It's the preseason game to watch this week. On Saturday evening, the New York Jets and New York Giants will take the field in their shared home to wrap up the 2023 exhibition season. If there's any NFL environment that will feel more like a regular-season game this week, it's this one. Which is why Jets head coach Robert Saleh is trotting out his new quarterback for at least a few plays.
That's right, Aaron Rodgers will see his first action as a Jet on Saturday night. As Saleh said on the most recent episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks," he doesn't want Rodgers' first game with his new team in his new stadium to be on Sept. 11 against the Buffalo Bills. Rodgers likely won't be the only starter playing on Saturday night, either.
The Jets have won the last two preseason matchups vs. the Giants. Below, we will break down this matchup, but first, here's how to watch the game.
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Aug. 26 | Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
TV: NFL Network | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Jets -6, O/U 39
What to watch with Jets
Rodgers throwing the football with his new squad is obviously what everyone wants to watch on Saturday night, and he may play more than one series. I know some would love to see reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson take the field for a couple plays, as he and Rodgers are a prospective dynamic duo that could decide the fate of the AFC East. Sure, it's not fun risking injury to your most important players in a meaningless game, but Saleh isn't coaching scared.
"You can't coach scared, you can't play scared," Saleh said, via the New York Daily News. "You can slip out of your car and have something happen to you, but knock on wood, everyone will be fine.
"You know you see some of the great ones out there. Kansas City's playing their guys, Buffalo's playing their guys. It's not uncommon," Saleh continued.
"You could always play the hindsight game or the fearful game, but what's in the best interest for our team is to go out there and play some football together and prepare ourselves the best way we can for September 11th."
Defensively, it would be nice to see the Jets' defensive front have as dominant of a performance as they did against the Carolina Panthers a couple weeks ago, when they registered five sacks, forced two turnovers and allowed zero points. This run defense has been ferocious, allowing just 2.6 yards per rush through the preseason.
What to watch with Giants
The other New York NFL team is coming off a 21-19 win over the Panthers in which Daniel Jones and Darren Waller tore up Carolina's defense -- at least for a couple drives. Jones completed 8 of 9 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown, while Waller caught three passes for 30 yards. Rookie wideout Jalin Hyatt flashed as well, catching four passes for 35 yards and one touchdown.
The Giants have won three out of their last five preseason games, but have failed to cover the spread in all five contests. We don't know for sure, but it doesn't sound like the Giants will use this game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season -- which may explain why the spread is so big. That sets up an interesting scenario for the Giants' reserves, who will get a crack at stopping Rodgers and his new offense. That's certainly something to watch, along with how the younger players on both sides of the ball fare ahead of roster cutdown day.
