The Future of NY Football
The NY Giants and NY Jets enter the season with two wildly different expectations this season and a lot of uncertainty
The wait is officially over! The NFL season is back! And after an incredibly weird offseason, both of the New York football teams are looking to make some noise this season to ensure their fanbase that the future is bright. The expectations for both teams are wildly different because they are in different phases in their development. While one team has already entered the future, one is still holding on to the past before finally moving on to the next step.
So since 2019 is going to be a strange year for both the New York Giants and New York Jets, let’s take a look to see what the expectations are for this season:
Jets: Playoffs or Bust?
The Jets made a lot offseason moves to make this team more competitive and primed for a playoff push than last year’s “tankathon-like” roster. Franchise quarterback Sam Darnold is now entering his second year and looks to improve after a decent rookie campaign. Jets added Pro Bowl running back Le’veon Bell, who had a fallen out with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and looks to regain his position as the best running back in the NFL. The defense looks to improve this year with talent such as returning Pro Bowl strong safety Jamal Adams, drafting defensive end Quentin Williams, and signing linebacker C.J. Mosley. New head coach Adam Gase is known to be a quarterback coach and will no doubt help improve Darnold’s play this season. Things seem to be looking up for the Jets.
Unfortunately, making a push for the playoffs is easier said then done.
For starters, the offensive line is still a bit of a problem. Although new general manager Joe Douglas made two additions that improved depth by signing five-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil and adding backup guard Alex Lewis from the Baltimore Ravens, the O-line hasn’t done enough reps together due to injuries. Plus, the wide receiver depth isn't very…um…good. While they have solid trio of receivers with Robby Anderson, Quincy Enuwa, and Jamison Crowder, if injuries were to happen this could pose a serious problem for the team. Outside the aforementioned three, there’s very little to rely on. You could say that they could depend on special teams receiver Josh Bellamy or punt returner Braxton Berrios but they’re not exactly players you want to rely on as options.
Not to mention, the AFC is still going to be a monster in regards to the playoff hunt. As long as Tom Brady can throw a football, the Jets will never win their division. Plus you also have opposing rival teams like the Ravens, Steelers, Colts, and Texans who are looking to enter the postseason as well. There’s no telling how things might play in the Jets favor. Their schedule starts off light with two teams they can easily beat but after Week 2 they’re up against legitimate Super Bowl contenders and high ranking playoff teams. It won’t be until Week 7 when they go up against the Jaguars that things will ease up a bit. Who knows how things could fare during that time?
Even if the Jets don’t make the postseason, they should be able to inspire some hope for fans to believe something magical is happening in New York. While the Jets will more than likely improve their record from year ago, it’s unlikely they’ll make the playoffs this season. That doesn’t mean things won’t get better. Since this is the first year of a new administration, everything is a step by step evaluation as to what needs to be done to improve the team and the Jets should give fans hope that things will be better.
Record prediction: 8–8
Giants Expectations: Prepping for the Future or one last hurrah for Eli?
As for the New York team across the hall of Metlife Stadium, they’re entering the second year of the Dave Gettleman regime and are looking to stay competitive while build for the future. This might seem conflicting considering that it would make sense to enter a new of NY Giants football but management and ownership want to ensure Eli Manning gets the kind of treatment he deserves before walking off into the sunset.
Ironically enough, Manning has never once stated he intends on retiring. He’s been with the Giants since he forced his way out of San Diego after being drafted by the Chargers to play for New York in 2004. He has started for this team for over 16 seasons and has remained arguably the most durable quarterback in the NFL. It’s a miracle that he’s still standing and still capable of starting on a NFL team. However, it’s clear that “Father Time” has caught up to Manning and he’s no longer a high performing quarterback like he was in his prime during the 2007–2012 stretch. He may be able to start that doesn’t mean he can impact his team to win games.
So where does this leave the team? Well, the Giants are in a bit of a limbo.
The 2019 first round pick Daniel Jones met with gasps and boos when selected by the Giants earlier this year. He was a complete unknown in most scouting reports prior to draft night. Nobody even heard of this kid since he was a quarterback at Duke and played within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), a conference not exactly boasting the highest competitive players in college football. To make matters worse, Gettleman traded Odell Beckham Jr., the superstar Pro Bowl wide receiver along with defensive end Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns for a couple draft picks and safety Jabrill Peppers. He also let strong safety and locker room leader Landon Collins walk and he joined their rival team in the Washington Redskins. Fans have thought Gettleman had completely lost his mind and is sending the Giants to the path of ruin.
Ironically, it would be up to Jones to calm the fears of Giants’ fans.
The rookie had an impressive showing during the preseason. He went for 25-of-30 (83.3 percent completions) for 369 yards and three touchdowns. He remained composed even when he made mistakes. He has been a professional ever since he was drafted and showcased a level of maturity that fans can appreciate. It all but seemed that the Giants found their gemstone at the quarterback position for the future.
Still, Manning will start for the season opener and will remain the starter unless something else happens.
Giants also made some other key moves this offseason. They signed veteran wide receiver Golden Tate and safety Antoine Bethea. They gave wide receiver Sterling Shepard a contract extension. They also restructured left tackle Nate Solder’s contract which gives them some cap space. All these moves sound good. However, like everything else, not all is what it seems.
Despite his excellent performance during the preseason, Jones only played well in the preseason. He hasn’t exactly garnered enough disciplinary experience to be the starting quarterback (yet). Head coach Pat Shurmur wants Jones to be Manning’s understudy before taking the mantle much like how Aaron Rodgers had to be Brett Favre’s understudy when he was still playing for the Green Bay Packers. Jones will have to hold the clipboard unless the season goes sideways and there’s no reason to keep Manning on the field anymore.
Also, much like the Jets, there’s issues at depth with the wide receiver position. Tate has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games due to mistakenly taking a banned substance for his injury. Corey Coleman, who was reclamation project last year, tore his ACL and is out of the season. The 2019 fifth round pick Darius Slayton will miss the first game due to a hamstring injury. It’s a bummer but Shurmur believes the Giants can manage despite some bad luck. Plus they have Saquon Barkely and Evan Engram so that always helps as well.
The defense is also short on talent and defensive coordinator James Bettcher will have to get creative with his 3–4 schemes to ensure that the defense can bring pressure to opposing teams’ quarterbacks. Not to mention, they don’t have the easiest schedule but it isn’t as punishing as the Jets. While they probably will put up a fight, it’s unlikely that the team will suddenly become elite. If anything, they went from bad to mediocre. Giants will become watchable again after a dismal season last year but it won’t be enough to secure a winning season.
Record Prediction: 6–10
Final Analysis
Both teams are looking to make it known that there’s something brewing in NY football sports. While it may not amount to a Super Bowl, there is something to look forward to down the road. Fans should be excited that both teams have solid future quarterbacks and a growing core of players that could impact the teams’ performances in the future. This NFL season should be an interesting one.
*additional credit to NY Post, ESPN, USA TODAY, Big Blue View, Gang Green Nation*
