The Giants’ pass rush is feeling confident after working over the Jets’ first-team offense in practice this week.
Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was asked on Thursday to evaluate Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields, and Thibodeaux said he couldn’t do it because Fields had to run and scramble so often to avoid pressure from the Giants’ defensive front.
“Man, it’s tough for quarterbacks right now, especially in practice, especially [against] us,” Thibodeaux said on Zoom. “We got guys like me, [Brian] Burns, Dex[ter Lawrence], Chauncey [Golston], Nacho [Rakeem Nunez-Roches. He was under a little bit of pressure.”
“So I can’t really give you a full analysis on what I think of him as a quarterback, because he did have to run and scramble and do a lot of things,” Thibodeaux added. “So yeah, you guys have to probably take a look at that on your own.”
Thibodeaux’s comment turns up the heat on the crosstown rivalry entering Saturday night’s preseason game at MetLife Stadium.
It may be unrelated, but on Tuesday, after the Giants’ and Jets’ first joint practice in Florham Park, Fields noticeably omitted Thibodeaux’s name from the list of formidable Giants pass rushers while praising their front. He even named rookie Abdul Carter but not Thibodeaux.
“They’re good. They’re really good,” Fields said. “They have speed on the outside with Brian on the outside. Of course Dex has been a menace for some years now on the inside. I think they’re really good. Abdul, he’s good, too, he can move around a lot. As you can see they’re moving him around to the second level. So I’m excited to see them play this year, and I think they’re gonna be really good up front.”
It’s also clear that the Giants’ pass rushers are carrying themselves with a different kind of swagger with the knowledge of what Carter’s explosiveness will be able to unlock across the defensive line.
They’re now trying not to talk about Carter’s talent, as if they’re trying to keep a secret weapon under wraps.
“I don’t know yet,” Lawrence said of Carter with a laugh. “We’ll see. We’ll see with him.”
Carter even challenged himself publicly to take down a quarterback soon, or else.
“Excuse me if you see me & I’m looking a lil rough, not getting haircut til I get a sack,” Carter posted on ‘X’ Wednesday.
Thibodeaux seemed to enter Giants training camp this summer with another level of commitment, consistency and work ethic entering the fourth year of his rookie contract.
The Giants’ edge rusher position is expected to be more of a rotation this year with Golston and Carter added to the mix, which could help Burns and Thibodeaux stay fresh for late in games. But Carter’s early preseason play has been so impressive that it’s obvious the rookie may end up threatening Thibodeaux’s playing time on the edge.
Thibodeaux made clear, when asked about his goals for this season, that he is aware he has a specific role on this year’s team with this personnel. And that impacts what goals he sets as realistic.
“I think when it comes to scheme and situation, you got to play the scheme that’s best fit for the team,” he said. “When it comes to my goals, my goals are based on my role on the team. [I’m] not necessarily saying that coaches change the scheme to help fit certain players’ goals, but I’ve been in the scheme for a minute, I understand the scheme, I understand what I’m asked to do. So within that, I can see how I’m able to succeed or what I’m able to accomplish within it.”
The former No. 5 overall pick is going to be counted on this season to stop the run, set the edge and improve on last year’s 5.5 sacks, though. So it clearly felt good for Thibodeaux and the Giants to chase Fields around the grass in Florham Park and East Rutherford.
The Giants believe it’s a preview of how they’ll fluster quarterbacks once the games begin to count in September.
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