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New York Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Giants QB Jaxson Dart dials up aggression; Abdul Carter dominates in practice with Jets
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — If you like defense, Tuesday's joint practice between the New York Giants and Jets was for you! Here's everything that happened in the slugfest between MetLife Stadium's co-tenants: With the practice conducted at the Jets' facility, the Giants left their injured players at home to rehab. That group included RB Cam Skattebo, WR Malik Nabers, WR Jalin Hyatt, WR Da'Quan Felton, OL Evan Neal, CB Dru Phillips and CB Tre Hawkins. Advertisement Coach Brian Daboll doesn't provide details on injuries, so it's hard to know the exact status of those players. But Nabers' continued absence is notable, as he was shut down during last Wednesday's practice and hasn't participated since. Nabers said after Wednesday's practice that his limited workload was 'part of the plan.' The star wide receiver has been managing a lingering toe injury all offseason. Skattebo hasn't practiced since enduring a setback with a hamstring injury Aug. 1, while Hawkins has been sidelined since last Wednesday after aggravating a hamstring injury, according to a league source. Neal was sidelined for practice last Thursday and didn't participate in Saturday's preseason opener with an undisclosed injury. He is losing valuable time in the battle for the starting right guard job. Phillips left Saturday's game after one series with an undisclosed injury. Hyatt's absence is curious. He missed four practices early in camp with lower body 'tightness,' but he had been a full participant in six straight practices before being a surprise inactive for the preseason opener. Daboll didn't reveal the nature of Hyatt's injury or when he got hurt. All of the players on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list — RB Eric Gray, LT Andrew Thomas and OLB Victor Dimukeje — were also absent. Gray and Dimukeje are expected to shift to the reserve PUP list when the season starts, which would require them to miss at least the first four games. Thomas' prolonged stint on the PUP list isn't yet a concern, but the season opener is less than four weeks away. The clock is ticking because the team will want to give Thomas time to ramp up for game action after an extended rehab process from a Lisfranc injury in his foot. James Hudson, who has been filling in for Thomas as the first-team left tackle, left the field briefly but returned to finish practice. Cornerback Deonte Banks was spotted leaving practice during the final period. Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (undisclosed) and cornerback Korie Black (groin) worked on the side with trainers. Both players are working back from injuries. Advertisement There (still) is no quarterback controversy. Jaxson Dart's impressive preseason debut didn't impact the quarterback pecking order. The rookie worked exclusively with the second-team offense Tuesday, while Russell Wilson took every first-team rep. It was an up-and-down practice for Dart, who completed 11-of-17 passes in 11-on-11 periods. Dart had one play blown dead when he failed to catch a shotgun snap, had a pass batted at the line and was off-target on a few incompletions. The most encouraging aspect of Dart's day is that he was aggressive, pushing the ball downfield, and not just on deep bombs. He was patient behind rare good protection to hit tight end Theo Johnson on a deep out. Dart went through his progressions before finding wide receiver Montrell Washington for a chunk gain on a crossing route. Dart climbed the pocket to avoid pressure and hit wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette on a deep out, which drew the quarterback an enthusiastic high-five from Daboll. Practice finished with a red-zone period. Dart capped the second-team's 'drive' with a perfectly-placed back-shoulder throw to wide receiver Zach Pascal, who did a tremendous job getting his feet inbounds while juggling the ball for a touchdown. That drew a huge smile from Daboll, who has been beaming about his first-round pick recently. It's safe to say the Giants' offense will be in trouble if it is without Nabers and Thomas this season. The absence of the offense's top two players was felt during an extremely sluggish start for the first team. This is how Wilson's first four reps went: A sack as Hudson was beat inside (and was flagged for holding); a sack as Wilson fell with right guard Greg Van Roten getting pushed into his lap; a batted pass at the line; and a sack as Jets edge rusher Will McDonald blew past right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor with an inside move. Advertisement The number of sacks was telling since plays are rarely blown dead in practice. But the pocket collapsed so much or the pressure was so immediate that there was no choice but to declare a sack. Daboll's blood pressure was clearly rising as the period progressed, with penalties continuing to be an issue. Daboll and Eluemunor appeared to have a testy exchange at one point, as the starting offense continued to sputter. Third-string quarterback Jameis Winston, who only got four 11-on-11 reps in the practice, addressed the entire offense during a huddle after the poor showing in the first competitive period. Russell Wilson Giants Daboll's mood turned around as the offense finished the day on a high note in the red-zone period. The starters finished with the day three straight touchdowns. First, Wilson hit Johnson in the seam with a laser from the 8-yard line. Then, running back Devin Singletary found a huge hole on a zone-read handoff from the 7-yard line. Finally, Wilson delivered a strike to wide receiver Darius Slayton on a crossing route from the 4-yard line. Daboll greeted Wilson with a big high-five after the final touchdown of the drive. Slayton's workload was limited in his return from missing four practices with an undisclosed injury. Undrafted rookie Beaux Collins, who hadn't practiced since July 31 with an undisclosed injury, got extensive work with the first-team offense in his return to action. Pascal, Washington and Lil'Jordan Humphrey also took reps with the starters. Meanwhile, even with Neal out, the rotation at right guard continued. The Giants continued managing the workload of 35-year-old starter Greg Van Roten, as Aaron Stinnie and Jake Kubas each played one period at right guard with the first-team offense. The Giants' defense delivered a strong day. Jets quarterback Justin Fields had some quality moments early, but he eventually succumbed to a relentless Giants pass rush, which had itself a day. Advertisement The Giants' front, which is poised to be its strongest position group, combined for a lot of would-be sacks — had whistles been blown. On multiple plays, there were so many Giants in the backfield, it was tough to say who would've gotten credit for the sack. We know outside linebacker Brian Burns got one against Jets first-round right tackle Armand Membou. On another play, star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence ran Fields to the sidelines, forcing him to throw the ball away. Outside linebacker Abdul Carter continues to demonstrate why he was the No. 3 pick in this year's draft. Perhaps the best example of his dominance came when he easily beat Jets center Joe Tippmann to get to Fields before he could throw the ball. While Fields eventually completed a beautiful pass to wide receiver Tyler Johnson, it likely would have been a sack in a regular game. As has been the case all camp, Carter played on both sides of the defense and worked with both the first and second teams. While he was tested against Jets left tackle Olu Fashanu, Carter made it look easy going against the Jets' second-team line. "He's a grown man…he didn't shock anybody by some of the things that he can do. He's a damn good player." Jets HC Aaron Glenn on what he saw from Abdul Carter in today's joint practice: — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 12, 2025 The Jets' first-team offense only scored one touchdown in its red-zone period at the end of practice, with Fields firing a sidearm strike to tight end Jeremy Ruckert from the 3-yard line. Banks had been running with the first-team defense before leaving during the final red-zone period. Art Green and O'Donnell Fortune both got reps in Banks' place. While the Giants starters logged just two series in Saturday's preseason opener, Banks played the entire first half. General manager Joe Schoen said during the broadcast that it was 'important to get out here and let him play,' so the Giants clearly want Banks getting as many reps as possible in these joint practices. Advertisement Inside linebacker Micah McFadden's impressive camp continued with a strong play against Jets running back Breece Hall to stop a run. Meanwhile Lawrence, who did not play in Saturday's preseason opener, took more team reps Tuesday as he works his way back from a dislocated elbow suffered last season. Lawrence said he's on track in his recovery. Third-round defensive tackle Darius Alexander, who has had a quiet camp, pressured Fields while playing with the starters in the final red-zone period. Pascal's touchdown catch from Dart in the red zone was a masterful combination of soft hands and quick feet. Pascal was blanketed by Jets cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse, but Dart showed faith in the receiver by firing a pass to his back shoulder. Pascal tipped the ball back to his body with his right hand, tapping both feet inbounds as he hauled in the catch. This catch 🤯 — New York Giants (@Giants) August 12, 2025 'We have to respond tomorrow, honestly. Greatness and being a great team, you got to be consistent. We did well today. We have to go do well tomorrow because they're going to have a fire in them tomorrow.' — DL Dexter Lawrence The Giants will host the Jets for a second joint practice at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Jets rookie Arian Smith puts the focus on his history of drops — with a plan for how to stop them
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Arian Smith's mind used to wander at the worst times. He'd step on the football field with the confidence that he could outrun anyone. But then the ball would be in the air, closing in on him, closer and closer. And then he'd start thinking about things other than catching it, like what he would do after had his hands on it. His focus was lost — and soon so was the catch, the ball dropping to the ground, incomplete. Advertisement It's a sequence of events that, he knows, happened a little too often during his final season at Georgia. But when it did happen, he wouldn't hear the frustration from the crowd — the boos (when they came) — only the disapproving sounds in his own mind. The drops were never for a lack of skill, he says. His hands aren't the problem. 'Thinking about the wrong things, worried about stuff I can't control instead of controlling what I can, which is catching the ball,' he said. Smith has gotten better over time at ignoring that noise — inside and outside his head — when he steps between the white lines. But when he steps off the field, he actually likes to let that noise reach his ears. It fuels him, and in a way it forces him to confront his truth: Nobody can hurt me, not with words, not like I can. In college, Smith familiarized himself with the unbearable weight of self-doubt, the dark feeling of bring enveloped by negative thoughts. Nobody is harder on Arian Smith than Arian Smith. 'I've been so low to the point where nothing affects you,' Smith said. 'You don't get too high, you don't get too low. Nothing bothers you. No person can cuss at me or get me upset other than myself.' The Jets saw something in Smith that others didn't. They believe he is a receiver who has the potential to be much more than just a track star (which he was in college and high school, thriving in the 100-meter dash). During the pre-draft process, the Jets learned about moments in his senior season when he'd drop a pass he shouldn't have dropped, but then he'd come right back and make a clutch play to help key a Georgia win. Example: the first half of the Bulldogs' second game against Texas last year, the SEC championship, in which he had two critical drops but also made an important catch, converted a fake punt, made an open-field tackle on special teams and recovered a fumble. His Georgia teammates appreciated how he'd come up big when it mattered most, often overcoming miscues — like the 23-yard catch he had late in the first game against Texas, which set up a touchdown to put the game away. Or a similar 34-yard catch late in a game against Florida to help set up another win. He led Georgia with 817 receiving yards as a senior and averaged more than 20 yards per catch in his career. Advertisement So far in Jets camp, the staff's belief in Smith's potential to overcome his issues with drops has paid dividends. In a wide receiver room with a lot of questions, Smith has stood out, making plays against starters and backups, using his track speed — he ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and believes he can run it much faster than that — to sail past NFL-caliber cornerbacks. When Smith first joined the Jets in the spring, and into the beginning of training camp, his mind was racing as fast as his feet as he tried to learn the plays, the formations, the shifts, the terminology, the routes — and to remember all of it without thinking about it too much when he hit the practice field. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand called out the 'rookie moments,' when Smith was 'buffering a little bit as he's running routes' in June. And there were moments early in training camp when Smith would appear to be running so fast that he'd outrun his route, miss his mark, and so the pass would land behind him. Those moments became more infrequent, as Smith started making plays and building his confidence. He was helped along by a coaching staff that has used creative methods to build him up — to help his focus, the biggest issue he had on last year's 10 drops at Georgia, the most in the country. Every day after practice, Smith first hits the JUGs machine, lifts weights, then he turns to science. Smith will wear 'strobe goggles' to work on his focus as he attempts to catch passes. The lighting on the goggles flicker, switching between clear and opaque and in the process removing visuals from Smith's eyesight and thus forcing him to process things in the moment faster, and to focus on the one thing he needs to focus on: catching the ball. The idea is to train the brain to ignore outside stimuli — and to laser in on the things that do. 'When you put them on, they, like, mess up your vision,' Smith said. 'Well, maybe not mess up your vision but it makes it harder to see. It messes up your focus. So if I'm looking at something, it makes it hard to focus on it. It messes with my eyes, it gives me a distraction. I feel like it helps.' There are other methods Smith has learned since he joined the Jets organization. One: He lays on his back and is given a ball with letters on it and as he tosses the ball in the air he is supposed to call out the letters he sees and use his eyes to 'stretch my peripherals', he said. Advertisement 'It makes it fun,' Smith said. 'It makes you want to do it. It doesn't get monotonous. It's not something I have to do, it's something I get to do.' All of that has served him well, in camp at least. Smith is expected to play significant snaps in Saturday's preseason opener against the Packers — his first real test against an NFL opponent. His mom and stepdad will be in the crowd, and he wants to make an impact. 'I don't want to sit here and tell you when I get to the game everything is going to go perfect,' Smith said, 'but I feel like there's been improvement on me catching the ball.' The Jets needs someone to step up and make life easier on Garrett Wilson, the undisputed star of the offense. If the early signs of training camp hold true, that player might be a rookie. Smith's breakout day of training camp came on Aug. 1. On one play, he burned star cornerback Sauce Gardner in a one-on-one matchup, and quarterback Justin Fields connected with him, in stride, for a long touchdown. Later in that practice, Smith's release off the line was snap quick, allowing him to seamlessly get by rookie cornerback Azareye'h Thomas to the outside; Tyrod Taylor connected with him for a 25-yard touchdown. A few days later, Smith made an impressive sliding touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on pass from Brady Cook. 'The guy that can't catch?' Glenn said after that Aug. 1 practice, smirking. 'Isn't that what you guys said? I thought he did a really good job, and he's continued to improve. He's not where he needs to be, but he's doing a really good job for us.' When the Jets drafted Smith in the fourth round in April, he might as well have had 'Can't Catch' tattooed across his forehead. It's the first thing that comes up in most of his scouting reports, those 10 drops last year. Some draft analysts called the selection a reach. Most of the questions at his first press conference were about it — same for the press conferences since. It doesn't bother him, not really. In a way, he appreciates it. 'I don't hear anything when I'm out there,' Smith said. 'All I hear is the call, the set hut and the whistle blow. But I remember it before I get on the field. I think about what they say about me when I get on the field. I think about what kind of player they think I am or say I am.' Advertisement Georgia teammates used to rave about Smith's calm on the sideline during games — his mood was unchanged, whether he'd just made a huge play or missed a big one. 'His mood never changes on the sideline,' offensive lineman Tate Rutledge said last year. 'He's never in a bad mood. Just the way he handles himself, the way he keeps control and keeps going out there and making plays.' How does he stay calm in those moments? Smith started to answer that question, eyes locked with the reporter asking it. He started talking about how he treats every practice like it's a game, locking in in such a way so that, when the big moments come, they don't feel so big. Then, he stopped mid-sentence and shouted. She passed out! She passed out! In the distance, a Jets employee had fainted. Smith saw it happen. Once paramedics arrived, Smith returned to his train of thought, as if he'd never stopped talking in the first place. 'I always feel like I have something to prove,' Smith said. 'No matter if I do something good or do something bad, the other day the way I played, I'm happy about it. I think it's good for the offense, but in my head I just feel like I'm supposed to do that. I don't get too high or too low. That's just me. I've been through so much – it's muscle memory. I've just been doing it so long, been hearing it for so long, after a while it just becomes you.' The 'you' that Smith wants to become is more than just a burner. Jets coaches see it, and they've deployed him as such in camp — he's caught passes on just about every part of the route tree. They move him around the formation and they've given him a role on special teams. Glenn has applauded his willingness as a blocker too. He welcomes all of it. Including the doubt. 'I want to do it the right way,' Smith said. 'I want to be a whole receiver. I can catch it on a slant, I can run for 50, I can catch a deep ball for 50, I can block somebody and spring a run for 50, I can get a return for 50. I want to be somebody that works hard and comes off as one of those people who lays it all out there on the line. A the end of the day, I want to be a player that's respected.' Advertisement He paused. 'I'm not respected. I wouldn't want to be as a rookie, because then maybe I wouldn't have the same drive. So I appreciate it.' When practice is over, he retreats to his apartment — or, during camp, the team hotel — turns on practice tape or opens his playbook, and puts on his headphones. He prefers to be alone after practice. He needs to focus. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Washington Post
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Justin Fields says Jets' offense is improving despite recent struggles in training camp
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Justin Fields knows he and the New York Jets' offense are a work in progress. Well, the only way for them to go after 11 training camp practices is up. Especially after the past few underwhelming sessions. 'I think we're improving, especially from the start of training camp to now,' Fields said Tuesday. 'Of course, today wasn't up to our standard in terms of penalties and stuff like that. But like I said, just a base summary for you all, I definitely think we have improved, for sure.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jets' Sauce Gardner Gets Strong Praise From Veteran Coaches
Jets' Sauce Gardner Gets Strong Praise From Veteran Coaches originally appeared on Athlon Sports. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- When he is at the top of his game, New York Jets All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner is the best in the league. Advertisement The former fourth overall pick was the first defensive back in NFL history to be named a first-team All-Pro in his first two seasons. After a strong start to his career, though, Gardner struggled last season. He was still a Pro Bowl player but was penalized more for his aggressive style and struggled to tackle throughout the 2024 campaign. Under a new coaching staff, Gardner's expectations are back to where they were after 2023. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks believes he can get the most out of their new star. "It's so many things that I feel like Sauce can do," Wilks said. "Again, the word consistent. He's been a Pro Bowl consistent can he be to take it to another level? Advertisement "And that's one of the things that I challenged him on day one when we had our conversation." It's important to remember that Gardner's worse season was still pretty damn good compared to other players in his position. If he can reduce the penalties and improve his tackling, Gardner should be expected to return to his All-Pro status. According to Wilks, that is precisely what the team expects out of him. And what Gardner expects out of himself. Few cornerbacks in the NFL have the kind of frame that Gardner is working with. Wilks commented about that on Wednesday as part of why consistency is such a focus for the All-Pro this year. Advertisement If Gardner can return to that status in 2023, the Jets' defense will continue to be one of the best in football. Related: Jets Emphasize Key Part of Mandatory Minicamp Related: Jets Continue To Be Pleased With First-Round Pick This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
