Three storylines to monitor in the Giants-Jets 'Snoopy Bowl'

The Giants face the Jets in their annual preseason exhibition on Saturday. Here are three storylines to monitor as the teams prepare for their last rehearsal before the regular season begins. 

1. Will the Jets offense run smoothly in quarterback Aaron Rodgers' debut?

After an offseason filled with hype, Rodgers is making his long-awaited Jets debut, his first preseason action since 2018. The two teams are treating this matchup differently, as the Giants will likely rest their starters to avoid last-minute injuries, per The Athletic's Dan Duggan. Because of this, it's imperative that Rodgers and the Jets find the end zone at least once against the Giants' second-teamers. 

If the latest episode of "Hard Knocks" was any indication, Rodgers and the Jets wideouts aren't quite in sync yet. In one scene, wide receiver Randall Cobb, one of Rodgers' favorite pass-catchers from their Green Bay days, issued an emphatic warning to the rest of his position group. 

"It's all cool right now, but I'm telling you -- one day, he's gonna lose his s---," Cobb said. "It's gonna happen if it continues going the way it's going right now."

The Jets open the regular season against AFC East foe Buffalo, and an impressive showing by the offense will provide much-needed confidence for the team heading into a matchup that could turn into a shootout. 

2. Is it too late for wide receiver Collin Johnson to prove his worth to the Giants?

New York's wide receiver corps might not be filled with household names, but it is a far deeper unit than in recent years, which doesn't bode well for Johnson. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder signed with the Giants in 2021 and didn't have much of an impact on offense, recording 105 yards in 12 games. However, he was a standout during last year's training camp until he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. 

Unfortunately, injuries have continued to follow Johnson into 2023. Once again impressing in practice, Johnson suffered a knee injury in the Giants' first preseason game, forcing him to miss last week's contest against Carolina. Luckily, Johnson returned to practice on Monday and appears to be in line to see significant time on Saturday. 

Despite the fact that his imposing frame should theoretically give him an edge during cut day, a stellar effort on Saturday might not be enough for Johnson to make the team. He'll likely need other roster hopefuls, such as undrafted free agent Bryce Ford-Wheaton, to disappoint.

3. Is this where offensive tackle Mekhi Becton gets his career back on track? 

While the spotlight will be on Rodgers, the Jets need Becton to deliver another strong outing at right tackle. Becton, who made his professional debut at the position last week, is getting the start after Max Mitchell and Billy Turner underwhelmed during training camp.

The former 11th overall pick didn't surrender a pressure in 19 pass-blocking snaps against Tampa Bay, but what impressed Jets HC Robert Saleh most was his demeanor while preparing for the game. 

“[Becton] was finishing blocks,” Saleh said earlier this week, via the New York Post. “Showed athleticism, strength, power, movement. Lot of things he still has to clean up. But he showed, especially — it’s a little thing — but it’s everything pregame. His language, his voice, the bounce in his step, the things people aren’t seeing cause they’re so fixated on what he’s doing on the field.”

Becton has had a rough start to his career, to put it mildly, playing just one game in the last two seasons due to injuries. Although there's no guarantee he'll be the Week 1 starter, Becton can put any concerns the Jets staff has to rest by building on his performance from last week.