During the first team period, tight end Mason Taylor got involved quickly in his first practice back after sustaining a high ankle sprain. QB Justin Fields found Taylor for a short completion over the middle of the field, but Taylor’s most impressive play came with QB Adrian Martinezunder center. Martinez threw a deep ball up the left sideline for Taylor, who made a diving catch for a big gain.
Fields’ highlight of the first team period was a deep pass to WR Tyler Johnson who made a sideline grab with Giants safety Jevon Holland in coverage. Fields was facing pressure from Giants LB Abdul Carter and may have been sacked in live game action, but the perfectly placed ball and impressive catch between two defenders elicited a loud cheer from the crowd.
“I think Tyler is a great receiver,” Fields said. “He’s reliable, he’s in the right spots. He has hands, he can make great plays. I think last year, he showed what he can do with the ball in hand after the catch. It’s great having him out there and great seeing him making plays out there, for sure.”
During the second team period, the Giants’ defense started to heat up. Fields had a pass batted down, RB Breece Hall was stopped behind the line of scrimmage on a handoff and Fields was likely sacked by Giants edge Brian Burns. During the second run of the drill, Fields and the offense faced intense pressure from Burns again. The two-time Pro Bowler had a tackle for loss of RB Braelon Allen before recording another would-be sack of No. 7.
“You don’t go against a front like that on an everyday basis, an every week basis for the most part,” Glenn said. “For us to get a chance to actually get tested by those guys, I thought it was good. But we were jockeying for position for the most part.”
Fields said of the Giants’ pass rush: “They’re really good. They have speed on the outside, with Brian on the outside and of course [Dexter Lawrence II], he’s been a menace for some years now on the inside. I think they’re really good. Abdul [Carter], he’s good, too. He can move around a lot. As you can see, they were moving him around to the second level.”
Fields said while his unit started strong, it will be important for him to encourage the offense to maintain that intensity throughout practice. The signal caller has welcomed the challenge and is looking forward to another solid session tomorrow in East Rutherford.
“I think we get a lot out of it,” Fields said of the joint practices. “We compete. We get to compete against another team. Their defense is elite, their D-line is elite. So, I think it’s great work for our O-line, 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.”