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For the first time since 2005, the Jets and Giants shared a practiced field.
Although the session didn’t feature the kind of brawls that marred the joint practice that year up in Albany, there was a major talking point that emerged from the Gang Green side of things on Thursday.
Joe Flacco.
The veteran quarterback, who has performed well throughout camp as the first-team quarterback in place of the injured Zach Wilson, had an inconsistent day against the Giants.
Flacco, 37, finished the afternoon completing 7 of 13 passes, including touchdown passes to Corey Davis and Garrett Wilson during 11-on-11 drills. However, Flacco was picked off in the session and the Giants brought a ton of exotic blitzes which forced him to throw the ball before he was ready.
Despite the down day, Flacco told reporters it was good to get different defensive looks to prepare for the upcoming season.
“It’s good because it puts you in a different mindset,” Flacco said. “It teaches you to just go play football. They like to walk up and walk around a lot and you have to ID everybody.
“If they get you to slow down a little bit, you start thinking and not playing football and they have a little victory. You just learn a little bit about yourself and how to attack that stuff. It is a good reminder that we are just playing football, we don’t have to be rocket scientists out there and be perfect with everything.”
Going against the Giants defense on Thursday — and then again Sunday — will be a good test for Flacco. Not only will this be Flacco’s first preseason action this year, but the Giants defense is similar to the defense the Jets will face at home in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale held the same job with the Ravens from 2018-21 before parting ways during the offseason. Prior to that, he was Baltimore’s linebackers coach. Current Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will employ a similar scheme.
While Flacco believes playing the Giants could benefit him, he knows the Ravens defense under Macdonald will use different techniques to try and get him off his rhythm.
“Maybe it is a benefit there in terms of going against a similar defense,” Flacco said. “Having said that, it is different personnel, different coordinators. There might be little things that are the same, but you can’t anticipate that.
“You just have to look at it overall in the grand scheme of things and chalk it up as a good day to go up against somebody else.”
BROWN BELIEVES O-LINE WILL GEL
Wednesday marked the first time since left tackle Duane Brown signed with the Jets that all five of the team’s offensive linemen practiced together. Thursday’s joint practice and the game on Sunday against the Giants will be vital for Brown and the rest of the O-line, with the season almost two weeks away.
“It’s a huge benefit even yesterday going up against our guys,” Brown said. “Today, just learning on the go, pass rush moves, and it was my first day in pads against another team. It was like a shock to the system.
“It was good for me and I think I responded well and Sunday will be another step forward.”
Brown joins a Jets offensive line with a mix of veterans and youth. During the offseason, the Jets signed left guard Laken Tomlinson, who came over from the 49ers. Joining those two will be veteran right tackle George Fant, right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and center Connor McGovern.
With 16 days before the start of the season, time is running out for Brown to build chemistry with the rest of his teammates. But he doesn’t seem to be worried about how the Jets’ offensive line will gel together.
“The guys upfront, we have a good mixture of youth and some veterans,” Brown said. “I’m very familiar with the scheme, so it hasn’t taken me long to get the terminology down.
“Laken, he has played a lot of football. We have played well together the two days we practiced together and we will keep getting better.”
JETS DODGE INJURIES
In the middle of the joint practice with the Giants, the Jets defense held their collective breaths. Both edge rusher Jermaine Johnson and cornerback D.J. Reed walked over to the sideline with trainers after apparent injuries.
After participating in punt coverage drills, Johnson walked gingerly to the sideline with trainers. Reed was visibly upset as he also went to the side with trainers. The good news for the Jets is that both players returned to practice, and Jets coach Robert Saleh said the two injuries didn’t appear serious.
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