Both teams stink.
Want to know what the best part of Sunday’s game was? It ended. The way the Giants and Jets played, it should have ended in a tie. Instead, somebody ended up winning (it was the Jets) 13-10 in OT at MetLife Stadium.
But the Jets almost lost this game–and definitely would have lost it–had Giants kicker Graham Gano’s kick from 35 yards not strayed left. His miss gave the Jets a 24-second opportunity to tie it, and Jets quarterback Zack Wilson hit Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard for a couple of 29-yard passes, allowing the Jets to spike the ball and stop the clock with one second to play. That play set up Greg Zuerlein’s field goal conversion that tied the game and sent it into overtime.
Following the Giants going three-and-out in their first drive in overtime, the Jets offense then moved 46 yards in six plays to enable Zuerlein to kick the game-winning field goal after Adoree Jackson’s pass interference penalty.
Ironically, the game-winning kick was the game’s only highlight. The rest of the game featured ineptness by both New York NFL teams, and it helps explain why both teams have been awful for 11 years. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell can’t be happy with two New York teams that produce ineptness year in and year out.
You should write off the Giants as a playoff team. The offense is offensive, the defense routinely gives up big plays, and the coaching leaves much to be desired. Those are three reasons why this team is 2-6. They mustered no offense again on Sunday, this time going -9 in passing, the fewest yards in NFL history. Once quarterback Tyrod Taylor left the game (rib injury suffered while recovering his own fumble on a scramble during which he was strip-sacked), the offense couldn’t do anything with Tommy DeVito under center. He threw two passes for -1 yards and ran four times for 12 yards.
How DeVito is even on the team is an indictment of the Giants’ front office, especially since execs know Taylor is injury-prone and a competent backup is required. The Giants have to hope Taylor is ready to go next week. If not, they should sign Carson Wentz to play against the Raiders in Las Vegas. But in the larger scheme of things, the Giants have to be in the hunt for a college quarterback to draft, be it Caleb Williams USC), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Kyle McCord (Ohio St), Jayden Daniels (LSU), or Michael Penix Jr. (Washington). An incoming talent would be a restart because Daniel Jones has struggled.
What about the Jets? Well, they are 4-3 and had to win this game to stay afloat in the AFC Wild Card race. Okay, mission accomplished, but the win masks underlying issues. Once again, the Jets’ offensive line left much to be desired, quarterback Zach Wilson played terribly outside of that final drive, and the coaching left fans shaking their heads.
The Jets committed nine penalties, including Jermaine Johnson being called for an unnecessary roughness penalty after DeVito was stuffed for no gain. That flag resulted in the Giants getting a first down that set up DeVito scampering for a six-yard touchdown and a 10-7 NYG lead. Not until the fourth quarter did the Jets convert a third down (13 failed attempts til then, 2-15 on the day). And it’s mystifying why the coaching staff isn’t calling Breece Hall’s number more often, especially on third down. Hall had only 12 carries on Sunday on a day when Wilson was the leading rusher with 25 yards.
The bottom line is that the Jets would have lost on Sunday had they played a competent opponent. That said, could this actually be a playoff team? It might be if the NY beats the Patriots in Foxborough in the season’s final game (January 7) and breaks its 12-year playoff drought. If that happens, what does it tell you about the quality of play in the NFL’s AFC?
The bottom line is that I honestly don’t know who stunk more on Sunday, but it might have been the team that won. One thing I know for sure is that there are no bragging rights, and the 15th meeting between these teams is one to forget.
Perhaps the best news is that these teams only face each other in the regular season once every four years. Local fans have suffered enough.
