A Giants-Jets Super Bowl? It is jumping way, way ahead of ourselves to even think about it, but that is exactly what Sam Borden of the Journal News is doing today.
It probably won't happen. That's what the odds tell us. The Jets and Giants, Giants and Jets have only made the playoffs in the same year five times. That's it. Five times. So the notion that maybe Tampa in February will look like the Meadowlands in December is certainly far-fetched. A green and blue Super Bowl isn't statistically likely.
It's OK to dream anyway. Right now it seems as real as ever, as possible as it has ever been. In 1986, the Giants were 9-2 and the Jets 10-1. The Jets finished the season with five straight losses and a defeat in the divisional round of the playoffs and the Giants ended up going on to win the Super Bowl. The dream of a Subway (or, more appropriately, New Jersey Transit Bus Lines) Super Bowl died quickly that year.
This year it feels different. The Giants are the best team in the league right now. They just are. The Titans may be undefeated but the Giants play in a better conference against better opponents and have better players. Somehow, they are better than they were last year, when they ran through the playoffs and upset the Patriots in Arizona.
The Jets are not nearly as dominant. Not even close, even if they did crush the Rams by 100 points last weekend. They beat up on the JV, which is what you're supposed to do. Their big test comes tomorrow night in Foxborough.
But the AFC is wide open this year, a complete toss-up that no one - no one - could feel confident predicting right now. For so long it felt like the regular season was just a prelude to the Patriots and Colts meeting in January, but Tom Brady is gone this year and Peyton Manning isn't the same. Suddenly it could be anybody's time in the AFC. It could be the Jets' time.
- Are the Giants really a running team? Oh, and is Eli Manning really in a slump? Personally, I think the Giants simply need to run enough to keep teams from teeing off on Eli. As for a slump, I don't think so. Really I believe the Giants simply haven't needed to air it out. I also think it's Plaxico Burress who is in a slump. Even with all their other weapons, the Giants need to get the ball to Plax to be a big-time passing offense.
- The New York Post points out that the Giants will have some difficult free-agent decisions to make at the end of the season. Typical Post, trying to stir up something.
- Mike Garafolo has a mini-breakdown of Sunday's matchup with the Ravens.