Tag: NFL

Giants look to add to momentum with Week 2 win over Panthers

The Empire State Building will illuminate its world-famous tower lights in Giants blue Saturday night, leading into the first home game of the 2022 regular season Sunday. The Giants are 1-0 for the first time in six years as they take the field at MetLife Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff, and that means about three hours later we will all know if the brightness shining at the start of Brian Daboll’s head-coaching career will continue to glow or has been dimmed.

There is no doubt Daboll’s bold decision in Week 1 to go for the 2-point conversion and the win, rather than play for overtime, won over Giants fans and fostered a belief in his players that their boss has their back. Upsetting the Titans, 21-20, in Nashville — especially the way it unfolded — was a scenario beyond anyone’s imagination, as far as crafting a Daboll storybook debut.

A renewed sense of hope is sure to permeate Daboll’s first game in front of loyalists who have grown weary of wondering what their favorite team will do this week to embarrass the franchise. The last time the Giants played a home game that mattered, they became meme-generated laughingstocks in a desultory 2021 season-ending loss to Washington, lowlighted by two consecutive quarterback kneel-downs, an unfortunate coda to the Joe Judge coaching tenure.

Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll
Getty Images; Noah K. Murray

That was then. The vibe heading into the Week 2 game against the Panthers is far more jump-up than kneel-down. One game does not wipe away the past five years of sorry football, but there is no doubt Daboll is off to a flying start. The reaction should be rousing, right?

“That’s a great question,’’ said Saquon Barkley, who did more than anyone to make sure the Giants won their opener. “I can’t really tell, I guess I’ll probably know that answer a little better on Sunday when I get out there and see everyone that comes out.

“One thing that I can say about the Giants’ fans: Win, loss, or draw they’re going to show up, you’re going to hear them. Whether it’s ‘boos’ or whether it’s ‘hoorays’ or whatever you want to call it. They’ve been great fans, they’ve been showing out since I’ve been here. Hopefully this year we can go out there and give them something to be proud about.’’

Daboll arrives as a conquering hero, based on his unblemished record one week into his Giants coaching tenure. He dutifully honed in on his first home game by playing to the crowd — “I love our fan base’’ — as he anticipated a packed house.

“They’re pretty smart fans up here, so the more we can get in there, the better it’ll be,’’ Daboll said.

Wink Martindale, Daboll’s hand-picked defensive coordinator, implored Giants fans to make life miserable for the Panthers when they have the ball.

“If you want to be part of changing this culture here with the Giants, be loud and have that place rocking where people don’t want to come to our stadium,’’ he said.

There is nothing wrong with any of that, other than the need to say it. When the Giants were contending for postseason berths and forging winning records, there was no requirement to cajole the fans to show up and to believe. Times have changed. Home can be where the heart is, and home can also be where the hostility is.

This is the first of three consecutive home games for the Giants. The Panthers are 0-1. Next, on “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 26, it will be the Cowboys, a team that lost its opener and quarterback, Dak Prescott. The Bears, who will come in on Oct. 2, are no one’s pick to have a big year. There is an opportunity for a winning record after four games for the first time since 2011. The caveat is that success one week often has nothing to do with what happens the next week, especially with a program in its nascent stages.

“A win just basically boosts your confidence,’’ receiver Kadarius Toney said. “It just lets you know that the hard work that you are putting in is working. It means a lot around here because we’ve come a long way from having hard times. This year, I just feel like we are overcoming our adversity, we are learning how to deal with it in different ways.’’

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Jets’ Breece Hall aiming to put rough NFL debut behind him

Jets running back Breece Hall figures it can’t get any worse.

Hall had some tough moments in his NFL debut last week against the Ravens, with a fumble in the red zone and a dropped pass.

“Obviously, I felt like I could have done a lot better,” Hall said. “I had a dropped pass and a fumble and everything like that. I felt like I had all my rookie moments in one day. It was good to get that out of the way. Just knowing that the coaches still have faith in me, they still want to get me the ball whenever I’m in the game, it feels good.”

The Jets need Hall and his fellow back Michael Carter to both have strong games Sunday against the Browns. Cleveland’s pass rush, led by Myles Garrett, could make it a long day for the offense. But if the Jets can run the ball effectively, they could slow down the rush.

“We’re going to have to stay ahead of the sticks,” Hall said. “We’re going to have to slow those guys down, get chips on those guys, try to confuse those guys in any type of way. That’s going to be big for us this week. It’s going to be big for me and [Carter] to run the ball.”

Breece Hall fumbles the ball after getting hit by Ravens safety Chuck Clark during the Jets’ Week 1 loss.
N.Y. Post: Bill Kostroun

Head coach Robert Saleh said last week was a learning experience for Hall and all the rookies.

“They’re not trying to make a mistake, they’re not trying to fumble, he’s trying to fight for extra yards, he spins out of it, you just got to remind him this league is different than college,” Saleh said. “The players are too fast, they’re too smart, they’re too ball-focused, so a great lesson for him.

“There was even one he was just talking about, he saw a crease and big Calais [Campbell] just grabbed him, and he’s like, that’s never happened to him before. So it just grabbed him, just to stop and he’s like, ‘Jeez,’ but for him, it’s just all of these guys, just that lesson. He didn’t realize how strong these guys are, so there’s just a different mindset when you’re trying to hit those creases, where in college he probably would’ve been gone.”

Hall said his coaches’ belief in him has kept him confident.

“I feel like they want to make me and [Carter] the identity of our offense,” Hall said. “Just knowing that they have that faith in me feels nice. I’m just focusing on the little things, squeezing the ball, protecting the ball, catching the ball and just let my natural ability take over. I’m not too worried about anything. I know I’m going to progress week by week.”

The Jets elevated OL Grant Hermanns and TE Kenny Yeboah from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.

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Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu’s paths cross again after NFL Draft debate

Faced with two identical grades, the Giants got extra credit for doing their homework. 

After no offensive tackles were selected in the first four picks of the 2022 NFL Draft, Giants general manager Joe Schoen recognized he could deftly manipulate the board by drafting pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5 and waiting for an offensive tackle at No. 7. The luxury of having Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal graded “side-by-side” was the comfort that the Giants could allow the tackle-needy Panthers to choose between the two at No. 6 (they selected Ekwonu) and scooping up the other, which they did when they chose Neal. 

The Giants even turned down an opportunity to trade up to No. 6, make back-to-back picks and secure the offensive tackle of their liking when the Panthers tried to entice a deal during the first round of the draft, multiple sources said. That phone call suggests that, like the Giants, the Panthers saw no separation between two offensive tackles — whether Ekwonu and Neal or Ekwonu and Charles Cross, who went to the Seahawks at No. 9. 

Evan Neal
Noah K. Murray-NY Post

The paths of Neal and Ewkonu will converge Sunday when Ekwonu will be at left tackle for the Panthers as they visit the Giants, who will have Neal at right tackle. 

“I don’t measure myself up to anybody. I don’t like to compare myself to anybody but me,” Neal told The Post. “But I will obviously keep up with those guys and track their success. We’re all in the same field.” 

Neal’s NFL debut (two quarterback pressures allowed) went more smoothly than Ekwonu’s (four pressures, including two sacks) but only Ekwonu was thrown into the fire against two-time All-Pro Myles Garrett. 

“He improved as the game went on,” Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said. “He went through a rough spot there in the middle but he kept fighting.” 

Neal’s assignment will get more difficult Sunday against Carolina’s Brian Burns, who is coming off back-to-back nine-sack seasons. 

“Going up against first-teamers, I could tell guys had a little more experience playing ball,” Neal said. “It was probably half-a-step quicker [than the preseason], but I was ready to do the best I could to help my team win. Carolina has a fast group who can get up field on you. Brian Burns is a real-talented guy — long guy, shifty, elusive, so I’m excited to go to war against him.” 

Both Neal and Ekwonu were mentioned as potential No. 1 overall picks, but the Jaguars opted instead for defensive lineman Travon Walker. 

With the Panthers on the clock, Neal readied for the possibility of hearing his name. He instead was forced to wait another 10 minutes. The financial difference in picks No. 6 and No. 7 is about $3 million over the life of a four-year contract. 

“I was prepared for anything,” Neal said. “I just came in with the mindset that whatever hand I was dealt, I was going to be happy. I’m excited to be here. New York is so different than what I’m used to from a small country town [in Florida]. It was a good change to come here.” 

The consensus among NFL scouts was Ekwonu is the better run-blocker, better finisher and a potential All-Pro guard if ever moved. Neal was thought to be the better pass-blocker, capable of playing tackle on either side of the line and more pro-ready. 

Neal checked head coach Brian Daboll’s three key boxes before the draft: Smart. Tough. Dependable. How did he fare in Week 1? 

“He communicated well with his teammates up front,” Daboll said. “I thought it was a good start. Certainly, things to build off of. He’s out there out there usually blocking a premier edge rusher, so there’s a speed element to it that he’s got to get adjusted to, just like all the rookies. But I thought he did a good job.” 

Ikem Ekwonu
AP

Added offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, “I was really impressed with how he kept his composure.” 

Had the Panthers preferred Neal, well, the Giants saw plenty of upside in Ekwonu. 

“I had a really good experience with him in the draft process, both as a person and a player,” Daboll said. “I think he’s going to be a good player for a long time.” 

Added Johnson, “He’s about the right things, which is why he was on our board at the level he was at.” 

Two paths will diverge again after the game. Neal’s only concern is an upward trajectory. 

“I feel like we have the chance to be a really good line,” he said. “We showed that in spurts, but we have to build on it.”

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Seahawks’ Shelby Harris mocks Russell Wilson trade after win

Seahawks defensive lineman Shelby Harris had one final message after Seattle’s 17-16 win against the Broncos on Monday Night Football.

“All I have to say is, let’s ride,” Harris told NFL Network after the game, referring to Wilson’s now-viral slogan after Seattle traded him to Denver in March.

Harris, 31, spent five seasons in Denver before he was traded, along with Noah Fant, Drew Lock and a number of draft picks for Wilson in March. Harris recorded 21.5 sacks on 203 tackles, 34 of which were for a loss, in 75 games for the Broncos.

“We come out here, everyone doubted us, everyone made this about Russ. We made about the Seattle Seahawks,” said Harris, who had three tackles, one for loss and one quarterback hit in the game.

“We came out here, played good ball for four quarters, come out with the ‘W.’ Nobody expected us to to win except for us. It’s always going to be us.”

When asked about Seattle’s defense causing two goal-line fumbles in the second half, Harris took the opportunity to let Denver know the caliber player they traded away to Seattle.

“That’s what happens when you trade one of your D-lineman to the other team. We sit here and make plays, all of us,” Harris said. “That’s what happens when you get two goal-line stops, right there, a win. Can’t draw it up any better than that, man.”

Wilson, who was mercilessly booed in his return to Seattle, was 29 of 42 for 340 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson during the fourth quarter in a game against the Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 12, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.
Getty Images
Melvin Gordon fumbles at the goalline.
AP

Denver’s downfall in Monday’s loss was in the red zone. Both Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams fumbled on plays snapped at the Seahawks 1-yard line.

The Broncos sealed the loss when first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett asked kicker Brandon McManus to boot a 64-yard field-goal attempt in the final minute — after letting the clock bizarrely run with all three of their timeouts.

Hackett got roasted on social media for not trusting Wilson to work on fourth-and-5 at the Seahawks’ 46-yard line with a minute left in the game.

Seahawks defensive lineman Shelby Harris after Seattle’s 17-16 win against the Broncos at home in Week 1 in on Monday, September 12, 2022.
Twitter/James Palmer/NFL Network

Seattle is now in first place in the NFC West after Arizona, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams all lost on Sunday.

The Seahawks head to San Fransisco to play the 49ers in Week 2.



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Cowboys’ night goes from bad to worse with Dak Prescott injury

The Cowboys’ disastrous Week 1 performance took a nightmarish turn in the final minutes.

Dak Prescott exited Dallas’ 19-3 loss to the Buccaneers late in the fourth quarter with a right hand injury. Owner Jerry Jones told reporters after the game that it will require surgery and that he will miss at least several weeks, according to The Athletic.

After getting his hand and thumb looked at by trainers on the sideline, Prescott jogged toward the locker room. He was undergoing X-rays before the final whistle, according to NBC’s broadcast. Prescott was replaced by Cooper Rush.

Struggling to get any rhythm on offense all night, Prescott completed just 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and an interception before the injury.

It’s the latest in a line of injury concerns for Prescott, who earlier this week tweaked his ankle — the same ankle that he suffered a season-ending compound fracture and dislocation in 2020.

Dak Prescott is hit before exiting the game with an injury.
Screengrab/Twitter
Dak Prescott is examined on the sideline.
Screengrab/Twitter

In 10 career games with the Cowboys since being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan in 2017, Rush has completed 31 of 50 passes for 424 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

The Cowboys do not currently have a third quarterback on the roster.



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Jets’ abysmal offensive day isn’t shaking belief in Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco had been a sitting duck behind a makeshift offensive line and those Jets fans still awake and trapped watching a three-yards-and-a-cloud of dust offense flashed back to last Halloween when Mike White (405 yards, three touchdowns) showed up one afternoon as Cinderella.

And so the “Mike White” chants began with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter of Ravens 24, Jets 9 on Opening Day.

I asked running back Michael Carter if he heard the “Mike White” chant.

“No. I think that’s bulls—, though,” he told The Post. “I love Mike White. I love him, and I know he can spin it and know everything, but you gotta believe in the guys that are rolling out there. I know Mike White would have done a good job, but it is like disrespectful to Joe.

“And you see this in the NFL where vets, and guys who are super-accomplished, the NFL tries to throw ’em to the side. Because it’s a quote, ‘young man’s league.’ He doesn’t deserve that.”

Flacco did not. But when you are the quarterback of a Sominex offense with all the energy and urgency of a turtle, it is inevitably your fault, and

It is rite of football Sundays that when the starting quarterback cannot for whatever reason sniff the end zone, the backup quarterback becomes the people’s choice.

Woe Flacco.

Quarterback of the ALL BRAKE NO GAS offense.

Take Flight?

No. Take Fright.

Joe Flacco is sacked during the Jets’ loss to the Ravens.
Bill Kostroun

Flacco finished 37 of 59 for 307 yards, one garbage-time touchdown and one interception. Flacco was under siege, an anachronism in a league designed for mobile quarterbacks, and victimized by fumbles by Breece Hall and Tyler Conklin, and a slip over the middle by surprise starting tight end Lawrence Cager on his pick.

“We gotta keep him off the ground,” Carter said. “It goes back to that. We gotta keep him off the ground. He is a great quarterback when he’s upright, just like all the quarterbacks — Patrick Mahomes, he’s great when he’s upright. Josh Allen, he’s great when he’s upright. Zach Wilson, he’s great when he’s upright.”

Wishful thinking there on Wilson, who would have been more effective running for his life than Flacco, to be sure.

It is no great surprise that Flacco could not elevate the players around him against these Ravens. For the Jets to win a game like this, Flacco needs greater support from his protectors and playmakers and his defense and special teams. Because he is not Lamar Jackson, or Allen, or Mahomes.

“There were plays when we weren’t helping Joe,” Robert Saleh said, “and there were plays when he wasn’t helping either.”

Ominously, the psychology of results tells us that a team teaches itself what it is on the field (thank you, Bill Parcells), and Ya Gotta Believe has yet to make its way into the franchise.

“I just keep going back to just the belief in ourselves that we’re good,” Flacco said, “and I’m talking to myself too. I think every time we take the field we just have to truly believe that we’re capable, ’cause we are. And I think that’s kinda why we’re missing some of that little juice here and there to kinda get us over the hump. And like I said, I’m talking to myself, not just young guys and things like that.”

Breece Hall fumbles the ball during the Jets’ loss to the Ravens.
Charles Wenzelberg/N.Y. Post

Meet The Losing Syndrome. Try your best not to listen to Same Old Jets.

“When you have young guys that haven’t played in this league, and then when you have a bunch of veterans that just haven’t won consistently over the last couple of years, you have to learn how to win football games, and create that winning culture, and winning on Sundays is a big part of that.”

Of course Flacco did not point a finger on his first-half interception.

“I’m gonna just wish that I just took some of the 5-yard checkdowns earlier in the game,” he said. “The safety [Marcus Williams] was driving, and you have a little miscue on running the route and next thing you know you’re in a bad position.”

Of course he did not throw his offensive line under the bus.

“Those guys fought all day and I thought they played really well together,” Flacco said. “We all have to make little improvements like I talked about for us to take that next step.”

One Jets fan can hardly watch the team’s loss to the Ravens on Sunday.
Charles Wenzelberg/ NY Post

Conklin leaped to Flacco’s defense.

“He’s the same player he was, he can make all the throws, he’s smart, he’s a leader, we all love playing with him,” Conklin said. “We gotta be better for him too.”

Getting dynamic rookie WR Garrett Wilson more playing time in the first half would be a good start, and Forgotten Man C.J. Uzomah as well. Conklin fumbled away an early first down at the Baltimore 21 and Corey Davis had an early drop and Hall a fourth-quarter fumble and time for a talk already.

“We had a talk in the locker room after the game,” Uzomah said. “We’re not going to let it happen again.”

Conklin: “It’s not the same s–t. We got a good team.”

Positive Vibes Only more than ever.

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Lamar Jackson turned down 5-year, $250M Ravens contract

Like Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, Lamar Jackson has bet on himself rather than accept the Ravens’ long-term contract offer.

Jackson, who will face the Jets in Sunday’s season opener at MetLife Stadium, turned down a five-year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed this week, ESPN reported.

Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is slated to earn $23 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and the extension would have kicked in next season.

The average annual salary and guaranteed money at signing would have exceeded the deals landed this summer by star quarterbacks Kyler Murray with Arizona and Russell Wilson with Denver. But the 25-year-old Jackson — who represented himself in negotiations — sought a fully-guaranteed deal like the one Deshaun Watson signed (worth $230 million) with Cleveland in June. The Ravens still can retain Jackson’s rights for 2023 by applying their franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowler.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks on after a preseason game against the Commanders.
Getty Images

“Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said Friday in a statement after negotiations were tabled until the conclusion of the season. “We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process and we are excited about our team with Lamar leading the way.

“We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign.”

Jackson has posted a 37-12 record as a starter as Baltimore’s starting quarterback since the middle of the 2018 season, but they have dropped three of four postseason games in that span.

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Five under-the-radar Giants players to watch in Week 1

The spotlight Sunday will be on the usual suspects for the Giants. Daniel Jones, still trying to prove he can be the franchise quarterback. Saquon Barkley, coming off a disappointing 2021. Brian Daboll, in his first game as an NFL head coach.

But they will not be the only ones under scrutiny when the Giants open their season at the Titans in Nashville, Tenn.

As a byproduct of the team’s injuries, training camp cuts and sheer lack of depth at certain positions, opportunities are in abundance across the roster, particularly early in the season. That means there’s a lot to look for beyond the top-line names.

The Post breaks down five players to pay attention to against the Titans:

WR Wan’Dale Robinson

It’s no secret that the Giants’ receiving corps is … lacking. Sterling Shepard will be back on Sunday, but Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney both drastically underproduced last season. Therefore, it looks as though the opportunity is there for the rookie Robinson, should he establish himself, to move up the depth chart. The Giants spent a second-round pick on Robinson in April, so it figures that the new regime — one that wasn’t responsible for bringing in Golladay or Toney — will give him every chance to shine.

Wan’Dale Robinson and Austin Calitro
Robert Sabo; AP

Robinson, a Kentucky product, said he has built up a strong chemistry with Jones during camp.

“Actually, I’ve gotten more time with Daniel than I did with [Kentucky quarterback] Will [Levis],” Robinson told The Post. “We can really go up to each other whenever there’s anything and ask each other a question with how we feel about something, so that’s really been great.”

CB Aaron Robinson

The Titans figure to be a navigable matchup in the passing game — they were 24th in passing yardage last season, with most of their offense coming via Derrick Henry and the run. And Tennessee has since lost A.J. Brown, its top receiver in 2021. All that adds up to a good chance for Robinson to prove he deserves the starting job opposite Adoree’ Jackson.

LB Austin Calitro

Calitro, ultimately, is the person who will end up being judged in Blake Martinez’s spot after the former captain was cut at the end of training camp. This is the first time in Calitro’s five seasons in which he’ll have the chance to start every game (he did so sporadically for Seattle in 2018 and Jacksonville in 2019), and it comes in the middle of a Giants defense dotted with questions.

LG Ben Bredeson/Josh Ezeudu

We still don’t know for sure who will start at left guard when the Giants take the field on Sunday, as Daboll declined to answer that question before practice Friday. Whomever ends up starting in place of Shane Lemieux (foot injury), though, will be walking under a heat lamp. The Giants have suffered injuries throughout their line all summer, and as a result they have lost a chance to build up chemistry as a unit during camp. Largely as a result of that, this will not be an easy assignment.

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Sterling Shepard providing needed boost to Giants receiving room

On Sunday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn., wide receiver Sterling Shepard will step onto a football field and play an NFL game for the first time since calamity struck. 

Shepard’s recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered last December has gone so well that he did not appear on the Giants’ injury report Friday. There was not even a cursory designation of questionable to keep the Titans wondering. That would be pointless. 

“Ain’t no question about it,” Shepard told The Post. “I’ve been saying I’m playing all week, so that’s the plan.” 

In a Giants receivers’ room in which the headlines of late have centered around Kenny Golladay’s and Kadarius Toney’s lack of production in 2021, that is a rare bit of good news. Shepard, a Giant since the Ben McAdoo era, will be back catching passes, the injury he has rehabbed since December completely removed from his mind. 

Sterling Shepard catches a pass at Giants practice.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

That is something Shepard has earned through intensive rehab, compressing what is normally a yearlong recovery to just nine months. He had never suffered a major injury before, but attacked this challenge hard. 

“S–t ton of just exercising,” Shepard said. “Just trying to strengthen my calf as much as I can so I can still have that pop, still have that push.” 

He’s still doing those exercises — toe raises and the like — but he feels very much himself. 

“I wouldn’t be back out there if I didn’t,” he said. 

Assuming there are no last-minute changes, Shepard’s return means Sunday will be the first time the Giants have had their top three receivers, top running back, top tight end and both starting offensive tackles available for an entire game since Nov. 18, 2018 — a span over which the expected starters at those positions have all been healthy for just two of 228 quarters. 

“It’s been impressive,” Daniel Jones told The Post of Shepard’s recovery. “I think he’s an extremely hardworking guy. He puts his heart and soul into playing football, into preparing and making himself a better player. He took that approach to his rehab and I think that’s why you see him, he’s in the position he’s in. 

“He stayed consistent with it. He works his tail off every day. So I’m excited for him.” 

Sterling Shepard speaks to the media on Friday.
Noah K. Murray-NY Post

Having never had more than 872 receiving yards in a season, Shepard wouldn’t be considered a No. 1 receiver on most NFL teams. But he might well be in that position for the Giants, and he indisputably makes the receivers’ room much better. 

Despite the story surrounding him, Shepard doesn’t expect this Sunday to feel any different than past Sundays. 

“It shouldn’t,” Shepard said. “I’ll get pregame jitters, just like I always do. I suspect it’s gonna be the same as the million other games that I played.”

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Carl Lawson thrilled his father will be at Jets opener

Sunday will be special for Carl Lawson, but not because it will be his first game that counts in 20 months.

The presence of his father, Carl Lawson Sr., in the crowd is what excites him about the regular-season opener against the Ravens.

“My dad hasn’t seen me play in a long time,” the Jets defensive end said Thursday. “It’s a real big emotion that way.”

After signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Jets in March 2021, Lawson missed all of last season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. That was nothing compared to what his father dealt with, nearly losing his life in a battle with COVID-19.

Carl Lawson
Bill Kostroun

Lawson thought Carl Sr., who played college football at Georgia Tech in the late 1980s, would never be able to watch him in action again after joining the Jets. That’s how serious it got. He was in the hospital for, in Lawson’s words, “forever.” SNY reported the elder Lawson was hospitalized for nine weeks, spending a significant amount of time on a ventilator.

“I thought I was going to lose him a while ago, right around the time after I signed my contract,” Lawson said. “I was like, ‘Damn, he’s not going to get to see me play as a Jet.’ That’s why it’s important to me. You never know when your last opportunity for anything is.”

The game Sunday will be Lawson’s first real contest in green, and he will have his family there to take it all in. The Jets are excited to see how Lawson can bolster their front seven after he missed all of last season. His addition should make an already strong defensive front even better. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich called Lawson a “unicorn,” because of his unique body type for his position. Instead of a long, speedy athlete, Lawson is built like a brick.

“He is absolutely impossible to replicate,” Ulbrich said. “He brings not only a pass rush and he brings skill, but he also brings this toughness and this effort and this mindset that absolutely rubs off on other people. We missed him last year, we’re excited to have him back.”

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