Pads come on for first time at practice Monday
This year's training camp has been unlike any camp we have seen in the past.
With only two weeks left on the calendar in August, today's practice represents the first session in which players will be fully padded. It will be the first of 14 padded practices from today through September 6th as the Giants, along with the rest of the NFL, ramp up activities to prepare for the start of the season.
"They're going to be moving fast, we're going to be intent, we're going to have an intensity in how we work," Head Coach Joe Judge told reporters last week. "When the padded practices start on Monday, it will reduce to a 90-minute practice per league rules. We're going to build everyone to make sure that now that we're in pads, we can execute with the right fundamentals to play aggressive but safe. At all positions, receiver, d-line, it doesn't matter. When the pads go on, you have to see intensity ramp up."
With no preseason games this year, these padded practices will be crucial towards preparing players for Week One, which for the Giants comes exactly four weeks from tonight. On top of the 14 padded practices, the Giants will have several full-team scrimmages over the next few weeks, beginning this Friday night.
"Look, for everyone kind of familiar with football, that will look a whole lot like every high school and college scrimmage in America," said Judge. "Offense on one sideline, defense on the other. We'll create situations on the field and let them play live football all the way through. We have to get an opportunity to let our guys play at full speed. Let them go out there and experience the game and demonstrate they can operate when coaches aren't yelling in their ears and trying to make corrections. We just have to get them out there and let them play."
In case you missed it last week
Last week was a big one for the Giants, as the team ramped up activities to prepare for the start of padded practices today. In addition, it was the first full week where players and coaches met with reporters via video chat press conferences, shedding some light on their unique offseason and training camp experiences over the last few months.
In case you missed it, here are some of last week's big stories from Giants training camp.
Photos: Giants return to practice on Sunday
Following a players off day on Saturday, the Giants were back at practice yesterday.
Check out photos from Sunday's practice session at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
After a players day off on Saturday, the Giants were back on the practice field Sunday at Training Camp
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