team and they picked up a lot of guys this offseason. So, I’m excited to see our O-Line go up against their D-Line and they have a pretty good secondary as well.
“So, I’m excited to see how we match up with them.”
Fields played just one series against the Packers on Saturday. But after uneven practice during the summer, Fields displayed confidence by taking what the defense gave him and completing short throws to Tyler Johnson and Andrew Beck. That helped set up his 13-yard touchdown run which gave the Jets an early 7-0 lead.
In addition to Carter, the Giants also have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, who will be trying to disrupt Fields’ passing attack. It is unknown how long he will play on Saturday, so Tuesday and Wednesday will be key for Fields’ confidence heading into the season.
How will the tempo of practice go?
One of the fascinating areas to watch is the tempo of practice. The Jets under Glenn have been live-tackling during team drills, something the Giants haven’t adopted under coach Brian Daboll.
Glenn believes tackling during 11-on-11 and one-on-one drills is essential because he is trying to bring physicality back to the Jets. But the Jets and Giants could decide to wrap up players instead of tackling to avoid potential fights.
“That’s something me and Daboll will make sure we talk about,” Glenn said. “But the thing is, we want to make sure we protect the players at all costs.”
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