Even the most one-eyed of fans can’t see either the Jets or Giants winning a Super Bowl anytime soon. Divisional championships also look a long way off, unfortunately.
But with the preseason game between the two going the way of the Giants, does that mean we can assume that it will be Pat Shurmur’s team that holds the most hope of getting anywhere near the playoffs this season?
The oddsmakers don’t see much chance of New York representation in the postseason, and it is difficult to argue with all of these football betting sites.
But there are some intriguing questions that will be answered in the first few weeks of the new season surrounding new players and existing player performances. How is it looking now for the Jets and the Giants?
New York Giants
It is fair to say that fans were not happy about how the draft went down for the Giants. A quarterback was needed but picking Daniel Jones sixth overall was not expected. There may not have been a lot of options this year, but that did raise more questions over what is going on in the organization.
Odell Beckham Jr. leaving in the offseason does not have to be the worst thing in the world to happen to the Giants, but it does severely limit the offense’s effectiveness this year. Eli Manning may be happy not to have the headache of OBJ to deal with, but he won’t have much of anything to deal with outside Saquon Barkley.
Jones threw five for five in the preseason game against the Jets, finishing with a 12-yard touchdown pass in his only series of the night. There is already talk that the rookie will see NFL action sooner rather than later, but Manning will have to get injured or do something spectacularly bad for that to happen.
New York Jets
Sam Darnold is now officially the Jets’ number one, and his performance in East Rutherford, NJ, is not going to dissuade head coach Adam Gase of that being the right thing to do.
It is a big ask for Gase and Darnold to both have good years, but the signs are positive at the moment. Darnold only had one series against the Giants and — like Jones — finished it off with a touchdown. The difference between the two is that Darnold is already a franchise quarterback and looks like he is enjoying the experience.
Le’Veon Bell finally agreeing to play for the Jets this season is a huge plus, and if a partnership can be formed between the WR and his second year QB, then the close defeats of last year might, just might, turn into victories this season.
Postseason Chances
Let’s not get carried away. The Giants went 5-11 to finish last in the NFC East last year, while the Jets won just four to prop up the AFC East. But out of the two, it is the Jets that would seem to have more chance of extending their season this year.
Daniel James may take over early and have a stand-out rookie season, but that is asking a lot. Sam Darnold becoming more confident in his abilities and pushing past the Dolphins and Bills seems more likely right now.
I’m not sure either will be playing football in the New Year, but I think the Jets will be the Kings of New York (for what it’s worth), and we will see on November 10 when the two meet in the regular season.