There are practices, and then there are practices that feel different.
Thursday’s joint practice between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins was certainly the latter.
In brutal heat, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees, two teams went through nearly two hours of intense work that featured explosive plays, physical battles, competitive one-on-ones, situational football and, eventually, tempers boiling over.
For the Giants, however, the biggest takeaway wasn’t the pushing and shoving.
It was the football.
And perhaps more importantly, it was the progress.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart walked away from the practice believing the Giants’ offense had one of its better days of training camp. Head coach John Harbaugh saw an offense finally getting opportunities to showcase parts of its system that weren’t featured during the preseason opener.
And veteran left tackle Andrew Thomas saw something just as important: an offensive line that brought the intensity and physicality necessary to compete against another team.
For a Giants team still trying to establish its identity under Harbaugh, Thursday felt like another piece of that identity beginning to fall into place.
Dart Gets to Push the Ball Downfield
One of the most noticeable differences Thursday was the amount of downfield work Jaxson Dart was able to showcase.
The rookie quarterback wasn’t simply operating the offense underneath. He was pushing the ball vertically and connecting on several explosive plays.
Harbaugh specifically pointed to the play-action passing game as an area that hadn’t been fully displayed during the Giants’ preseason opener against Minnesota.
“We didn’t really run any of our play action, any of our downfield play actions in the game against Minnesota,” Harbaugh explained. “So, you saw a few more of those in practice today.”
That was significant.
The Giants have spent the offseason installing a new offensive system under senior offensive assistant Greg Roman, and part of that system is built around creating opportunities off the running game.
If the running game forces a defense to step forward, the quarterback needs to be able to make them pay.
Thursday, Dart did exactly that.
Dart himself felt he played one of his cleaner practices of camp.
“I feel like I played clean,” Dart said.
He also acknowledged the value of seeing a different defense.
Going against the Giants’ defense every day has its advantages, but it also means both sides become familiar with tendencies, formations and installations.
Against Miami, Dart suddenly had a new defense to solve.
That freshness showed.
The quarterback said the Giants were able to hit “some big shots down the field,” something he was particularly pleased with.
Harbaugh noticed it as well.
The Giants were able to generate multiple chunk plays off play action, giving the coaching staff a glimpse of what the offense could potentially look like once the regular season arrives.
“At the end of the day, did the play work?” Harbaugh said. “It could be a great play, but if it doesn’t work … then it’s not a good play.”
Thursday, the plays worked.
And that’s what matters.
Malachi Fields Continues to Demand Attention
If there was one player who seemed to consistently attract attention throughout the practice, it was rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields.
Fields has already generated buzz during training camp, but Thursday represented another opportunity to show that his success wasn’t simply the product of going against his own teammates.
This time, there was another uniform across the line of scrimmage.
And Fields continued making plays.
Dart wasn’t surprised.
“The guys loved his tape. I loved his tape,” Dart said.
The quarterback praised Fields’ intelligence, competitiveness and ability to make difficult catches. More importantly, Dart believes Fields provides something the Giants need on the outside.
Contested catches.
Downfield plays.
A big catch radius.
The ability to make something happen even when the initial look isn’t perfect.
Dart said Fields is “a true competitor, a true pro.”
Andrew Thomas offered another perspective.
For a rookie, Fields isn’t acting like one.
Thomas specifically pointed to Fields’ willingness to do the dirty work.
If the rookie is asked to block a safety, he doesn’t hesitate.
“We asked him to go put his face in and try to dig out the safety, he’s running in at full speed,” Thomas said.
That may sound like a small detail.
It isn’t.
For a young receiver trying to earn playing time, being willing to block can separate him from another talented receiver who only wants opportunities when the ball is coming his way.
Fields appears to understand that.
And every day, his name seems to come up a little more.
Harbaugh’s assessment was simple.
“Yeah. I mean, he just keeps showing up every day.”
Sometimes that’s exactly how a player earns a role.
Malik Nabers Changes Everything
While Fields was making a case for himself, another receiver was beginning to work his way back into the mix.
Malik Nabers.
The Giants were careful with their star receiver during Thursday’s practice. Harbaugh confirmed that Nabers was intentionally held out because the joint practice wasn’t considered as controlled an environment as the Giants’ own facility.
But his presence around the team—and his increased participation in live work leading into the practice—has been encouraging.
Dart knows what Nabers brings.
“He changes the whole dynamic of an offense,” Dart said.
That’s not an exaggeration.
Nabers is the type of player who forces a defense to account for him before the ball is even snapped.
His competitiveness, explosiveness and ability to create after the catch give the Giants another dimension.
For Dart, getting more opportunities to work with Nabers is obviously important.
The quarterback knows that having Nabers, Fields and the rest of the receiving group developing together could give the Giants a diverse group of weapons.
And Dart believes the competition among the receivers is making everyone better.
With five receivers rotating through the first-team offense at different points, Dart is learning how each player operates.
“Everybody has different skill sets,” he said.
That versatility could become one of the strengths of the offense.
The Offensive Line Brings the Physicality
While the quarterback and receivers grabbed the headlines, Andrew Thomas was focused on something else.
The line of scrimmage.
Thomas believed the Giants’ offensive line played with the proper intensity and physicality.
There were things to clean up, particularly from a technique standpoint, but he liked the way the group responded to Miami’s different fronts and pressures.
And that is exactly why joint practices matter.
For weeks, the Giants have been battling their own defense.
Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has given the offense plenty of difficult looks, forcing the offensive line and quarterbacks to communicate, adjust and recognize pressure.
Thomas believes Wilson’s defense may actually be more complex than what Miami showed Thursday.
But that preparation helped.
“That’s kind of the point that we’re getting to with Dennard,” Thomas said.
The Giants’ defense has forced the offense to prepare for disguised coverages, safety rotations and multiple pressure packages.
Thomas even compared it to the days when the Giants were coached by Wink Martindale, when the defense became so unpredictable that the offense would actually install specific protections to prepare for it.
That experience matters.
The Giants weren’t seeing everything Miami could potentially throw at them.
Miami wasn’t seeing everything New York could throw at them either.
But the Giants were finally getting the opportunity to test their communication against a different opponent.
That’s valuable.
Greg Roman’s System Is Starting to Take Shape
Thomas also offered an interesting glimpse into how the offensive line is adapting to Roman’s system.
According to Thomas, Roman’s scheme is extremely detailed.
“There is a run and an adjustment for every single front, every single pressure,” Thomas explained.
The Giants aren’t game-planning their joint practices the same way they would a regular-season opponent.
Instead, they’re trying to establish fundamentals and learn how the system functions.
But Thomas is clearly excited to see what happens when the entire package is finally unleashed.
For a team transitioning to a new offense, that’s an important distinction.
Training camp isn’t about having everything perfect.
It’s about building the foundation so that when the regular season arrives, players can execute without thinking.
Thursday gave the Giants another opportunity to test that foundation.
The Physicality Was Real
Of course, no discussion of Thursday’s practice can ignore the skirmishes.
At one point, a significant altercation broke out involving Giants quarterback Jameis Winston.
Players rushed toward the scene.
Dart immediately saw Winston’s red No. 19 jersey and reacted.
“I got to go help my boy,” Dart said.
That’s the kind of moment Harbaugh believes can actually contribute to team chemistry—as long as it doesn’t cross the line.
And eventually, the Giants did cross enough of a line for Harbaugh to impose consequences.
The Giants had established before the practice that punches would be treated as game situations.
Offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor was removed from practice after an incident involving a punch to the facemask.
Harbaugh’s message was straightforward.
If you would draw a penalty for it in a game, you are going to be held accountable for it in practice.
The coach understands that joint practices can become heated.
Football is an emotional and physical sport, and players are protecting teammates.
But there is a difference between competing and losing control.
Harbaugh wants the former.
The Defense Made Its Own Statement
While the offense’s explosive plays were encouraging, the defense wasn’t exactly taking a step backward.
Quite the opposite.
Harbaugh described the Giants’ pass rush as “ferocious.”
That’s a strong word for a practice.
But it also reflects what the Giants have been seeing from their defense throughout camp.
The Giants’ defensive front has been one of the more aggressive elements of practice, and the pressure they’ve been generating is forcing the offense to solve problems on a daily basis.
That’s part of the reason Thursday’s success against Miami was meaningful.
The offense wasn’t simply succeeding because it had an easy week.
It was succeeding after spending weeks battling one of the most aggressive defenses on its own roster.
Najee Harris Adds Another Dimension
Another player who made an impression Thursday was running back Najee Harris.
After not doing much the previous day, Harris participated in live team drills and immediately looked explosive.
Harbaugh described him as fast, explosive and strong.
The coach isn’t ready to declare the Giants’ running back room elite yet.
“Remains to be seen,” Harbaugh said when asked if this was the deepest running back room he has coached.
But the possibilities are intriguing.
If Harris is healthy and operating at full speed, the Giants could have a legitimate physical presence in the backfield.
And in an offense that wants to build off the running game, that could be extremely important.
Andrew Thomas Isn’t Worried About Preseason Reps
Thomas also provided an interesting perspective on whether he needs preseason action.
Earlier in his career, Thomas believed he needed every preseason rep.
Last year changed that thinking.
He didn’t play during camp and still felt he performed well when the regular season arrived.
Now, he’s leaving the decision to Harbaugh.
If the coach wants him to play, he’ll play.
If the coach wants him to rest, he’ll take care of his body and help the younger players.
That attitude is exactly what the Giants need from their veteran leader.
Thomas knows the regular season is what matters.
The Bigger Picture
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Thursday wasn’t any individual player.
It was the feeling that the Giants are beginning to understand what they want to be.
Dart said the offense has experienced its share of inconsistencies during camp.
That’s normal.
But he believes the last week and a half has been different.
The offense has started making adjustments.
It has started correcting mistakes.
It has started identifying what it does well.
And now, against another team, some of those things translated.
That’s the next step.
Harbaugh has repeatedly talked about building a team that is tough, physical and disciplined.
Thursday tested all three.
The Giants handled the heat.
They competed through nearly two hours of football.
They responded to adversity.
They showed physicality.
And, perhaps most importantly, they saw some of the things they’ve been working on actually work against somebody wearing a different jersey.
That’s what Harbaugh wanted from the day.
“I think we leave the practice a better team than when we came in,” he said.
For the Giants, that may be the most important takeaway of all.
This wasn’t a preseason game.
It wasn’t a regular-season matchup.
The statistics won’t appear anywhere.
But Thursday gave the Giants something that statistics can’t provide in August:
evidence.
Evidence that Jaxson Dart can push the ball downfield.
Evidence that Malachi Fields may be forcing his way into the conversation.
Evidence that Malik Nabers is getting closer to full participation.
Evidence that the offensive line is adapting to Greg Roman’s system.
Evidence that the defense can create serious pressure.
And evidence that this team is beginning to develop the personality its new head coach wants.
There is still plenty of work to do.
The Giants aren’t a finished product.
But for the first time this summer, the light at the end of training camp is becoming visible.
And the Giants are starting to look like a team ready to walk toward it.
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