By Tomas McDermott
Both Jersey teams had lofty expectations for this year. The Jets acquired future HOF Aaron Rodgers, and the Giants were coming off a playoff win last year. They were both expected to make the playoffs or even the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, neither team came close. They were all plagued by injuries, poor play, underperformance, and lack of discipline. All these factors can make a football team play badly.
Week 1: Cowboys(0-0) at Giants(0-0)
The Giants started off well, driving down the field. It seemed like they hadn’t skipped a beat from last year. A false start put them back 10 yards in the red zone. They had to go for a field goal, which was blocked for a Cowboys touchdown. After getting the ball, the Giants were looking at a deep 3rd and 19. Danny Dimes threw a checkdown to Saquon, and he bobbled it. Daron Bland intercepted it and took it to the house. From there it got worse. The Giants somehow mustered up a drive into field goal range. It did not matter, as Graham “Ga-No Good” missed it. There was nothing good about this 40-0 pummeling. The offense was pitiful, the defense was a joke, and the special teams were abysmal.
Week 1: Bills(0-0) at Jets(0-0)
The Jets started their season catastrophically, losing Aaron Rodgers on the first drive of the game to a season-ending injury. Rodgers was the best quarterback the Jets had since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Against all odds, the Jets managed to stay in the game and eked out a win from a miraculous 65-yard punt return by Xavier Gipson in overtime. The Jets did not beat some team full of scrubs; they beat the Bills, who will always be perennial Super Bowl contenders if they have Josh Allen. Ever since that miracle, the Jets have crashed but have stuck the landing.
Week 2: Giants(0-1) at Cardinals(0-1)
In the first half, the Giants played atrociously against the lowly Cardinals. The offense was pitiful, and the defense was not any better. After two quarters of misery, the Giants were down 20-0. They were outscored 60-0 in the first six quarters of the season. They looked like amateurs in their 6 quarters of hell. Somehow, they figured out how to score points. After the break, they fired a 58-yard bomb to rookie Jalin Hyatt. They scored 2 plays later and were on the board. The Cardinals went back to the end zone and got the 2-point conversion to go up 28-7. The Giants worked their way up the field for a 1-yard touchdown for Saquon. The Giants were back in it. The defense stepped up for the first time this season, forcing a punt. Jones orchestrated an 80-yard drive, capping it with a 9-yard pass to Saquon to keep it manageable. The defense forced a 3 & out, giving Jones the chance to tie the game. The G-Men were driving, and Hyatt had another big catch for 31 yards. The Giants then tied it with an Isaiah Hodgins touchdown. The defense came up big, forcing another three & out. With 2:31 left, they drove to the Cards 20 when tragedy occurred. While chewing clock, Saquon sprained his right ankle. It didn’t affect this game, but long term was a HUGE loss. The Giants bled the clock, and Gano iced the game. With no time, the Cardinals just attempted Hail Mary's. Their prayers were not fulfilled, and the Giants held on. The Giants had a tall task coming up, facing the 49ers.
Week 2: Jets(1-0) at Cowboys(1-0)
To put it simply, the Jets got thumped by the Cowboys. It was not as bad as the other MetLife team, but it was still a bad loss. Future bust Zach Wilson threw 3 interceptions, and the running game was nonexistent. The alleged best running back duo, Breece Hall & Dalvin Cook, combined for a whopping 16 yards on 8 attempts. The Jets had something to look forward to that they have not in previous years, a game against the Patriots. This is not your dominant Patriots with Tom Brady at the helm. This is your Mac Jones Patriots that are the definition of mediocre.
Week 3: Giants(1-1) at 49ers(2-0)
This game was over before it started. The Giants were outplayed in every facet of the game. Their offense was dormant, and their defense was useless as they were on the field the whole game. Their o-line wasn’t doing Daniel Jones any favors. He was running for his life and had no throwing options. Without Saquon, the run game was a joke. Matt Breida couldn’t do diddly-squat with the woeful o-line. Brock Purdy could just sit back and watch the Giants self-combust. Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey had a field day, with the Giants missing 16 tackles. The freshmen team at WPHS could make these tackles. Luckily, they had an easier matchup next week against the Seahawks.
Week 3: Patriots(0-2) at Jets(1-1)
The Jets kept the game close, holding the Patriots to 15 points, 2 of them from a safety. Surely, the Jets can outscore the battle of AFC East basement dwellers. Nope. The Jets managed to score a meager 10 points against the same Patriots that got killed 38-3 by the Cowgirls and 34-0 to the Saints. The Jets could not do anything right. Their running game was nowhere to be seen, and the passing game was dysfunctional. Even a pee-wee team might have gotten better results than the Jets offense could muster up. After that excruciating loss, they had to shake it off, and face the hottest team in the league, the Chiefs.
Week 4: Seahawks(2-1) vs Giants(1-2)
It feels like these Giants games are copied and pasted. Horrible offense & defense, and no o-line. The only difference is the team they face, and touchdowns they scored. Zero. There was no point trotting out an o-line, the result would have been the same. Jones got sacked 11 times. 11 TIMES. He was getting mauled. He also threw 2 picks, one to Devon Witherspoon for a 94-yard pick-six. Last year must have been a dream because this team isn’t the same playoff team from a year ago. It doesn’t get any better. They are facing the #1 Offense Dolphins.
Week 4: Chiefs(2-1) at Jets(1-2)
With the one and only Taylor Swift in the suite, it allowed the Jets to play solid football. In the first quarter, the Jets let up 17 points, and the offense had laid a goose egg. After that, the defense stepped up allowing only 6 points. The offense also remembered how to score points. At halftime, the Jets were only down 20-12, and it was a new ballgame. The Jets quickly scored and got a two-point conversion to tie up the game after halftime. With 10 minutes left, the Chiefs went ahead 23-20 with a field goal. After that, the Jets were driving down the field, then Murphy’s law kicked in for the Jets. Zach Wilson fumbled the snap, and the Chiefs recovered.
The Chiefs were running down the clock, and the Jets got unlucky yet again. With 3rd and 23, K.C. was in trouble. Patrick Mahomes had enough time in the pocket to write a book, thanks to an egregious hold by o-lineman Donovan Smith. The refs turned a blind eye, and Mahomes scrambled 25 yards for a first down. A couple of plays later, it was another third and long for Mahomes. He aired it out, and it was picked off by cornerback, Michael Carter who made a decent return. The comeback seemed on for the Jets, but there was a pesky flag on the field. The refs called a BS holding on Sauce Gardner. It looked like a typical play, but the refs always let their ego get in the way of the game. The Chiefs ran down the clock, and all the Swifties were happy that Kelce won. After this officiating disgrace, the Jets finally got a break. They were playing the Broncos, who had given up 70 points to the Dolphins.
Week 5: Giants(1-3) at Dolphins(3-1)
The Giants defense got pummeled. DeVon Achane and Raheem Mostert combined for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. Against the pass, they fared slightly better. Jason Pinnock got a 102-yard pick six, which kept the game close. That was the first Giants touchdown in the first half. They still haven’t scored an offensive touchdown. When they weren’t getting picks, they were being torched by Tyreek Hill, giving up 181 receiving yards and a touchdown. The loss might have been bad, but that wasn’t the worst part of the game. Jones got a neck injury and was out against the Bills.
Week 5: Jets(1-3) at Broncos(1-3)
This was an unexpected thriller. The first half was mostly uneventful. Russell Wilson got a safety from an intentional grounding. The Jets were frustratingly inefficient in the red zone. At halftime, it was 13-8 Broncos. On their first possession of the half, Breece Hall broke away for a 72-yard touchdown to get the lead. After 3 consecutive field goals, the Jets were up 24-13. The Broncos weren’t deterred and scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion. The Jets were running down the clock when disaster struck. Zach Wilson threw a pick and gave the Broncos life again. Starting at their 3-yard line, the Broncos were slowly driving when the other Wilson messed up. With 29 seconds left, Russell was sacked and fumbled. The Jets recovered and scored. Ball Game over. The Jets defense carried them this week, by recovering 3 fumbles. This game might have been easy, but they had their hardest challenge yet. They were facing the undefeated Eagles, who made the Super Bowl last year.
Week 6: Giants(1-4) at Bills(3-2)
With Jones out, career backup Tyrod Taylor was starting. This was a reunion for the team. Taylor was a Bill for 3 years. Brian Daboll was the offensive coordinator for 4 years. Joe Schoen (Giants GM) was the assistant GM as well. The game’s point spread was 15 points, a league-high this season. Everyone was expecting the Giants to get shelled, even worse than the Cowboys game. In the first quarter, the Giants had the lead!!! After 6 games, the Giants finally were on offense with a lead. After one half, the Giants were up 6-0 and forced two turnovers. They could have scored more, with first and goal at the Bills 1 yard line with 14 seconds left. Daboll called a run-pass option, but Taylor chose the run. Saquon got stuffed, and there wasn’t time to spike the ball and get a field goal. This was a moronic decision because if the Giants passed the ball, they would have been able to stop the clock with an incompletion and kicked an easy field goal. This decision would haunt them later in the game.
In the second half, the Bills scored two back-to-back touchdowns and the Giants scored a field goal to make it 14-9 Bills with 3:48 left. The Giants got the ball back and turned the ball back over on downs. The Bills had the ball in Giants territory. They couldn’t move the ball either, so they attempted a long field goal. It went wide right, and the Giants had life again. They were swiftly going down the field and faced a 4th and 5 at the Bills 27. They needed a miracle. Taylor got Hyatt for 12 yards, and there was still hope. Taylor spiked it, and there were 9 seconds left. After a 6-yard scramble, there were 2 seconds left. From the Bills 9, Tyrod passed to Darren Waller in the end zone and... it was incomplete. It couldn’t be that simple. There was a flag. PI, and an untimed down. This was it. At the 1 again, they knew running the ball was a bad idea. They threw another fade to Waller... And it was broken up. It looked like another PI, but the refs swallowed their whistle because they didn’t want to call PI on 2 consecutive plays. The Giants came extremely close to beating the Bills. This was a moral victory. Competing for 60 minutes with a Super Bowl contender is something I would never consider after the way the season started.
Week 6: Eagles(5-0) at Jets(2-3)
To be frank, the Jets historically suck against the Eagles. They were 0-12 against them coming into the game. In the first half, the Eagles were playing good football. They were stopping the Jets in the red zone, holding them to 3 field goals. The Eagles scored two touchdowns and were up 14-9 at halftime. The first score after halftime was a Jets field goal that put them 2 points away from tying. Jalen Hurts threw another pick, but the Jets yet again couldn’t capitalize. The Eagles drove down the field and missed a 37-yard field goal. With 8 minutes to go, the Jets offense stalled and punted. The Eagles ran down the clock and got to a 3rd and 9 with 1:50 to go. It would be wise to run the ball since the Jets had no timeouts. Instead, Hurts was INTERCEPTED by Tony Adams. He returned it to the Eagles 8, and the game was over. All the Jets had to do was bleed the clock to 5 seconds and kick a chip shot field goal. Instead of that, Breece Hall scored on the first play, wasting no time. The defense let Hall score, which gave the Eagles enough time to come back. After 3 unsuccessful pass plays, it was 4th and long. With the game on the line, Hurts heaved it deep to Devonta Smith, and it was nearly picked off. He bobbled it, and the Jets kneeled the clock out.
Week 7: Commanders(3-3) at Giants(1-5)
After the tough loss to the Bills, the Giants had an easy game against the Commies in week 7. They managed to eke out the win, with two receiving touchdowns from Waller and Saquon. They had a huge defensive stand in their own red zone to end the game. At 2-5, they delusionally had hope. The biggest matchup of the year was next, Jets vs Giants.
Week 7: Jets Bye
After their miraculous upset against the Eagles, morale was high. The Jets could not just celebrate the whole week. They had a grueling game against another fellow Jersey team, the New York Football Giants.
Week 8: Jets(3-3) at Giants(2-5)
This is the worst game I ever witnessed. The Jets started the game off with a fumble, and the Giants capitalized with a field goal. After half a dozen punts, Breece Hall had a long 50 yard receiving touchdown to go up 7-3. After even more punts, Tyrod Taylor got injured. The Giants had to start their third-string quarterback, Tommy DeVito. An undrafted rookie from Jersey, the Giants had zero hope. They only let DeVito throw 7 times and achieved a whopping –1 passing yards. For the day, the Giants had -9 net passing yards. Because the Giants couldn’t pass the ball, they had to pound the rock. Saquon had 36 CARRIES, a career-high for him. The Jets also had their fair share of injuries, with their third-string center coming in. In the third quarter, DeVito had a six-yard run for his first NFL touchdown. After more back-and-forth punts, the Jets had a chance to win the game with a little more than two minutes left. The Giants got a huge sack on fourth down, and the game seemed over. The Giants ran down the clock and attempted a 35-yard field goal with 28 seconds left. Gano missed it, and the Jets had life again. With no timeouts, the Jets needed a miracle. They started off with a 29-yard reception to Garrett Wilson, inbounds. The clock would have kept running, but an offside was called on Kayvon Thibodeaux. After the game, people saw that Thibodeaux was not offside. This officiating error cost the Giants the game, as it gave the Jets enough time to keep the drive going. Allen Lazard had a big reception, but he too was inbounds. The Jets had to race down to spike it... and they spiked it with one second left. They made the field goal, and the game was going to OT. The Giants started with the ball and had a three-and-out. The Jets got the ball, and they were driving down the field. Wilson threw it deep to practice squad receiver Malik Taylor. Adoree’ Jackson made a terrible mistake, knocking Taylor down while not looking at the ball. That is a textbook PI call, and the Jets made the field goal from there. In total, there were 24 punts, the most punts in a game since 2003.
Week 9: Giants(2-6) at Raiders(3-5)
After that abysmal game, the Giants had an easy game against the Raiders. After firing Josh McDaniels, former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce was the interim coach. The Raiders were 3-5 coming into this game. Daniel Jones came back and immediately got injured. He tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the year. The rest of the game was a dumpster fire. The Raiders pummeled the Giants defense and DeVito was drowning because of the pathetic o-line. The final score was 30-6, but it easily could have been more.
Week 9: Chargers(3-4) at Jets(4-3)
Back in East Rutherford, the Jets were facing the Chargers on Monday night. The Jets offense sputtered again, only scoring 6 points the whole game. They fumbled 3 times, which did not help generate any more offense. The Chargers offense just had to manage the game, which they successfully did. Losing 27-6 to this Chargers team is pathetic. Being outcoached by Brandon Staley is difficult to do, but the Jets achieved it.
Week 10: Giants(2-7) at Cowboys(5-3)
In Jerry-World, the Giants desperately needed a win against dem Boys. They needed it for the small chance of making the playoffs, and morale. Instead, they did the opposite. Dak Prescott had 5 total touchdowns and was just handing out touchdowns to anyone. Brandin Cooks had more receiving yards in this game than he had the entire year. The offense didn’t wake up until garbage time. DeVito had two touchdowns, and it was only 49-17. There was some improvement, they only lost by 32 this time!
Week 10: Jets(4-4) at Raiders(4-5)
The other New York team was facing the Raiders. The Jets couldn’t score a single touchdown and lost 16-12. It seems like they forget how to play football when they are in the red zone. The Raiders didn’t play much better, all they did was score in the red zone once. The defense did its part, forcing two turnovers. The offense just needs to come back to life.
Week 11: Giants(2-8) at Commanders(4-6)
I don’t know why Dan Snyder sold the team when the Giants already own the Commanders. It should not be so difficult for the Commanders to beat the Giants. The Giants should have been destroyed with Tommy Devito, who still lives with his parents. Nope. Tommy DeVito threw 3 touchdowns and had an amazing second start. It must be his mom’s home cooking that powers him. The defense had a phenomenal game. They forced 6 turnovers! The defense especially stepped up at the end of the game, with the Commanders down 24-19. Isaiah Simmons got a pick-six and iced the game. It was a good win for morale, but the Giants need to start tanking. The quarterback position is in shambles, and Caleb Williams or Drake Maye seem like better options.
Week 11: Jets(4-5) at Bills(5-5)
In Buffalo, the Jets could not get another miracle. They were steamrolled 32-6. Zach Wilson was benched for Tim Boyle, a man who is statistically one of the worst college quarterbacks ever. The one silver lining is the Jets finally scored a touchdown! They had gone fourteen quarters without scoring a touchdown. The defense admitted defeat once they saw how bad the offense was.
Week 12: Patriots(2-8) at Giants(3-8)
This was yet another miserable game. 10 years ago, Patriots vs Giants was a Super Bowl matchup. Nowadays it is a Tank Bowl matchup. This was a defensive battle, with only 17 total points being scored. The Patriots’ offense was so bad that they benched Mac Jones for the fourth time this season. The Giants were up 10-7 with 3 minutes left. The Pats were methodically driving down the field. They got in field goal range and were chewing clock. The Pats attempted a 35-yard field goal, to send the game to OT. The kick is up... AND IT IS NO GOOD! Chad Ryland missed the kick wide left, and the Giants won the Tank Bowl. It was good for the short term but might be franchise-altering. Winning this game made their draft pick lower, and now there is a slim chance for the G-Men to get a top 5 pick.
Week 12: Dolphins(7-3) at Jets(4-6)
The first ever Black Friday game was a disaster for the Jets. It started off well, with the Jets scoring on a pick-six. They missed the PAT, and it was a 10-6 game. The offense was non-existent, with career backup Tim Boyle starting. The Jets went for a Hail Mary at the end of the first half to gain momentum. Boyle aired it out... And it was picked off by Jevon Holland. He juked and dodged all the Jets players and scored a 99-yard pick-six. This is the absolute worst result that could ever happen from a Hail Mary. It is so bad that it is being called the Hell Mary. This isn’t the first time the Jets have had an awful play named after them, as they had the Butt Fumble on Thanksgiving 11 years ago. The game got out of the Jets hands, and they could not do anything. The final score was 34-13, but it could have been more.
Week 13: Giants Bye
I have no idea what the team should focus on during the bye. They are too good to get a to get a top three pick, but too bad to get a playoff spot.
Week 13: Falcons(5-6) at Jets(4-7)
Each week, I think the Jets cannot look any worse. I am always proven wrong in miraculous ways. The game started off with a safety on the Falcons. With a 2-0 lead, the Jets fumbled the lead away. Dalvin Cook fumbled, which led to a Falcons touchdown. After a couple of field goals, the Jets did the impossible. In the fourth quarter, they benched Tim Boyle for Trevor Siemian. Siemian is the FOURTH-STRING quarterback. To nobody’s surprise, the offense stayed the same, miserable. The final score was 13-8 Falcons, but neither team deserved to win this game.
Week 14: Packers(6-6) at Giants(4-8)
The season depends on this game. If they lose, no more playoff hope. The first half was mostly uneventful, with the Packers going up 10-7. Saquon started the third quarter with a touchdown, to take the lead. The Packers answered back with a field goal to make it a 14-13 ballgame. Hodgins scored to take the lead. With an 8-point lead, the Giants had to play good defense to end this game. Of course, it never can be that easy. The Packers made a field goal to cut down the lead. The Giants got the ball back, and Saquon got free and had a long run. The one slight issue is that he fumbled, which the Packers capitalized on with a 50-yard return. The Packers scored a touchdown with that short field but missed the two-point conversion. The Giants only have 90 seconds to score a field goal, which seems too little for this roster. Tommy DeVito methodically led the team down the field, with heroic play after play. Hopefully, his agent can secure him a deal. DeVito managed to lead the Giants to field goal range thanks to a 32-yard catch from Wan’Dale Robinson. All they needed now was Randy Bullock, who was signed a few weeks ago, to make a 37-yarder. It is high... IT IS GOOD! The Giants miraculously won 24-22, keeping all delusional playoff hope alive.
Week 14: Texans(7-5) at Jets(4-8)
This was supposed to be a terrible game. It was raining the whole game, and it was windy. With Zach Wilson begrudgingly starting again, the Texans were supposed to have an easy win. To say the least, that didn’t happen. CJ Stroud finally played like a rookie and was concussed. Zach Wilson had a career game, throwing for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Jets were watchable, scoring a season-high 30 points. The defense only allowed 6 and shut everything down. This was their best performance this season for sure. This win kept the Jets playoff chances afloat.
Week 15: Giants(5-8) at Saints(6-7)
These are the Giants I remember watching. The Giants with an offense like molasses, and a defense like Swiss cheese. DeVito played like he ate a half dozen chicken cutlets before the game. It was close in the first half, with the Giants being down 7-6 at halftime. After that, it got out of control. The Saints kept scoring, and the Giants kept punting. That’s simply how you lose a ballgame. It was depressing to watch, and the Giants should offer compensation for that abomination of a football game. At least we know not to have hope for this year, and to focus on the draft for sure.
Week 15: Jets(5-8) at Dolphins(9-4)
After that Texans game, I was convinced that the Jets were decent. This game proved me wrong. In the first half, the Jets had negative yards on offense. The defense was pulverized, even without Tyreek Hill playing. Zach Wilson got benched again, but this time for a concussion. The Jets were down 24-0 at half and couldn’t do anything after. Trevor Siemian couldn’t rile up the troops, and they lost 30-0. They too lost their playoff hope.
Week 16: Giants(5-9) at Eagles(10-4)
On Christmas Day, the Giants were hoping for a win as a gift. That was too unrealistic for them. The people that got Tommy DeVito jerseys for Christmas must be livid too, as DeVito was benched at halftime. It looked bleak, as the Giants were down 20-3 at half. Surprisingly, they didn’t give up easily. The Eagles fumbled the kickoff, and Saquon scored a short touchdown from there. After an exchange of punts, Adoree’ Jackson got a HUGE pick-six. They got the two-point conversion, and the Eagles lead was only two points. The Eagles answered right back, with a D’Andre Swift touchdown.
The Giants offense sputtered, and the Eagles added on to the lead with a field goal. Down by 12 with six minutes left, the Giants needed a miracle. They got one right away, with Darius Slayton catching a deep bomb for a 69-yard touchdown. The Eagles answered back again, with another field goal. With 70 seconds and 0 timeouts left, Tyrod Taylor needed to come up clutch. The drive started off with a roughing the passer call, which brought them 15 yards closer. After two incompletions, it was third down. Taylor passed it to Waller for the first, but he was in bounds. The G-Men hurried to the line and spiked it, with 38 seconds left. Saquon got a two-yard check down and got out of bounds. Tyrod threw an incompletion, which made it third down. He went deep for Wan’Dale Robinson, and he didn’t catch it. It looked like blatant PI, but the refs didn’t call it. Now it was 4th and eight for the game. He threw it… and WALLER CAUGHT IT!!! He got a 20-yard completion, and they had to scramble to the line to spike it. They got it off and had two seconds left for one last play. He threw it into the end zone… picked off by the Eagles. This loss finally eliminated the Giants from the playoffs. At least it helped their draft position.
Week 16: Commanders(4-10) at Jets(5-9)
The Jets were granted a Christmas miracle by being able to score on offense. They started the game on fire, taking a 20-0 lead thanks to decent offense and great defense. Most teams should be able to hold this lead easily, or even add on to it. That isn’t how the Jets play football. Trevor Siemian fumbled deep in Jet territory, and the Commies capitalized. The Jets went on a long drive, and Breece Hall capped it off with a touchdown. The Jets still had a 20-point lead at half, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. After both teams exchanged picks, Sam Howell was benched. With career backup Jacoby Brissett in, the Washington offense had life. They scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives, to be up 28-27. After both teams punted, the Jets needed a field goal with 1:41 eft. Siemian managed to lead a drive to the Commies 39-yard line. They tried to get closer, but they could only move up 3 yards. For the game, they needed Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein to make a 54-yard field goal. It is high… IT IS GOOD! This win doesn’t do anything for the Jets playoff hopes, as they were eliminated a week prior. At least the fans got an early Christmas gift.
Week 17: Rams(8-7) at Giants(5-10)
Now with all playoff hope gone, it’s time to tank. It was surprisingly competitive, with the Giants only being down 14-10 at halftime. The Rams opened the half with an 80-yard Puka Nacua reception, which led to a 2-yard Kyren Williams touchdown. The Rams missed the PAT, so it was a 10-point game. Mid-way through the third quarter, Darius Slayton scored an 80-yard bomb. Since all the other kickers are injured, the Giants picked up Mason Crosby. He missed the PAT, which isn’t surprising. After a Rams pick, the Giants scored a field goal to make it a one-point game. The Rams answered back, with Williams getting his third touchdown of the day. The Rams kicker, Lucas Havrisik, missed the PAT again. With 3:30 left, the Rams punted it to the Giants. Gunner Olszewski returned it, and he took it to the house with a 94-yard return. The Giants elected to go for two and didn’t get it. Since they missed it, the G-Men were down one. The Rams went three and out, and the Giants had hope. To start the drive, Tyrod had a HUGE 31-yard scramble to the Rams 34-yard line. The Giants couldn’t get anything going after that, leaving 39 year old Crosby to make a 54 yard field goal. It is high… It is wide. Crosby missed it, and the Rams kneeled out the clock. The one upside was that the Giants draft pick got better.
Week 17: Jets(6-9) at Browns(10-5)
This game was over in the first quarter. Joe Flacco had a warm welcome back, scoring three touchdowns against the Jets. The Jets somehow scored points, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the high-flying Browns. The Browns could easily move down the field, while the Jets had to struggle for a first down. The one upside to this game for the Jets was their defense, who forced three turnovers. The final score was 37-20, but it easily could have been worse.
Week 18: Eagles(11-5) at Giants(5-11)
This was the first game the Giants showed true domination. It only took 18 weeks. The offense was steamrolling the Eagles, scoring 3 touchdowns in the second quarter. Jalen Hurts was playing so badly that the Eagles benched him before halftime. Marcus Mariota didn’t fare any better, throwing an interception. The defense had a field day, forcing four turnovers. I was worried about the Giants draft pick after the win, but it only moved them down one spot.
Week 18: Jets(6-10) vs Patriots(4-12)
To say this game was sloppy would be an understatement. With the heavy snow in Foxboro, it was a defensive battle. Both offenses combined for 16 punts. The only player on offense who played well was Breece Hall, with 178 rushing yards, and the game-sealing 50-yard touchdown for the Jets. Bailey Zappe doesn’t deserve to be an NFL quarterback anymore after that performance. He had 88 passing yards, a 40% completion rate, and two picks. If the Jets lost, it would have positively affected the Giants and Jets draft picks.
After the season, there are a lot of changes necessary for both teams. Wink Martindale, the Giants defensive coordinator, resigned due to conflict with Daboll. The Special Teams coordinator, O-Line Coach, Defensive Assistant, and outside linebackers coach were fired for the Giants. All these changes should help the Giants be better, but it sad seeing Wink leave. Weirdly, the Jets haven’t fired anyone. They are keeping Nathaniel Hackett, even with his abysmal play calling. They still believe that Hackett can work well with Rodgers.
With both teams underperforming, they have high draft picks. The Giants have the sixth pick, and the Jets have the tenth pick. The Giants need o-line, wide receiver, or quarterback in the draft. Analysts are projecting either Malik Nabers or Jayden Daniels to the Giants. Both are LSU Tigers and would be great fits for the G-Men. The Jets need o-linemen to keep Rodgers alive. They are projected to get Olu Fashanu or Joe Alt.
All these offseason decisions will affect both teams in the near future. My predictions for next year are that the Giants will miss the playoffs, but still have a good season hopefully with Jaylen Daniels. For the Jets, if Rodgers stays healthy, they could make the playoffs. I don’t see them making it past the divisional though. Somehow, they will both underperform yet again and keep their fans begging for better results.
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