For the Giants and Jets, there’s much more on the line this week than local bragging rights.
New York’s teams are set to square off in a joint practice Wednesday at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park before facing each other in the preseason finale Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
While many of the starters likely won’t suit up Saturday, this week of practice is a pivotal one for the players trying to earn roster spots, win starting jobs or make progress before Week 1.
The joint practice will give the Giants and Jets’ position groups another opportunity to gauge how they stack up against NFL competition — a valuable measuring stick as more and more teams exercise caution by keeping key players out of exhibition games.
“Preseason is not what it used to be,” Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said last week.
“What’s there to gain? Just going out there, being back on the field in a situation where you can get hit. I’m not worried about it. Preseason, it’s not real football.”
Here are five things to monitor during Giants-Jets week:
QUARTERBACK QUALITY
Both the Jets and Giants open the season with quarterback questions.
Rodgers, 40, missed all but four snaps last season with a torn Achilles and has not appeared in a preseason game this year.
He sat out of the Jets’ first joint practice against the Commanders due to rainy conditions, then delivered mixed results in last week’s against the Panthers by throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions.
How Rodgers looks Wednesday against the Giants — who have a talented defensive front but a work-in-progress secondary — will naturally instill confidence or raise questions among the public about the veteran’s readiness for the Sept. 9 opener in San Francisco.
Rodgers hasn’t ruled out appearing in Saturday’s game, but Jets coach Robert Saleh said during training camp that his “instinct” is to not play the four-time NFL MVP this preseason.
Daniel Jones, meanwhile, could use a strong week after a self-described “shaky” start in his first preseason game. He threw two interceptions — both in the first quarter — during Saturday’s 28-10 loss to the Texans, which marked Jones’ first game action since his season-ending ACL tear last November.
Regardless of whether Jones plays again this Saturday, he faces a big test Wednesday with the Jets’ dynamic secondary.
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Speaking of that Jets secondary, all eyes at this week’s practice will be on All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner lining up against Giants phenom wide receiver Malik Nabers for the first time.
Nabers, the sixth overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, has been a summer standout for the Giants, though going up against teammate Deonte Banks isn’t the same as a head-to-head battle with Gardner.
Nor is facing the Lions in a joint practice or the Texans on Saturday, though he did succeed against both, including getting some separation versus Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr.
The Giants’ wide receiver room as a whole is intriguing, considering second-year speedster Jalin Hyatt is pushing for more playing time, probably at the expense of reliable veteran Darius Slayton.
Both will factor into the Giants’ receiving mix along with Nabers and slot man Wan’Dale Robinson, making wide receiver one of Big Blue’s stronger position groups on paper. Making plays against that vaunted Jets secondary certainly wouldn’t hurt Hyatt’s chances of carving out a larger role.
Despite his over-the-top speed, Hyatt thrived in the slot in college with Tennessee, which could also open up more reps for him on the downs Robinson leaves the field.
WILLIAMS’ WORK
The Jets’ receiver room, too, remains a bit up in the air as free-agent signing Mike Williams works back from last year’s ACL tear.
The Jets hope Williams, a big-play threat with a pair of 1,000-yard seasons, can help take pressure off of No. 1 wideout Garrett Wilson.
Williams, however, was only activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Aug. 7, and he has not participated in team drills yet. He said Monday that he expects to take team reps next week. His progress is something to watch as the season opener nears.
Regardless of Williams’ status, the Jets are poised to lean heavily on their run game, with do-it-all running back Breece Hall now a full season removed from an ACL tear and bruising fourth-round rookie Braelon Allen standing out this preseason.
ON THE LINE
One positive from the Giants’ lopsided loss to the Texans was the solid play of their new-look starting offensive line.
Left guard Jon Runyan Jr. (shoulder) did not play, but a lineup of Andrew Thomas-Aaron Stinnie-John Michael Schmitz-Greg Van Roten-Jermaine Eluemunor limited Houston to one pressure on 19 dropbacks in the first half Saturday.
That group faces another big test this week against the Jets, who boast All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams; Pro Bowl linebacker Jermaine Johnson II; and promising second-year pass rusher Will McDonald IV.
Evan Neal, whom the Giants selected seventh overall in the 2022 draft, was recently activated from the PUP list after January ankle surgery and appears to be competing for the team’s swing tackle job to start the year.
On the other side of the ball, the Giants’ defensive front remains elite in some areas but unsettled outside of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Run-stopping defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches will be a factor, though he offers little as a pass rusher. Ryder Anderson was a candidate to start but is dealing with a hamstring injury, while D.J. Davidson committed two penalties Saturday.
That situation should gain more clarity in the coming days and weeks.
REDDICK RESOLUTION?
Still hanging over the Jets is the status of pass rusher Haason Reddick, who continues to hold out for a new contract.
The Jets acquired Reddick in a March trade with the Eagles, hoping the back-to-back Pro Bowler could replace Bryce Huff, who signed with Philadelphia.
But Reddick, who is entering the final season of a three-year, $45 million contract, recently requested another trade. The 29-year-old totaled 27 sacks over the first two years of the deal.
A resolution remains very much up in the air, putting Reddick’s availability for Week 1 in doubt. His return would further bolster a stout defense in a division that features high-powered Bills and Dolphins passing attacks.
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