CORTLAND — Most of the Jets yesterday shrugged off the comments made Thursday by Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas, who touted the Giants as the big football draw in New York and said the stadium still is theirs, not the Jets’.
“If that’s how they feel, that’s how they feel,” Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said. “It’s cool for them to feel that way. But we’re here to stay, and that’s it.”
Coach Rex Ryan couldn’t even muster up any animosity toward the Giants.
ACCUSCORE: JETS START 0-3 WITHOUT REVIS
“I’ve always said that I respect the Giants,” Ryan said. “I respect the way they play. They’re a tough team.”
Thomas said Thursday, “We want to send a message to them that it’s still our town and it’s going to be our stadium.”
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Jets center Nick Mangold, who missed practice Thursday after getting hit in the temple by defensive tackle Sione Pouha on Wednesday, practiced fully. He said he is ready to go for the first preseason game.
Right tackle Damien Woody was given the morning off to rest. He was replaced in team drills by Wayne Hunter, and Michael Turkovich also got some reps at the position.
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Ryan said again he will not be game-planning for the Giants in Monday night’s preseason opener.
“We’re going to prepare like we did the last time against them and not prepare,” Ryan said.
He did, however, acknowledge that because it’s the first game in the new stadium “it will be different” from the average preseason game.
“The fact that we’re playing the Giants, and we play in the same stadium, a new stadium, yeah, there’s a little extra,” he said. “But it’s not going to be amped like it will be for the regular season, that’s for sure.”
The Jets announced there are festivities planned for their Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Ravens, including a halftime performance by Green Day. The guitarist Slash of Guns N’ Roses fame and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger will play during a tailgate concert outside the stadium and Scherzinger will sing the national anthem.
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Ryan was lukewarm when asked about rookie safety Donovan Warren, who has been struggling and had a bad day, missing coverage on a goal-line drill.
“He’s been up and down,” Ryan said of the free agent from Michigan. “[Yesterday] was a bad day. He’s kind of an in-between guy — between cornerback and safety.”
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Rookie G Vladimir Ducasse worked with the first team in the morning team drills despite the fact Matt Slauson has the decided edge in the battle for the starting left guard spot. . . . TE Ben Hartsock, who caught one pass all last season and is on the team as a blocker, made a nifty one-handed catch on a pass from Mark Sanchez. . . . LB Josh Mauga picked off a deflected Mark Brunell pass and ran it back for a touchdown.
LB Jason Taylor had a sack of Brunell. . . . K Nick Folk, with backup punter T.J. Conley holding, made four of five field goals, all inside 41 yards. His one miss was a 37-yarder pushed wide right. Ryan praised Folk, saying, “He’s going to have a big year for us,” and also touted Folk’s kickoffs.
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Ryan cancelled meetings on Thursday night and gave the players a “movie night.” A number of players, coaches and staff members took a chartered bus to the movies, where they had three choices: “Dinner with Schmucks,” “The Other Guys” and “Inception.”