Brian Daboll Confirms Giant Joint Practices

The New York Giants are having some friends over this summer.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed on Thursday that the team will engage in joint practices against both the Detroit Lions and New York Jets this August.

Exhibition meetings against both will be staged at MetLife Stadium: Detroit opens the Giants’ summer slate on Aug. 8 while the Jets close it out 16 days later in the annual preseason showdown. With the Giants scheduled to be the road team in the annual “MetLife Bowl,” the session with the Jets (with others potentially added) will be held at the green facility in Florham Park.

Detroit’s visit will return the favor from last season, when Big Blue faced Honolulu blue in the latter’s facility in Allen Park. Joint practices have become an increasingly common practice across the league, to the point where some value them more over preseason games.

“It’s good to get different plays versus different looks and then coach off of those because some of the things that we haven’t seen,” Daboll previously said of the benefits of facing a different defense after last year’s visit to Detroit’s den. “It’s really beneficial to get.”

Both the Lions and Jets will be looking to make summer statements: Detroit has become a trendy championship pick after making an appearance in last season’s NFC title game while the Jets’ hope is renewed thanks to the presumed return of newly-minted franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers.