In many ways, joint practices are more valuable than preseason games.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn had an interesting perspective about this topic while speaking ahead of his team’s upcoming joint practice with the New York Jets.
Check out Robby Sabo's New York Jets training camp report from Tuesday's fight-filled practice.
“In some instances, it’s even better than the games because as coaches we can script with their guys, ‘Hey, I’d like to see this matchup. Yep, good with that, let’s call this.’ So, having that type of conversation helps a lot,” Quinn said.
Contrary to preseason games, which play out in an unpredictable fashion, opposing coaching staffs work together on orchestrating joint practices to play out however they’d like. These joint practices are not merely scrimmages; rather, they are largely built around choreographed events designed to evaluate specific players and scenarios.
Another benefit is having the entire roster included in the action. Most teams will only use their first-team units for no more than a couple of drives in the third preseason game. In joint practices, though, everyone participates. It’s in these practices where veterans like Aaron Rodgers and stars like Sauce Gardner will get the majority of their “game-like” preparation ahead of the season opener.
The Commanders are a team in transition, but Washington’s roster does have a good deal of high-end talent at certain spots. Here are a few of the most interesting head-to-head matchups we will see during Thursday’s joint practice in Florham Park.
Sauce Gardner vs. Terry McLaurin
The beauty of the Jets’ talent-stocked roster is that just about everybody enjoys the luxury of facing a star-caliber player in practice on a daily basis. For Sauce Gardner, there aren’t many players who would provide a tougher daily challenge than Garrett Wilson.
Still, it’s great to shake things up and see a different face across the line of scrimmage. Gardner will get to pivot from Wilson to another upper-echelon receiver in Terry McLaurin. These reps will be valuable for Gardner, as he will likely play no more than a couple of drives in this year’s preseason. With the Panthers and Giants up next, McLaurin is likely the best wide receiver Gardner will see before the regular season (perhaps Malik Nabers will have something to say about that, but the rookie needs to prove it first).
Whereas Wilson primarily challenges Gardner using quickness and route-running finesse, McLaurin will provide a tougher challenge in the physicality and contested catching departments. McLaurin is listed as 18 pounds heavier than Wilson (210 vs. 192) and is much more proven at securing 50-50 balls, boasting a career contested catch rate of 54.5% versus Wilson’s 32.9%.
Jets interior offensive line vs. Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen
The Commanders’ interior defensive line has been one of their few beacons of consistency over the past few seasons. Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen anchor the unit.
This matchup would be interesting enough if we were solely talking about the blocking aspect of it, but all eyes will be on Joe Tippmann’s snapping as he faces a different opponent for the first time. After Tippmann launched a killer snap in the red zone during the Jets’ recent Green and White Scrimmage, it will be interesting to see how he responds to another high-pressure situation. With two talented defensive tackles in front of him, Tippmann will have enough to worry about after the ball is snapped. Hopefully, he does not let it affect the snap itself.
The snap debacle should not distract us from Tippmann’s actual post-snap performance. Tippmann has the potential to become one of the league’s best centers. While he needs to nail down the snapping first and foremost, we should give him credit where it’s due if he can win his matchups with Payne and Allen.
In addition to Tippmann, I am fascinated to see how Alijah Vera-Tucker performs. Vera-Tucker’s presence has been transformative for the Jets’ offense over the past two years. We know he has the ability to be one of the best guards in football, but will he be the same player after an Achilles tear?
Jets edge rushers vs. Commanders tackles
Washington’s starting tackle duo should be viewed as a delicious meal for a defensive front that holds itself to as high of a standard as the Jets do.
At right tackle is Andrew Wylie. In 2023, he allowed the 13th-most pressures (42) and fourth-most sacks (9) among tackles.
At left tackle is a competition between rookie third-round pick Brandon Coleman and long-time journeyman backup Cornelius Lucas.
We don’t have to dive too deep into this one. The entire Jets’ edge-rusher unit has a chance to feast. It’s a perfect time for players like Will McDonald, Takk McKinley, and Eric Watts to make statements. Jermaine Johnson also has a chance to assert his dominance and prove he’s capable of another leap in Year 3.
Aaron Rodgers vs. Bobby Wagner
We’ve heard a lot about Rodgers’ pre-snap duels with C.J. Mosley during Jets practices. By now, these guys probably know each others’ cadences and tendencies inside-and-out, so they’re certainly ready to hear a different voice across the field.
In his first action against a different team since he tore his Achilles last September, Rodgers will enjoy the challenge of going up against nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner. A second-team All-Pro in 2023, Wagner still has plenty left in the tank at 34 years old. Regardless of his physical ability, it’s Wagner’s experience that makes him a perfect opponent for Rodgers in this situation.
Rodgers holds himself and his teammates to an extremely high standard. On the quest to achieve that standard, he seeks the toughest of challenges. Toying with a young or shoddy linebacker wouldn’t do the four-time MVP much good. But he should take a lot from a full practice of mental chess battles with one of the best linebackers in NFL history.
The veteran quarterback said it himself in a recent interview with Sirius XM. “We got to hold ourselves to a standard. It comes down to, do we want to set a little bar that we can step over that we’re so excited about what we did? Or do you want to put the bar at a level of excellence? And try to reach that?”
Wagner is the perfect opponent to hold Rogers himself to that standard of excellence.
