There is an obvious reason why virtually every NFL team limits the snaps its best players take during preseason games. Averting injuries, especially severe ones, is paramount in a collision sport where bodily harm comes with the territory.
Each of the league’s 32 teams plays three preseason games leading up to the debut of the regular season. Both the Jets and Giants were at home at MetLife Stadium for their preseason openers. The Jets faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday night, and the Giants hosted the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday afternoon.
Jets starting quarterback Geno Smith was ruled out in the hours leading up to the game because of swelling and soreness in his left ankle that emerged during a joint practice with the Buccaneers last week. Meanwhile, Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield was also on the sidelines.
The Jets went with rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik out of Clemson to start, and he looked like a player with 49 college games and 1,432 passing attempts over four years on his resume. Poised and in control, the 22-year-old led the Jets to two scoring drives in his two possessions.
Regarding Smith’s ankle, Glenn said there is “nothing to be alarmed about” after the 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers. Smith was back at practice this week and addressed the media on Tuesday about his intentions for playing this preseason moving forward.
“I’ll leave it up to coach but you know my job is to get ready and help this team get ready to be ready to play Week 1,” he said. “But whenever I get a chance to play, as I told you guys, I look forward to it, but I also leave that up to coach.”
Smith maintained that being active on the field is valuable preparation.
“Every rep is important. Whether that’s in practice or a game… every chance I get to play, every chance I get to practice, every opportunity is just as important as the next…”
The list of notable injured Jets reflects the variable of football that patently dictates outcomes in the wins and losses columns. Starting running back Breece Hall exited practice on Monday with a groin strain, and Glenn is pointing to Week 1 of the regular season on Sept. 13 against the Tennessee Titans for his return.
Rookie first round pick (16th overall), tight end Kenyon Sadiq was shelved for the preseason early in training camp due to a setback from hernia surgery performed in May. Glenn is hopeful he’ll be ready for Week 1. Rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, the 50th overall pick, is recovering from a late July calf strain and should be ready for the Titans, according to Glenn.
The Giants, who defeated the Vikings 13-10, have seen star wide receiver Malik Nabers make steady progress from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee and two subsequent procedures to repair the knee last October and this past May. On Monday, the third-year wideout took part in full-speed live drills for the first time since the injury occurred 11 months ago on Sept. 28.
“My soul has been dead for so long just being away from the game,” Nabers said. “So just getting out there and having my teammates behind me, [I] kind of felt that soul come back to life out there.”
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart almost had his soul knocked out of him by Vikings safety Jay Ward on a blitz late in the first quarter in his team’s 13-10 loss. He then underwent a mandatory examination in the blue tent on the Giants’ sideline where players are evaluated for possible concussions. Dart was ultimately cleared and returned to the game.
He missed two games last season, his first in the NFL, due to being in concussion protocol, and was annoyed by being taken to the tent on Saturday. Dart had five visits to the tent last season and was officially diagnosed with one concussion. The hit delivered by Ward was a reminder of how on one play and one instance, a team’s possibilities and promise can be instantly altered.
The Giants will meet the Miami Dolphins on the road this Saturday (4 p.m.) and the Jets will be in Pittsburgh tomorrow (7 p.m.) to take on the Steelers.
