It’s well-documented that the Giants have often been the big brother to the little brother Jets. It’s partially because the Jets moved from Queens to share a stadium with the Giants, and even more because of the postseason success of Big Blue while Gang Green always seems to get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.
Less discussed is the danger that seems to come with preseason meetings between the two teams.
Mark Sanchez was lost for the 2013 season when he was injured behind the second-string offensive line in the Snoopy Bowl.
In 2008, the Giants goal of repeating as Super Bowl champions took a blow as Osi Umenyiora was lost for the season after tearing a cartilage in his knee in the second quarter against the Jets.
Chad Pennington fractured and dislocated his left wrist when he was brought down by Giants linebacker Brandon Short in 2003. Pennington missed six games by which time the Jets were out of it. The team had started 0-4 and failed to score 17 points in any of those losses.
It didn’t take long for the 1998 preseason matchup to be ruined for the Giants. Jason Sehorn, who had been one of Big Blue’s best players when they won the NFC East in 1997, tore his ACL and MCL while returning the opening kickoff against the Jets. Sehorn was gone for the year and the Giants missed the playoffs.
Going even further back, the Jets put an end to the Scott Brunner-Phil Simms quarterback debate when Simms was injured in the first quarter of the 1982 meeting. Sack Exchange members Joe Klecko and Abdul Salaam converged on Simms, and resulted in a knee injury that would keep Simms out until 1983.
Jets and Giants fans may have to watch the first half of Saturday’s game with bated breath.
“As a general proposition, we would like to take our starters into early in the third quarter,” said Giants head coach Ben McAdoo. “We will evaluate it at halftime and see how it goes and then different guys based off where they are physically. We may give a little bit more, or give a little bit less, too.”
If there are no injuries, the fans (and coaches and executives) can watch the second half in relative peace.