In terms of timing, this is just right.
Training camp is a grind for every team and most every player, but what was scheduled for last night was the perfect way for the Giants and Jets to leave camp behind and look ahead to the fast-arriving start of the regular season.
The third pre-season game is the right time for the Giants and Jets to meet, and last night’s game at Giants Stadium created the incentive necessary to keep both teams motivated through the final days of camp.
“You need a Jets,” safety Percy Ellsworth said. “We break from training camp, we’re tired from training camp, you have all those things going against you as far as mentally being focused for the game. And what game do we have? The Jets. That’s the perfect game. As bad as you want preseason to be over, we have the Jets, and nothing else needs to be said.”
Some players figured to be more motivated than others. It is unlikely any player was more excited about last night’s game than running back Gary Brown, who was making his long-awaited pre-season debut after finally shaking off the aftereffects of a late June motorcycle accident.
“I stick out like a sore thumb, running around, happy about pre-season games,” Brown said. “Those guys are tired of ’em. I feel good. I think after all the adversity it’s probably going to work out pretty good. I’m going to be a lot more fresh at the end of the season. When guys are kind of wearing down a little bit I’ll be more fresh than most guys.”
Although Brown had not played yet this summer, he did not want to be worked back in slowly, and he was expected to start in the backfield.
“I want to go in there and be thrown into the fire and get back into the flow as soon as possible,” Brown said. “I’d like to get a bunch [of rushing attempts], but we’ll see.”
There was a sign in last week’s game against the Jaguars that C Brian Williams is making strides to becoming the player he was before he missed two full seasons with an eye injury. Williams came off his block to level a Jacksonville lineman who was bearing down on Kent Graham, allowing Graham the extra time and protection to find David Patten.
“Brian’s a heads-up player,” Jim Fassel said. “He was doing better than I thought he would do after missing two years, but he still had a ways to go to be the type of player he can be. Those things show signs he’s alert and knows what he’s doing.”
Giants players read how Bill Parcells blasted his team after an uninspired 10-9 victory over the Eagles, and DE Michael Strahan took special interest in Parcell’s ripping of the blocking of newly-acquired TE Eric Green. “That’s only going to make my life harder,” said Strahan, who usually goes against opporing tight ends. “The guy is going to try and kill me.”
