The NFL season started two weeks ago, and already, the Jets and Giants played themselves out of the playoffs for the third straight season. It’s impressive both teams accomplished that feat before the baseball season ends next week. It’s hard to do, but here it is.
Let’s forget the fact since the NFL went to eight divisions in 2002, only 11 percent of teams that started 0-2 have made the playoffs. From the eye test after two games, the Jets and Giants played like they won’t be playing in January this season. Both teams stink.
The Giants changed their quarterback this week after future Hall of Fame quarterback Eli Manning underwhelmed in their first two games. They hope quarterback of the present and future Daniel Jones jump starts their season and makes their season respectable at least.
The Jets are a mess as they usually are. It’s been like that since Joe Namath led them to a championship in 1969. New coach, relatively new stadium, new uniforms, new administration, yet things always stay the same for Gang Green.
The Jets hired Adam Gase as their new coach and Joe Douglas as their new general manager, and it’s still the same old. The offense scored only one touchdown this season, and their defense gave up big plays. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold dealt with mononucleosis, and it could be awhile until he comes back, though he aims to be back in a couple of weeks.
Schedule does not get easy for the Jets. They face the defending champion New England Patriots at Foxborough on Sunday, and then after the bye week, they play the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and the Patriots. Most likely, their first win will come against the tanking Dolphins on Nov. 3. By then, it’s a lost cause.
Right now, the Giants give New Yorkers a reason to watch than the Jets. They will display their shiny new toy in Jones on Sunday when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. He gives fans reason to be engaged the rest of the season since they want to know if he will improve and put the team in the right direction. They also want to know if he can win games, especially in a hostile environment like Foxborough and Philadelphia.
This is Jones’ team for better or for worse.There’s no looking back. If he bombs in the level of Christian Ponder or Blake Bortles, then it could be the Giants will be drafting a quarterback. And that means, it will likely be a new administration selecting that guy, not Giants general manager Dave Gettleman.
The job security of Giants head coach Pat Shurmur and Gettleman hinge on what Jones does. Neither of them performed great in their respective job. Gettleman has been more of John Idzik than Ron Wolf since most of his draft picks have been bust sans Saquon Barkley while Shurmur shows he is more of Ray Handley than Jim Fassel with his 15-36 coaching record in his career and 5-13 Giants coaching career.
They could use Jones to do well on Sunday just so the spotlight could be off them for one week at least.
The Jets are a lost cause. Maybe they can be decent once Darnold comes back, but with their offensive line and only two good playmakers in Le’Veon Bell and Robby Anderson, it will be impossible for them to win games. Losing players such as Avery Wiliamson and Quincy Enunwa for the year hurts, and losing C.J. Mosley, Quinnen Williams, Demaryius Thomas and Jordan Jenkins does not help matters.
Gase showed maybe he is not that great of a coach when he can’t run a good offense or maximize with what he has.
It just could be the Jets need more players before they can get better.
Right now, the Jets are pining for a top five pick, and the Giants are hoping for the best from Jones.
New York football fans are bored with this. They want their respective teams to have their season meaningful by playing for the playoffs. They want their teams contending and entertaining. So far, neither showed that. How sad is it the Detroit Lions are much better run than the Jets and Giants?
Two games in, and already it’s wait until next year.
We have gotten used to it, and it’s depressing.
No one signed up for this, and it could get worse before it gets better. To think we said that two years ago, and it got worse, so why should this time we should believe it will get better?
All that’s left to say is this: When does the NHL season starts?
