The New York Giants (5-1) past reached the NFL postseason successful 2016. The New York Jets (4-2) past got determination successful 2010. Both North Jersey teams haven't reached the postseason successful the aforesaid twelvemonth since 2006, but determination is sizeable anticipation that meaningful January shot is connected the skyline for some long-struggling franchises.
How existent is the East Rutherford NFL gyration of 2022? ESPN turned to its experts connected the crushed and beyond to measure the chances of some the Giants and Jets keeping the bully times rolling agelong aft the leaves person changed colour successful the Northeast:
Why they mightiness support it going
Giants
The Giants intelligibly person thing going here. They're playing hard and aren't beating themselves similar they've done successful the past. First-year manager Brian Daboll preaches being smart, pugnacious and dependable. It's what they're getting. There is simply a antithetic feeling astir this squad with Daboll moving the show.
"The guys that person been present are bushed of losing," halfway Jon Feliciano said. "They bought in."
The blueprint has been laid and the Giants are pursuing it each week: Run the ball. Make capable plays successful the passing game. Play coagulated defense. Make stops successful the reddish zone. Win it successful the 2nd half, erstwhile they person outscored the absorption 87-49.
You mightiness accidental it's unsustainable agelong term. And possibly it is. But the Giants are already 5-1 and person a favorable docket connected the horizon with Jacksonville, Seattle, Houston and Detroit earlier Thanksgiving. They besides are getting healthier. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams and rookie wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson returned this week, and some played cardinal roles successful the triumph implicit Baltimore. Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (calf) should beryllium backmost this week, and wide receivers Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Kenny Golladay (knee) aren't acold disconnected either. This squad has much wins successful it. -- Jordan Raanan
Jets
Dee-fense! No longer a antiaircraft dumpster fire, the Jets person allowed lone 47 points during their existent three-game winning streak -- and they're getting better. This is what Robert Saleh, a defensive-minded caput coach, ever envisioned.
They were dreadful successful 2021 -- 32nd successful respective cardinal categories -- but the summation of cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, the instrumentality of antiaircraft extremity Carl Lawson from wounded and the elite play of antiaircraft tackle Quinnen Williams person vaulted them to 18th successful yards allowed (fourth implicit the past 3 games). The Gardner-Reed sum connected the perimeter helps the walk unreserved and gives the coaches much flexibility with their calls.
There's lone 1 upper-tier backmost remaining connected the docket (two games against the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen), so, yes, the defence should proceed its ascent. The stingy defence pairs nicely with the Jets' run-oriented offense, led by rookie sensation Breece Hall, a dual menace who tin tally done oregon astir defenders.
Finally, the Jets person an individuality connected discourtesy -- smashmouth, with a bully complement of misdirection runs that adhd a small spice. Basically, they're the San Francisco 49ers East. They tin beryllium much explosive if they fig retired ways to get wide receivers Elijah Moore and Garrett Wilson much involved. -- Rich Cimini
Why they mightiness not
Giants
The Giants are 23rd successful full discourtesy (317.3 yards per game). Their defence is ranked 15th successful yards allowed astatine 339.3 yards per game. At immoderate constituent it volition travel backmost to wound them if they're getting outgained each week.
The Giants' existent look for occurrence provides truthful small borderline for error. They are 5-0 this play successful games decided by 1 people oregon less. The instrumentality of averages says that volition adjacent retired arsenic the illustration size increases. Maybe that missed tract extremity by the Titans astatine the last whistle volition divided the uprights aboriginal this season. The amerciable enactment by the Ravens precocious successful the 4th fourth that kept the Giants live won't happen. Somebody volition people bring their A-game to MetLife Stadium.
It's besides hard to triumph successful today's NFL if you're not capable to propulsion the shot consistently and effectively. Quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants person the league's 31st-ranked passing offense, averaging lone 154.3 yards per game. That is simply a operation of their deficiency of weapons and an violative enactment that isn't particularly bully astatine walk protection. There isn't overmuch to suggest that is going to alteration drastically arsenic the play progresses. -- Raanan
1:35
Stephen A. Smith outlines wherefore helium doesn't spot the New York Giants making the playoffs.
Jets
The Jets aren't getting overmuch accumulation retired of second-year backmost Zach Wilson, which lowers the team's ceiling. Sure, they tin triumph 8 oregon 9 games with the moving crippled and a beardown defence -- much wins than anyone expected successful August -- but they won't marque sound successful January with Wilson struggling to get to 10 completions and 110 yards, his stats from Sunday's upset of the Green Bay Packers.
It could stay rocky successful the coming weeks, arsenic 2 of the adjacent 3 games are against apical antiaircraft teams: the Denver Broncos (ranked third, 16.0 PPG) and Buffalo Bills (ranked first, 13.5 PPG). Opponents volition overplay the run, daring Wilson to bushed them. Can he? Since returning from his close genu injury, helium has been businesslike successful six of 12 quarters.
On the affirmative side, Wilson has gone 9 consecutive quarters without a turnover. It's important to retrieve that helium has lone 16 vocation starts, truthful he's inactive learning. The Jets are processing him the close mode -- dilatory and dependable -- but that method often isn't conducive to squad success. You request a prolific passer to triumph titles successful today's NFL, and Wilson -- inactive looking for his archetypal 300-yard passing time -- isn't determination yet. Another concern: For a squad reliant connected rookies, the alleged "rookie wall" looms arsenic a imaginable hindrance. -- Cimini
What bash the precocious stats say?
Giants
Credit to the Giants for their 5-1 record, though ESPN's Football Power Index remains somewhat skeptical, making the Giants the 23rd-best squad successful the league going forward. The enactment play is not perfect connected either broadside of the ball: The Giants fertile beneath mean successful some walk artifact triumph complaint and walk unreserved triumph complaint -- though Dexter Lawrence deserves a shoutout arsenic an objection -- and are past successful the league successful tally halt triumph rate, which tracks with their second-worst 5.6 yards per transportation allowed. But connected the positive side: Daniel Jones is 14th successful QBR -- amended than helium has finished a play -- and the Giants person the third-easiest remaining spot of schedule.
Jets
FPI considers the Jets an astir perfectly mean squad -- 17th and two-tenths of a constituent down the rival Patriots -- which is, successful immoderate ways, a signifier of respect fixed wherever they started (30th successful preseason rankings). If Zach Wilson qualified for QBR he'd beryllium successful the aforesaid ballpark, astatine 19th. But it's what's going connected astir the backmost that is the existent crushed for optimism. One notable standout spot: extracurricular corner, wherever rookie Sauce Gardner ranks 5th successful EPA allowed connected targets (-11.2) and D.J. Reed is successful the apical 10 successful yards per sum drawback allowed (0.8) arsenic a nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats. -- Seth Walder
0:44
Eric Moody analyzes the awesome agelong of games from Jets RB Breece Hall, and breaks down however phantasy managers should presumption him going forward.
What stands retired from a shot perspective?
Giants
Coaching matters. On some sides of the shot -- with Brian Daboll connected discourtesy and Wink Martindale connected defence -- the Giants are utilizing scheme, subordinate deployment and a precise carnal benignant to make production. Offensively, New York is creating foodstuff successful the walk crippled with Daniel Jones by employing repetitive, defined throws to a depleted receiver corps, portion leaning connected the explosive traits of Saquon Barkley, who is averaging 23.3 touches per game. Now, brace that with the assertive antiaircraft strategy nether Martindale, with a large and almighty beforehand that tin dictate crippled situations.
Jets
I look astatine the Jets' young playmakers connected a precise well-coached shot team, including Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams connected defence -- 2 disruptive players connected a defence that leans connected defined coverages and schemed-up antiaircraft fronts. And, erstwhile we flip to the violative broadside of the ball, the absorption shifts to rookie moving backmost Breece Hall. He's a dual-threat subordinate who tin rip disconnected large plays and grip dense measurement successful violative coordinator Mike LaFleur's system. -- Matt Bowen
What's 1 applicable determination each squad could marque astatine the commercialized deadline (Nov. 1) to fortify its playoff chances?
Giants
I don't deliberation the Giants person the headdress abstraction to marque a big deadline move. And portion the 5-1 commencement is wonderful, I deliberation immoderate honorable look astatine wherever the franchise is successful its rebuilding process would archer you the Giants shouldn't beryllium trading distant draught picks. They inactive don't cognize if they're going to beryllium successful the backmost marketplace adjacent offseason, for goodness' sake. My suggested determination for them was going to beryllium to commercialized for Robbie Anderson, but portion I was typing that up helium got traded to the Cardinals. Wide receiver is the large need, truthful possibly telephone the Jets astir Denzel Mims? He's making astir $1.1 cardinal this twelvemonth and astir $1.35 cardinal adjacent twelvemonth and nary of it's guaranteed. He conscionable turned 25. Could beryllium worthy a shot.
Jets
They've been truthful beaten up astatine the tackle positions, I deliberation that's the presumption they'd look to code if any. (The Jets really person a beauteous beardown roster overall.) I'd astatine slightest telephone the Texans to spot what they're reasoning astir Laremy Tunsil. They restructured his declaration this twelvemonth and would instrumentality connected a clump of dormant wealth if they moved him, but if he's not successful their semipermanent plans, it's not retired of the question the close connection could pry him away.-- Dan Graziano
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