Jets vs Giants – Subway Super Bowl?

Gotham’s Dream Matchup, ever since Green Bay Packers routed the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl I, is to have a Subway Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has been taking place for almost five decades; most of that time one or both local teams were non-competitive. However, this year there is a fair to middlin’ shot that the Twin Monsters of the Meadowlands will meet in Jerry Jones Pleasure Palace. Imagine how this would go over in Texas…

Doing a bit of math, the odds of any two teams meeting in a Super Bowl in any given year over 1000-1. So I am not exactly predicting a Jets – Giants match. But if there ever is to be one in this correspondent’s lifetime, this would be the year.

The Jets are currently 6-1; the Giants are 5-2. Each leads its respective division. Both teams are currently have the best record in their respective Conference; the Jets are tied with the New England Patriots as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Giants are tied with the Atlanta Falcons. Currently, Las Vegas has the Giants listed as 5-2 to win the NFC Conference, and the Jets also are posted as 5-2. Both of these marks are the best in their respective Conferences. The odds on the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots and Colts follow closely behind the Jets, and the Falcons, Saints and Packers follow in that order after the Giants.

The Jets are clearly a better team at this time then the Giants, but the Giants may have a better shot at going to the Dance. This is because the NFC is a particularly weak Conference this year, especially with the demise of the Cowboys, and the poor start of the Vikings. Outside of the Falcons, no team seems worthy of a playoff spot, never mind being a Super Bowl entry. The Saints are currently examining the possibility that Drew Brees has been replaced by a pod-person; the Packers are a flawed team. Atlanta, with a resurgent Michael Turner and Roddy White, seems like the only squad that should be competitive in January. However, the AFC is another matter. There are likely five teams that are possibly stronger then the Giants. The Jets might have difficulty winning their own Division, with the wily Bill Belichick currently on a roll even sans Randy Moss, without a veteran defense, and a mediocre running game. The Indianapolis Peytons seem to be having an off-season, which means that they will probably win 10-11 games, not their typical 12-14 wins. Although Baltimore’s defense has been inexplicably porous in recent weeks, chances are that they will regain the dominance that they displayed against the Jets in the opening game of the season. There have been less then a handful of Wild Card teams which have gone to the Super Bowl; the Giants, of course, had their magical run three seasons ago, but that was the exception that proved the rule. The feeling here, however, is that the Jets biggest hurdle will be to get past the Steelers. Thus, it is necessary to keep on winning, and garner the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Although Pittsburgh has a history of losing home-field games in the playoffs, the Jets would much prefer to take on the Steelers in front of a home-field crowd that has been salivating for a Super Bowl appearance since the glory days of Broadway Joe.

> Buy NY Jets jerseys & fan apparel online through Pro Football Fans, find NFL Fathead wall stickers or check the updated NFL scores!

Joe Kornegay, the executive director of Las Vegas Hilton Sports Book, stated that he would make the Jets 2 ½ point favorites if the game were to be held next week.
Kornegay states: “I like the Jet defense better as a whole, and their offense, even though it’s less explosive, doesn’t turn the ball over like the Giants’ offense. They take care of the ball better.” Giant safety Antrel Rolle, who appears to have become the media spokesman for the Giants, expresses as much confidence in the superiority of the Giants in regards to their competition as Rex Ryan: This week, Rolle was interviewed on WFAN, the premier sports station in the Metro area, and stated: “I don’t think it. I know it; we are the best team in the NFC. Hey, we are the best team in the NFL, and that’s hands down. Our defense is the best defense in the business, no doubt about it.” Despite their sloppiness on the field, the Giants are third in total offense and second in defense, and third in the League in sacks. As for the Jets, their 101 points allowed is second best in the NFL. They have a terrific Special Teams squad, perhaps the best Offensive Line in the business, and a plethora of offensive weapons.

Of course, all this could change in a heart-beat; the NFL season is a grueling marathon; there is always the factor of injuries, and oftentimes, the team that appears to be the class of the league at this time of the season oftentimes falls of the track. Witness the Giants of the last two seasons; two years ago, they got off to a 11-1 record, and were regarded as the class of the NFC until Plax shot himself in the leg, and of course, last year they got off to a 5-0 mark, had the best defense in football; they were smoked by the Saints, and the season fell off a precipice. However, both teams appear to be solid on both sides of the ball, and are unlikely to collapse.

In the event that this dream match comes to fruition, here is this writer’s Fearless Prognostication:

Jets 27, Giants 20.

By: Paul J. Nebenfuhr
ProFootball-fans.com New York Jets Correspondent