There are a bunch of interesting storylines heading into Thursday's joint practice between the New York Jets and Washington Commanders. Both teams have exciting talent that will be on display for many to see.
As Saturday's preseason game between both squads looms closer, tomorrow's practice will be a great chance to see how the starters will match up with one another. The Jets may have higher expectations than the Commanders in terms of Super Bowl aspirations going into the 2024 season, but the Commanders under new head coach Dan Quinn are no walk in the park.
Let's take a look at three specific aspects of the Jets team to keep an eye on for tomorrow.
Aaron Rodgers is back against an opposition
Sure, this isn't the first game of the regular season, Monday Night Football versus the San Fransisco 49ers, but this practice will be the first time since Rodgers will have in-game type action versus another opponent.
There have been numerous highlight videos of Rodgers slinging the ball with ease this offseason similar to last season before his tragic achilles tear during week 1. The 4x MVP will have the opportunity to put on a great show for the public eye to see and show everyone why he was brought into One Jets Drive to begin with.
That being said, going against any Dan Quinn defense is tough, especially after the year Quinn had with the Cowboys' defense in 2023. The Commanders have an extremely talented defense highlighted by defensive lineman and 2x pro-bowler Jonathan Allen as well as former Jet linebacker Frankie Luvu who had a career year in 2023. Luvu signed a three-year, $36 million deal with Washington this offseason.
Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Fame QB, but still has to prove at his age and his recent injury history that he can perform at a high level. History doesn't favor athletes like Rodgers at his current state of the game as only 11 QBs have thrown over 100 passes in a season where they're 40 or older. Tom Brady was the most recent QB to accomplish this feat, but he wasn't returning from an Achilles injury that can be considered one of the hardest to come back from.
Nevertheless, Rodgers just being back on the field is a plus for NFL fans and it'll be fascinating to see how he performs on a smaller scale versus a solid opponent come tomorrow.
Jets Defense against Jayden Daniels
The Jets defense has a real chance to immerse itself as the best in the league in 2024. PFF ranks the Jets secondary and linebacker units as the best in football and it doesn't stop there. With the new addition of stud OLB Haason Reddick in the mix, the Jets defensive line could be considered one of the best as well.
NFL dropped its Top 100 players list last week, which is voted on by the players around the league. There were four Jets defenders on the list including Reddick, superstar corner Sauce Gardner and brothers Quincy & Quinnen Williams. It's not out of the realm of possibility that this Jets defense is the most talented maybe in franchise history.
The Jets passing defense allowed 174.8 passing yards per game which ranked 3rd in the NFL last season and caused all sorts of trouble for superstar QBs such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts. They've shown over the last 2 seasons that they're a nuisance to deal with and could even translate to more wins in 2024 with an improved offense on the other side of the coin.
This is the type of defense that any quarterback, let alone a rookie QB would not want to play against. Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and there's a lot of buzz surrounding the Heisman Trophy winner. It'll be a great first test for the young QB to see how he handles a top 5 defense.
Rookie Playmakers in Action
General manager Joe Douglas did a great job in the 2024 NFL Draft surrounding Rodgers with playmaking talent that this Jets offense was in desperate need of.
The two players that stand out among this draft class are runningback Braelon Allen and wide receiver Malachi Corley.
Allen has looked fantastic this training camp so far, taking reps with the ones and day-by-day cementing his role as the number 2 back behind superstar Breece Hall. Hall spoke glowingly of the rookie after Tuesday's practice telling SNY's Jeane Coakley "We kinda do it all, it's been cool being around him and seeing his growth every day... He's been doing a really good job, he has great habits."
The duo of Hall and Allen is now being called "The Killer B's" and with how training camp has gone for the 6'1, 245-pounder, it'll be interesting to see how Allen plays facing a different opponent.
Malachi Corley was the first pick in the third round (65) of the draft out of Western Kentucky and has already shown signs of stardom on the practice field.
The #Jets **loved** Malachi Corley during the draft process, and it’s easy to see why here...
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 31, 2024
Also... That's GM Joe Douglas ruling it a catch. 😂pic.twitter.com/xRBVd4gQWr
With the Jets wide receiver room in dire need of support besides Garrett Wilson, Corley's pass-catching and run-after-catch ability are going to be vital for Rodgers come gameday in the regular season. As of now, Corley is listed behind Xavier Gipson on the Jets unofficial depth chart ahead of the preseason opener.
Head coach Robert Saleh spoke after today's walkthrough about Corley's physical ability as a receiver and what he brings to the table. "We can see the violence that which he runs when he does get the ball in his hands, so I think I speak for everyone that we're looking forward to seeing him in game action to see how it translates."
Corley will get numerous reps in the preseason opener on Saturday, but tomorrow's practice will be the first time the "YAC King" will get to demonstrate his physical prowess.
More New York Jets News:
• Jets could potentially dodge two 49ers superstars in season opener
• No end in sight for Haason Reddick holdout from Jets training camp
• Garrett Wilson compliments rookie receiver's style
• Jets' defense can continue tradition vs. top rookie QB in preseason opener
• Saleh's preseason decision surprises Rodgers
