The New York Giants (2-5) host their MetLife Stadium co-tenants, the New York Jets (3-3), this Sunday afternoon in a suddenly critical game for both teams.
Here are five things to know about the Week 8 contest.
The series
This will be the 15th regular season meeting between the Giants and the Jets since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
It is only the fourth meeting at MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010.
The Giants won the first game in the new shared venue, 29-14, in 2011 while the Jets have won the last two — 23-20 in 2015 and 34-27 in 2019.
The Jets are coming off their bye week while the Giants ended a four-game skid with a 14-7 home victory over the Washington Commanders last Sunday.
Tale of the tape
The Jets are 30th in total offense (277.0 yards per game) and 24th (351.8 yards allowed per game) in total defense.
The Giants are 29th in total offense (278.4) and 23rd in total defense (351.4).
The Jets are 22nd in points scored per game (18.83) while the Giants are dead last (12.14). On defense, the Jets are allowing 19.8 points per game (13th) while the Giants are 23rd (24.9).
The Giants are not in the top 10 in any team statistical category. The Jets are third in takeaways (13) and 4th in red zone defense (38.6 percent).
The Jets are last in passing offense, averaging just 159.1 yards per game. The Giants are 13th in third-down defense (37.2 percent).
The Jets' rollercoaster ride so far
The Jets began the season with high hopes with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center. They defeated the Buffalo Bills, 22-16, in overtime in the opener but lost Rodgers for the season to an Achilles injury.
In Week 2, they were dominated by the Cowboys in Dallas, 30-10, but then came to grips that they will have to find a way without Rodgers the rest of the season.
With former first-round pick Zach Wilson at quarterback, it took the Jets a few games, but they appear to have figured things out. After close losses to Kansas City and New England, they bounced back with victories against Denver and Philadephia to even their record at 3-3.
Who's who on the Jets
Injuries have reshaped both teams’ rosters early on. You know the Giants’ troubles, ie. the offensive line, Daniel Jones etc, and the fact that the Jets have been without Rodgers after four snaps.
Wilson, 24, is the Jets’ starter and has had plenty of issues, which have been well-documented. He has completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,097 yards with just four touchdowns and five interceptions. He is averaging 16.4 yards rushing per game.
The Jets have a talented backfield led by Breece Hall, who has two of the three longest runs in the NFL this season. His 6.5 yards per carry leads the NFL.
The Jets’ leading receiver is Garrett Wilson, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Wilson has 32 receptions on 55 targets for 369 yards and two touchdowns this year. Wilson is the fastest player in franchise history to reach 100 receptions.
On defense, the Jets are led by the Williams brothers — Quinnen and Quincy – linebacker C.J. Mosely, safety Jordan Whitehead and of course, Pro Bowl cornerback Sauce Gardner.
What's at stake
Not what people think. No one cares about bragging rights anymore. Those days are as gone as Allie Sherman and Weeb Ewbank.
The Jets are very much alive in the AFC Playoff picture and obviously, a win this week could pull them closer. Currently, they are ranked ninth in the conference.
The Giants are still trying to overcome their rocky start. At 2-5, they are mathematically still alive with 10 games remaining. They are currently 13th in the NFC and can’t afford to lose many more games.
