Joe Judge takes a new philosophy into Giants' preseason opener
Giants head coach Joe Judge reacts during training camp at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Thursday. Credit: Brad Penner
The new preseason schedules have led to new preseason philosophies.
With only three games this year as opposed to the traditional four (or, in the case of last year thanks to the pandemic, none), teams are adjusting their plans for each level of competition. That goes for the Giants, too.
For instance, Joe Judge said he plans to treat Saturday’s preseason opener against the Jets like the old fashioned fourth preseason game where the starters are very limited or not used at all and the players at the bottom of the depth chart are givekn an opportunity to play and be evaluated.
The preseason finale against the Patriots will be played much more like penultimate third preseason games used to be, with the starters playing for a half or longer.
"At that point, the units have kind of established themselves," Judge said. "Nothing will be final, but it will be an opportunity at that point to go, ‘Hey, get those guys together for an extended period of time.’"
Of course the Giants will also have two sets of joint practices in the coming weeks, traveling to work with the Browns and the Patriots.
"It’s definitely a key part of our preparation," Judge said. "Both will be unique in our experiences in terms of what we’re going to focus on with the other team, but both will be critical for us."
Notes & quotes: The Giants had a long but light walk-through practice at MetLife Stadium on Thursday … With thin depth at offensive line, Judge hinted that the team could be in the market for players as rosters around the league are manipulated over the coming weeks. "Right now, with the guys we’re working with, we see daily improvement, we’ve got to keep pushing them forward," he said. "There are going to be a lot of things between now and the start of the season that go ahead and change."
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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