The New York Giants defense showcased a dominant performance during a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, August 20, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. The unit, led by edge rusher Brian Burns, recorded more than six sacks against the Dolphins' offense. "It was ferocious," said head coach John Harbaugh, though he cautioned that such intensity must translate to game situations.
Beyond the pass rush, safety Jevón Holland and nickel back Dru Phillips also made significant plays disrupting the Dolphins' offensive flow. Quarterback Malik Willis, working with the Dolphins' starting offense, found few opportunities to escape pressure, largely due to the efforts of Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Chauncey Golston, who had at least two sacks.
Despite the overwhelming success, Burns remained critical of the defense's early performance. He stated that while the unit became more dominant as the practice progressed, the initial intensity was lacking. Burns attributed this partly to the earlier start time and the novelty of practicing against a different team, emphasizing the need for the defense to "swarm from when we first got out here."
"We started to do that later on, towards the middle of the day and the rest of the day on," Burns said. "But we had splashes in the beginning, but I wanted to swarm from when we first got out here and it just took a little bit to get going."
Willis acknowledged the difficulty in assessing practice performance accurately due to focusing downfield but recognized the strength of the Giants' front. "I just hear the whistle. But I think those guys have a great front and all due respect to them, but we’ll figure out what we were doing wrong when we get to watch the film," he commented.
Overall, Burns described the defensive showing as "dominant," but his personal standard suggests room for improvement in consistency and immediate intensity. The practice highlighted the potential of the Giants' defensive line and pass rushers as the team prepares for the upcoming season.