It’s been difficult to judge thus far how exactly the New York Giants and Jets stack up against the rest of the league – minus the St. Louis Rams, of course. In Week 1, the Giants looked well on their way to another Super Bowl, while the Jets put on a horrible offensive display. Then, on Sunday, it was the complete opposite. Inconsistency is a bad word to use when talking about the NFL — let alone any sport or league – but that’s what we’ve seen during this early going.
There’s a difference between starting off bad and starting off good, too. If you lose by a large margin in your first game and bounce back big in your second, people will think you’ve righted the wayward ship. If you start off looking sharp, but are embarrassed in the next game, those same people may call you a fluke.
Truth be told, I don’t know what category either New York football team falls into just yet. There are 14 games left before the playoffs, which is plenty of time for the Giants and Jets to get hotter or colder. Here’s why:
1. I’m still not completely sold that Mark Sanchez is the man to lead the Jets to the Promised Land. There’s no question he outdueled one of the league’s best quarterbacks (Tom Brady) Sunday and strung together a stat line (21-for-30, 220 yds, 3 TD) that would leave anyone playing behind center jealous. But Sanchez hasn’t done anything to leave me feeling all warm inside game after game. His first touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards was all Edwards, who leaped above Patriots cornerback Darius Butler for the grab. The two-yarder to Jerricho Cotchery in the third was impressive. Sanchez’ pass led Cotchery to the ball in stride perfectly. His third and final touchdown on Sunday was a floater into the air, which he hoped Dustin Keller would come down with. Kellen Clemens could have made that through. Outside of the scores, Sanchez did command some nice drives, including going 6-for-6 on the one that set up Edwards’ touchdown. As I mentioned before, inconsistency will not win games. After Week 1, in which he went 10-for-21 for 74 yards, I’ll need to see more performances like against the Patriots to become a full believer. The potential is there. Can he fulfill it though?
2. The Giants defense is a mess. I saw a former co-worker at the bagel shop on Sunday morning and he asked what I thought was going to happen in the Giants game that night. I told him, “It’s not going to be pretty.” He responded, “I hope you’re wrong.” Turns out, I was right.
Some thought the Giants defense looked very strong in Week 1 against the Panthers. Then we saw just how non-potent Carolina’s offense is in their 20-7 loss to Tampa Bay. Looking back: How could the Giants even surrender 16 points to the Panthers? In Week 2, the Giants defense was fully exposed, no thanks to their offensive leader’s brother. The Colts torched New York on the ground (160) and in the air (250). That kind of performance – or lack thereof – can’t be fixed in six days. The only positive is that they take on a Tennessee Titans team on Sunday that’s also had its ups and downs this season.
I don’t want to be a complete Negative Nelly, because there are a number of positives I’m still taking away from each team’s 1-1 record:
1. Hakeem Nicks gives the Giants the reliable number-two receiver they covet. Nicks has four touchdowns in two games, most of them near the red zone. If Nicks can be the go-to-guy down there, Steve Smith works well in the slot and Mario Manningham has proven himself as a deep threat. That’s a strong trio of weapons for Eli Manning to work with.
2. Michael Boley is a beast at linebacker. Boley is fourth in the league with 22 tackles, this his first season as the Giants’ defensive leader. New York head coach Tom Coughlin knew he was getting a big-time playmaker in Boley, who signed as a free agent this off-season, but he has to feel good seeing the positive results unfold before him.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson has been the Jets’ top running back. I’ve said it since New York inked the future Hall of Famer: I don’t think he’s going to be as bad as people think. I’ve talked with Tomlinson several times now, and one thing I’ve taken away from our conversations is that he’s going to work hard to prove people wrong. Tomlinson has 22 attempts for 138 yards – that’s a 6.3 average. The team’s starting running back, Shonn Greene, has 20 touches for 70 yards. It looks like head coach Rex Ryan is a believer in Tomlinson, too.
4. The Jets defense is as good as advertised. Five sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and just 28 points allowed over two games are strong numbers for the league’s top-ranked defense in 2009-10. Jason Taylor, who forced a Tom Brady fumble on Sunday, looks like a great addition, while Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard, Sione Pouha and Bryan Thomas are in midseason form.