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Joe Judge Reveals New York Giants Preseason Personnel Deployment Plan

Giants head coach Joe Judge is taking a different approach to player deployment in the preseason games thanks to there being one less game than usual.

Patricia Traina

Joe Judge Reveals New York Giants Preseason Personnel Deployment Plan
Joe Judge Reveals New York Giants Preseason Personnel Deployment Plan /

With the NFL preseason being shortened, and with two extra roster cut dates added to the summer calendar, the first of which is August 17, New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is changing things up for the team’s personnel will be deployed this summer.

Judge revealed that the Giants preseason opener against the Jets Saturday would be treated more like the old, fourth preseason game in that several starters (including quarterback Daniel Jones) won’t play. 

Meanwhile, those players at the bottom of the depth chart at their respective positions will get an increased opportunity to make a case to continue being part of the roster.

But that also doesn’t mean certain players and/or position groups (starting offensive line anyone?) can expect a night off.

“We look at it from the standpoint of trying to evaluate everybody, let everyone be out there and function,” Judge said Thursday before the team’s light walkthrough practice. 

“So, if you’re trying to evaluate a receiver, the offensive line blocking for the quarterback will get evaluated. Trying to evaluate running backs, whether that be the receivers getting in blocks on the safeties, then cutting off the corners. Everyone has to function as a team.

“You do consider that in terms of when you put certain players together or who’s having a little chemistry together in practice, or maybe certain units that haven’t clicked quite yet. You want to kind of keep ourselves out of a position where you can’t evaluate a player properly on the field. The ultimate goal is to evaluate our players.”

Judge has planned for two joint practices this summer. The first will be next week with the Cleveland Browns ahead of the Giants’ preseason game in Cleveland and then the following week against the Patriots in Foxborough before both teams head south to wrap up the preseason in East Rutherford.

Judge was asked if, in his eyes, the joint practices can take the place of the pre-season game cut from the schedule when the league went to a 17-game regular-season schedule.

“I’ve said before, there’s no replication for a game. Any experience these players get in a game itself is critical at the beginning of the season not only for their mental preparation, but also physically getting ready with the flow of the game, the hits you’re going to take,” he said.

“The things you do in practice, you don’t do a lot of live tackling, so the game is obviously played and ends with some kind of tackle. So, the game itself is critical for them to be prepared physically and mentally, but in terms of the joint practices, it’s definitely a key part of our preparation. 

"Obviously, next week we’re at Cleveland, after that we’ll be in New England. 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.”

As far as when the Giants will have their “dress rehearsal,” historically the third preseason game of the old four-game summer slate, Judge said that while nothing is finalized, he was leaning toward making the preseason finale against the Patriots as that game.

­­“Right now our plan is to go into the New England game and treat that as a traditional Game 3 where we play maybe more of a full half,” he said. “At that point, the units have kind of established themselves. Nothing will be final at that point, but it will be an opportunity at that point to go, ‘Hey, get those guys together for an extended period of time.’”

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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