Perry "small-town" Port
I’m going to let my dude Frank take the lead on this one …
“Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today.
I don’t want to be a part of it, New York, New York
Those vagabond QBs, they are longing to stray
Right out of the very heart of it, New York, New York.
I wanna wake up, in a city that doesn’t make me lose sleep.
And find I’m king of Sundays, top of the football heap.”
Alright, maybe I altered Mr Sinatra’s hit a little bit. But are there any New Yorkers (be they Jets or Giants fans) who disagree? I know Don La Greca is with me. Hey, at least you’ve got the Knicks.
That was a low-blow and I do apologize.
The good news for fans of the Jets and Giants is that there’s plenty of football left for the teams to turn their fortunes around. (Or is it bad news that we’re only a quarter of the way through the season?) Will either be able to provide New York with something to cheer about this year? Or will the most excitement from either team come in the form of personnel changes?
[UPDATE: THE ODDS BELOW HAVE BEEN AMENDED IN LIGHT OF WEEK 4, IN WHICH THE JETS DID THE UNTHINKABLE AND GOT TO .500 WHILE THE GIANTS DROPPED A HEARTBREAKER TO TAMPA AND REMAIN WINLESS. WE AREN’T SUCCUMBING TO RECENCY BIAS TOO HEAVILY, BUT WE’LL GIVE THE MANY, MANY PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATORS A MULLIGAN ON THEIR GIANTS PICK FOR SUPER BOWL 52.]
JETS VS GIANTS:
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK(‘S CELLAR)
Odds to win more games in 2017
Giants: 2/7 [UPDATE: 4/5]
Jets: 7/2 [UPDATE: 5/4]
The Giants are not as bad as their record suggests. With Odell Beckham Jr back on the field, the offense has the potential to score more than one TD per game. And perhaps more important than his big-play potential, OBJ will significantly help the Giants offense — currently last in time of possession — stay on the field, giving their defense the rest it needs to return to its dominant 2016 form.
The high the Jets are currently riding after a 20-6 win over Miami in Week 3 will be short-lived. Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams aren’t playing up to their respective standards, and Jamal Adams is the only other defender worth noting; don’t come at me with this “Morris Claiborne is a shutdown corner” garbage. And that middling defense is the clear strength of the team.
Over/under 2017 wins for the Giants: 6.5 [UPDATE: 5.5]
The Giants will be lucky to limp into their Week 8 bye with a 2-5 record. The Giants are underdogs this week in Tampa Bay and certainly will be in Week 6 when they head to Denver. The lone game they’ll be favored in is their Week 5 matchup with the Chargers at home. It gets easier from there, though: meetings with the Rams and 49ers after their bye will provide Ben McAdoo and co. an opportunity to notch a couple wins and build some confidence.
Over/under 2017 wins for the Jets: 3.5 [UPDATE: 4.5]
The benefits of the Jets’ last-placed schedule are games against the Browns and Jaguars. Unfortunately, the latter may be breaking away from the losers pile they’ve so long inhabited. The Jets should be able to win at least one of those games, though, and potentially one more game against a divisional foe. They already showed they can stick with Miami, and their roster isn’t that much worse than Buffalo’s. (Please don’t feel the need to scrutinize them too closely.)
Odds the Giants finish the 2017 season winless: 1,000/1
It’s more likely Roger Goodell rescinds the Jets’ lone W, citing team owner Woody Johnson’s relationship with Donald Trump being harmful to the NFL.
Odds to be fired first
Todd Bowles (Jets): 3/4 [UPDATE: 6/5]
Ben McAdoo (Giants): 4/3 [UPDATE: 5/6]
One coach is working with the most talent-deprived roster in the league, the other has taken a top-ten offense and made them a joke. Bowles has been in charge an extra season and is likely to be a casualty of a roster overhaul.
Odds to be benched first
Josh McCown (Jets): 1/4 [UPDATE: 2/7]
Eli Manning (Giants): 4/1 [UPDATE: 7/2]
The fact that Josh McCown isn’t a heavier favorite here should be very concerning for Giants fans. McCown was brought in to be benched mid-season. He was a temporary plug to avoid having to start Christian Hackenberg in Week 1. But the Jets do eventually need to have a look at Hackenberg before the season is over.
On the other hand, Eli Manning was supposed to be leading the Giants’ Super Bowl charge. Though it’s hard to point the finger directly at Manning for their infuriatingly horrid offense — 12.3 PPG (31st) — his glaring lack of mobility is a major factor. The good news for Eli, but bad news for Giants fans, is that Geno Smith would be the next QB up should Ben McAdoo decide to make a change under center.
