No, you’re eyes are not lying to you. For the first time since week two, New York football is back in the win column. Of course we couldn’t get two wins this week, but one out of two isn’t bad. At least we can still dream about a playoff race, even if that dream only lasts one more week. It sure beats dreaming about the number one pick. Lets dive in.

Jets

We said last week that this game against Denver was an absolute must win. Fortunately the Jets came through and got the job done. Was it pretty? No. But they don’t ask how, they ask if. The Jets hung around in this one after a slow start, that saw them trail 13-8 at the half. Since they’re not capable of putting together consistently strong drives, explosive plays are huge for this offense. They finally got one from Breece Hall, who looks better and better each week.

Hall’s 72-yard touchdown run put the Jets up 15-13 early in the third quarter. They would build on that lead as the second half went on, eventually going up 24-13. They of course had to make it interesting with the lead cut to three thanks to a Denver scoring drive, and a puzzling interception. Fortunately the defense capped off a solid day of work with a big play from emerging star Quincy Williams, who forced a fumble late.

Corner Bryce Hall scooped up the loose ball and ran it back for a touchdown to ice the game. This was an awesome moment for Hall, who got the start in the absence of the injured DJ Reed. While Denver may be a disaster, give credit to the defense, they kept the Jets in the game and made the big play to seal it. This was the kind complimentary football we’ve been looking for out of this team.

Zach Wilson turned in his second straight “winning” performance. He wasn’t great but his overall stat line for the day was efficient, something we’ve been looking for from him. 19/26 for 199 yards won’t blow anyone away but if can play like that and take care of the ball the Jets can win games with him. While his interception in the end zone was ill-advised, I have more of an issue with the play call. I get Saleh and company wanted to ice the game, but in that spot, that late in the fourth, just run the ball. Keep the clock running and ensure you don’t give the ball away.

Of course this victory had to have a damper put on it, as the Jets announced Monday that Alijah Vera Tucker is out for the year. This is now the second year in a row the young right guard suffered a season ending injury in Denver. This is a big time blow for an already weak offensive line. Gang Green had seemingly improved (relative to them) up front the last few weeks, but this will complicate things. They’ve already had a visit with former Cowboys and Bengals lineman, La’el Collins who is on his way back from an injury. While Collins would have some rust, the Jets would be wise to bring him in, and get him up to speed during their upcoming bye.

Returning to the swamp at 2-3, the Jets have some life. Unfortunately that “life” will face a stiff test when they host the Eagles. The 5-0 juggernaut Birds look like they’re starting to click, which is a scary prospect. With the Jets o-line now without their best player, the Eagles pass rush may be able to tee off. The Jets defense will have to grind this one out.

The Jets have never beaten the Eagles (0-12 all time), and I’m not sure they’re about to now. But a loss here isn’t the end of the season. With the bye the week after, they can get some R&R and prepare to try and go on a run. The three games coming out of the bye are must wins, two of which come against teams the Jets absolutely should beat.

They will face the Giants, then host the Chargers before visiting the Raiders. They should absolutely get two wins out of stretch and at worst be 4-5. That’s enough to keep hope alive. Hope’s not a strategy, but it’s all we got.

Giants

Another week, another loss. We knew facing the Dolphins would present a challenge, but this teams inability to stop the bleeding is scary. After a season where the players and coaches found answers for everything, they now all look so lost. Much in the way the winning snowballed last year, the losing is now getting out of control.

Sure the first half wasn’t a complete disaster. They made it into the locker room down 14-10 after Jason Pinnock’s pick six (their first opening half TD of the year). But they were largely outplayed and out gained over two quarters. If Tua had not turned it over in that spot it would have been even uglier.

The pick six aside, this was another sloppy performance. Missed tackles continue to be a hallmark of this group. Continuous losses in the trenches have them getting pushed around on a weekly basis. Watching this defense try and stop the speed of Hill, Waddle, Mostert and Achane was comical. Miami could have named their score if they didn’t take their foot off the gas.

The offensive line turned in another turnstile like effort, allowing Jones to be sacked six times, leading to an injury. Tyrod Taylor came in off the bench in this one, and will likely start in Buffalo this Sunday (yikes). The offensive line has been nothing short of embarrassing on and off the field this year.

Which brings me to Evan Neal. His idiotic comments were made after last weeks recap was published. While Don LeGreca said it all much better than I can, I thought I’d share some thoughts. The growing trend of athletes and media personalities going after fans is utterly shameful. It’s almost as if empty stadiums from the pandemic taught them nothing. Without us, sports are drastically worse. Fans absolutely have a right to voice their displeasure, as long as it is not hateful or dangerous in terms of behavior. Don’t want to be booed? How about instead of making fun of paying customers, you play better?

These constant no show performances are becoming even more concerning than the results themselves. All the endearing traits this group exhibited a year ago are gone. While it can’t all be blamed on Daboll and the coaches, this groups lack of energy is an indictment of them to some extent. If they’ve already lost the locker room, it’s hard to see how they can come back from it. While I wouldn’t fire Brian Daboll or Joe Schoen, they will have to shoulder blame for this nightmare. We’ve gone from thinking about the playoffs, to debating whether Caleb Williams or Drake Maye should be the next quarterback. Next up is the Bills in Buffalo, who are coming off a loss…get ready for another blowout.

Let me know what you think about Evan Neal, the state of the Giants, and the Jets chances to stay in the race on Twitter @YNWA9623. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. I will be back with more soon!