Week three of the NFL season is in the books and things aren’t looking good in New York. We came into the 2023 campaign with such hope for both teams, but much like the baseball summer, our hope may be turning to despair. Many of the same hallmarks that plagued us in the dog days are here again. Delusion and regression are becoming a consistent theme around here, maybe it’s in the water. Let’s dive into the swamp and find out.

Giants

We begin with Big Blue, who dropped their Thursday night tilt by the bay 30-12. As I said after the Arizona game, an expected loss to the 49ers juggernaut wouldn’t be the end of the world, and it’s not quite. The Giants, despite being outplayed, hung around without Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley. Daniel Jones and company did what they could on offense and the defense battled against a good 49ers attack that left points on the field.

Matt Breida scoring the lone touchdown of the game isn’t part of a winning formula though. Sure, the Giants can do better protecting Jones, but we have not seen enough of Isiah Hodgins and Darren Waller so far. Waller in particular has underwhelmed as the Giants big off-season acquisition to this point. Where is Jalin Hyatt? The rookie wideout featured on just 16 of the Giants 50 offensive plays, a number far too low for a team that lacks explosiveness. I don’t usually question Brian Daboll’s decision making but it feels like it’s time to adjust on offense.

Wink Martindale’s defense did what it could against the potent 49ers offense. In a stunning turn events they even managed to record their first two sacks of the year. If you could believe it, Kayvon Thibodeaux stopped moaning and actually did something. He along with Leonard Williams and D.J. Davidson combined for the Giants two sacks. This pass rush needs to be more consistent going forward to give the Giants a chance this year.

In the end, a loss is a loss, no matter how much you “battled.” The Giants simply haven’t played up to par through three games. The good news is, they won one of them and have a chance to get back to .500 this week at home. Their Monday night contest against the Seahawks sees them face a fellow wild card team from last year who has overcome an 0-1 start to win two straight. Geno Smith is playing well once again and he is complimented by a potent rushing attack, led by second year back Kenneth Walker.

Pete Carroll’s squad will pose a stiff challenge for the Giants in a game that may prove to be critical when we look at the standings later this year. Simply put, this is a must win game for the Giants. If they fall to 1-3 they risk regressing even further, much like the Mets did all summer long.

Jets

If the Giants are playing the part of the Mets in my analogy, then you’re probably asking yourself how the Jets relate to the Yankees. Through a mix of bad fortune and utter delusion, Gang Green actually has a lot in common with the Bronx Bombers. Aaron Rodgers injury, much like Aaron Judge’s, has altered the course of the Jets season. Beyond that, both injuries went the extra step of highlighting the glaring flaws in both organizations.

Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Patriots was yet another stark reminder of just how bad Zach Wilson is right now. Number two doesn’t even look comfortable enough to step back and make basic reads. There are wide open receivers running free through the secondary that he either doesn’t see, or doesn’t believe he can hit in stride. While he hasn’t had many great moments under center in the league, this feels like a low point.

What’s absolutely baffling is the behavior of Rob Saleh after the game and in his Monday press conference. While I understand him not wanting to bury his quarterback, his adamant defense of Wilson is confounding considering it’s impact on the rest of the team. Statements like “we could do more to help Zach as a team” take a lot of nerve to say, especially when your defense only gives up 13 points. When it reaches the point where a long time veteran like Randall Cobb says “we lost because I didn’t catch the Hail Mary” then how can you have any self respect as a coach and leader? Saleh was brought in originally to work on building a culture…maybe someone should remind him of that.

While the 12-25 head coach was busy handcuffing himself to the one of the worst Jet quarterbacks of all time (elite company), we finally heard from Joe. No, not Namath, though his rant on Zach Wilson was epic.

The Joe I’m referring to is general manager Joe Douglas, who finally added a quarterback to the depth chart. While Trevor Siemian is far from a difference maker, it has reached the point where pretty much anything was better than continuing to play Wilson. While he’s likely not available to play this week against Kansas City, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him against Denver.

Douglas, who I think has been largely successful as GM, has failed this team in two regards. A lack of additions to the offensive line is frankly why they’re in this position right now, and not having a capable backup on the roster has only furthered the issue. It was clear after last year that Zach Wilson lost the confidence of his teammates, and that Mike White was a capable option. But rather than pay for a backup to cover for his aging starter, Douglas insisted on keeping Wilson. White went to the Dolphins, where he is already dropping dimes by the way, and Wilson is here costing the team games. Siemian may help this team a bit, it’s hard to say right now. But he and Saleh have gambled it all on their former number two overall pick and they may be on the verge of losing big. I’ll give them this, they do one hell of an impression of Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman.

Let me know what you think of this New York Football mess on Twitter at @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner of your screen and entering your email address. With the MLB regular season coming to a close, be on the look out for Yankee and Met post Morten content, and my NHL previews ahead of opening night. We’ll be back with more soon!