Olu Fashanu of the New York Jets looks on prior to the preseason game
The New York Jets take the field tonight as the visitors in the sibling rivalry game with the New York Giants. Aaron Glenn has yet to disclose whether or not the starters will be playing. “The plan is the plan” the cryptic coach told reporters after the final joint practice session of the week.
Last week, in the preseason opener, Justin Fields’ unit played just one drive. While it was impressive, the combination of a new coaching staff and a new starting quarterback makes these games feel a little bit more important.
Should the ones take the field, this will be an exciting test for the young Jets offensive line. More particularly, the pair of first round draft pick tackles on the edge of the offense.
“Those Giants edges bring a full arsenal to the table equipped with elite speed and power,” reads an article published by the team’s reporters. “Brian Burns is a freaky athlete, and he’s got a ridiculous motor. Jets HC Aaron Glenn called rookie Abdul Carter a ‘grown man’ and the Giants have quickly moved him around their front and hunted for matchups. When your third-best rusher (Kayvon Thibodeau) racked up 21 sacks the past three seasons, that’s saying something.”
This team will only go as far as Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou take them. Membou has been in the league for just a few months, while injuries limited Fashanu’s experience in his rookie year.
“This entire week has been a fantastic experience for Fashanu and Membou,” the article continued. “There have been wins and losses in 1-on-1 sessions including some nice work from Fashanu on Carter. The talented Membou probably has been too aggressive in some reps, but that’s all part of his growth process.”
Justin Fields Has High Praise For Giants’ D-line
It’s no surprise that the Giants defensive line has fit the billing this week during joint practices. This is a team that has used three first round picks on the defensive line since 2019, four if you count the first round pick the Carolina Panthers used on Brian Burns who joined the bunch last season.
Even then, you don’t throw the E-word around haphazardly in this league. Analysts have made careers over debating whether or not Joe Flacco belongs in that conversation.
But quarterback Justin Fields was happy to use it to describe the pass rush unit on the other side of the building.
“We get to compete against another team and their defense is elite,” Fields said. “Their D-line is elite, so I think it’s great work for our O-linemen and just competitive, of course being smart, but just competing against other guys, other teams, and seeing different looks that we might see during the season from other teams. It’s great work for sure.”
Brady Cook And Adrian Martinez To Compete Again
The young third and fourth string quarterbacks stole the show in Week 1 of the preseason.
Brady Cook, the rookie out of Missouri, took over after Fields’ exit. He completed six of his eight passed for 62 yards and took his team into halftime with a 17-3 lead.
When Adrian Martinez came in in the second half, the fourth string quarterback really opened up the field. The reigning UFL MVP went 11/16 with 152 yards and a touchdown, posting a QBR of 119.9.
With just one spot left in the quarterback room, these two are doing battle once again tonight in an attempt to earn a spot in the locker room.
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