Sometimes this recap is arduous to right, with nothing more to cover than a pair of losses, or God forbid a win, and the usual nonsense. But every now and then the gods bless us with a week where there is a lot to cover, and this is absolutely one of them. Not only did we get a big Giants win on the road in Seattle, but the Jets saw that and said, “hold my beer” by having a “very Jets” week. We’ll start with the Giants and all the good from their win Sunday before we get to the clown car.
Giants
Lost in the shuffle of some terrible QB play and bizarre press conferences, the Giants have been getting some contributions from different parts of this roster and were looking to have a game where they put it all together. The losses to Dallas and Washington were particularly frustrating because both games were there for the taking and the Giants found a way to lose them. It was time for Brian Daboll and his staff to get back to stealing games by out coaching and out working the opposition like they did two years ago. This Sunday in Seattle, a place the Giants almost never play well in, was as good a time as any to do it and to their credit they finally rose to the occasion.
Daboll was fired up with his group this week and he had good reason to be. They played hard and showed resilience after falling behind early on a fumble that turned into a 100-yard return for a touchdown. That scoop and score had the making of a “oh no here we go again” kind of play, but the Giants battled to make sure that wasn’t the case. Daniel Jones played well going 23/34 for 257 yards and two scores, made even more impressive by the absence of Malik Nabers. While Jones threw for the touchdowns, the breakout star of the week was Tyrone Tracey Jr. who went for 129 yards rushing on 18 carries and paced this offense which is excelling behind an offensive line that is clearly improved.
While the Giants were winning up front on offense, their defensive line was once again in on the fun in a bounce back performance from disappointing game against the Cowboys. Brian Burns made his presence felt this week as he continues to lead a defensive line that leads the league in sacks with 22. It’s critical this unit plays well because this defense can’t survive on its secondary alone, a unit that has struggled in coverage so far this year. With the Giants offensive deficiencies, a balanced team wide effort is what it will take to win week in and week out for this team. And hell, you may even need to mix in some special teams to get the job done…
On the verge of going to overtime and throwing away a great road win, the Giants were looking for a hero, and it came in the unlikely form of their special team’s unit. A really well executed blocked field goal, which was returned for a touchdown, seal the 29-20 win for big blue. Now they come home 2-3, with a matchup against struggling Bengals Sunday night, in the swamp. While Cincinnati has more talent than the Giants, they have been finding ways to lose games and that may bode well for New York in this one. Another gameplan that is well crafted and executed like last week in Seattle might be enough to win again and breathe real life into this season. It’s the price you have to pay to win in this league.
Jets
Man, oh man, the Jets may have outdone themselves this week. Not only did they lose their second in a row but then they stole the headlines in the most Jets way possible by firing head coach Rob Saleh out of nowhere. The surprising announcement came Tuesday morning in the wake of owner Woody Johnson apparently walking into Saleh’s office and stunning him with his dismissal. While the move was a surprise, let’s be blunt here, Saleh should have been fired a while ago, really last offseason. I don’t mean to kick him while he is down, but this change has been long overdue as Saleh doesn’t to have the makings of a big-time head coach.
But removing Saleh doesn’t solve the problem, in fact it doesn’t come close. Because while Saleh never seem to have this team prepared to play, his defense was always somewhere between solid and outstanding. But this team has been bogged down for now a second straight season by the terrible offensive play calling and coaching of Nathanial Hackett who has failed comprehensively for years now with multiple organizations. By all accounts, Saleh was preparing to fire Hackett in favor assistant coach Todd Downing, but he wasn’t given the change to pull the trigger on the change as he was fired.
There is growing speculation that Aaron Rodgers is behind the change as number eight was not interested in working with any OC that isn’t Hackett. Rodgers is perhaps even more so at the root of the issue as he has effectively been calling the shots in New York for two years now and frankly that is just not how you run a major sports organization, at least not a healthy one. No matter how impressive in stature, no player should be hand picking personnel, coaches or executives yet Rodgers has been dictating this whole time to the Jets. It was seemingly his choice to keep this staff after last year’s disappointment and now he has countered that by having an immediate falling out with Saleh and now forcing a change while keeping a terrible coach in place.
With Saleh out, his lieutenant and former defensive coordinator Greg Ulbrich takes over as the interim head coach. Ulbrich is by all accounts very well liked in the locker room and is now tasked with rallying a team that is coming off two disappointing losses to the Vikings and Broncos. The Jets found ways to lose the last two weeks, by being sloppy, flat to start the games and unable to make big plays in spots. It’s a tall order for a first-time head coach to pull this team together amidst its lofty expectations but there isn’t much choice in the matter. The challenge only gets more difficult with the Bills coming in on Monday night this week desperate to snap a two-game losing streak of their own. Best of luck Greg, you’ll need it.
The Jets bet it all on Aaron Rodgers and in return they “signed a deal with the devil” of sorts. Rodgers as good as he as is, comes with baggage on and off the field, which has bred more and more chaos for a franchise desperate to get out of it. Woody Johnson’s tenure as owner has always been hindered by chaos, which he mostly courts with his habits and choices, and this is no different. Rodgers is so completely in control that the Jets are in a very uncomfortable spot where they seemingly have no agency over their own player. Will Rodgers buy the change he very well may have forced? Only time will tell. This week’s contest against the Bills is very difficult to predict but will ultimately tell a lot about the character of this group and their will to fix things. The gamble on Rodgers has so far made a loser of the Jets and Saleh in particular…but that’s the price you pay to win in the NFL.
You can find Nick on Twitter @YNWA9623, Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our fall of podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. The store is live, and Little Ed has been in the lab cooking up some can’t miss items for you fans. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!
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