The Washington Commanders and New York Jets are set to face off against each other during a joint practice session on Thursday, which was notable for several reasons.
For starters, it breaks the monotony of the daily grind of training camp by inserting a new team in the mix. Secondly, the coaches purposely create and design the matchups they want to see the most in order to get a better evaluation of certain players. It creates a good-on-good, extremely competitive environment that typically leads to some exciting moments on the practice field.
"Whether it's their defense, our offense, our offense, their you know, however that goes the balance of it, that's usually what I'm looking for," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters before Sunday's practice . "In some instances, it's even better than the games, because as coaches, we can script, you know, 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.
"Having the ability to communicate with [Jets head coach] Robert Saleh, [Jets offensive coordinator] Nathaniel Hackett, and [Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich] 'Brick', that helps, because then [Commanders offensive coordinator] Kliff [Kingsbury] and [Commanders defensive coordinator] Joe ]Whitt Jr.] and the guys, we could all be on the same page... want to see this, want to see that... and that's how we all get better."
Well, unfortunately for the Commanders and Jets (especially the fans), there are several notable matchups we won't get to see because of the current weather in Florham Park, New Jersey.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, Commanders LT Brandon Coleman headline list of non-participants during Commanders-Jets joint practice
Rodgers was held out specifically because of the bad weather, per Jets head coach Robert Saleh. However, it's unclear why Coleman wasn't in pads on Thursday and we'll probably have to wait until practice is over, at the earliest, in order to get an idea of why he didn't go. He didn't practice Tuesday, either . Either way, Coleman's absence is not good news for a Commanders offensive line that has some big questions, especially at the tackle position.
It's obvious why Rodgers' absence is a buzzkill - who wouldn't want to see one of the NFL's best QBs of all-time go up against the Commanders' new-look secondary? Coleman has been one of Washington's best camp stories and there were plenty of people excited to see how he'd do against the Jets' pass rush, which is one of the NFL's best.
Commanders' second-round rookie, Johnny Newton, was in street clothes on Thursday, but that's not much of a surprise. The Commanders signed Taylor Stallworth on Sunday specifically because of load management, but it's still a bit of a disappointment to hear the rookie didn't even dress after limited practice in team drills.
It wasn't all disappointment, however, as stud interior offensive lineman Sam Cosmi returned to practice. Right tackle Andrew Wylie was also seen in pads, but as of this publication, team drills have yet to occur, so it's unknown if this is the same process we've seen recently where he is in pads but doesn't practice or if he goes against the Jets.
Update: Wylie did not practice on Thursday, leaving Trent Scott and Cornelius Lucas starting at the right and left tackle position, respectively. Cosmi participated in individual drills, but not team drills.
The big names sitting off to the side are certainly disappointing, but there will still be plenty to glean from Thursday's session as both teams gear up for Saturday's preseason contest.
Related: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels sees plenty of struggles against the Jets defense during joint practice
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