Pregame Primer: Back from the bye in a New York face-off
Everything you need to know ahead of today’s game between the Jets and Giants.
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What’s Up with the Jets? 🛩️
The Jets face-off against the Giants this afternoon in New Jersey at 1:00 PM
CBs Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed are both set to return to action after missing time with concussions
WR Mecole Hardman was traded during the bye week to the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth round pick
RB Dalvin Cook and DE Carl Lawson have also reportedly expressed interest in being traded because they are not happy with their lack of playing time
WR Malik Taylor and OL Xavier Newman were elevated from the practice squad
The Jets are favored in a game for the first time all season
New York looks to win their third consecutive game against the Giants and have not lost in that match-up in 12 years
Injury Report 🏥
❌ OUT
OL Joe Tippmann (quad)
⏬ DOUBTFUL
WR Irv Charles (shoulder)
❔ QUESTIONABLE
CB Michael Carter II
WR Randall Cobb
DL Will McDonald
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Jets (3-3) at Giants (2-5)
Where: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
When: 1:00 PM EDT
Where to Watch: CBS
The Odds 🎲
ESPN Analytics: Jets 77.2% chance to win
Line: Jets -3.0
Over/Under: 35 points
Postseason Odds: +310
⬆️ from +610 two weeks ago
Super Bowl Odds: +9000
⬆️ from +13000 from last week
Our Prediction 🔮
The match-up that has led to some of the most annoying sports talk radio takes over the last week is finally here. Jets vs. Giants, today at 1:00.
We know better than anyone here that the Jets are far from perfect – they have issues on offense and we are all still cursed with the PTSD of past team failures. But this is a game the Jets should absolutely win.
They’re flat-out better than the Giants in almost every way – they have better playmakers on offense, a better offensive line, a better defensive line, better linebackers, better corners and better special teams play. The only thing you can give the Giants the edge on right now is quarterback play but only because they’re the only team in the NFL whose back-up is better than their starter. Had Daniel Jones been playing, this would probably be a toss-up at that position, as well.
And before any Giants fan who clicks on this today tries to fight me, let me tell you the stats on this one: Zach Wilson ranks 30th in the NFL with a 73.4 passer rating this season. Daniel Jones ranks 32nd (last) with a 71.7 rating.
Also, I don’t mean for this prediction section to turn into a trash-talking segment, but has there ever been a cockier fan base of a 2-5 football team? The Giants have the third worst record in the NFL this season and the worst point differential in all of football, with their only wins coming vs the tanking Cardinals (a game in which they trailed by 21 points) and the mediocre Commanders last week. Two weeks ago their fans were talking about tanking for Caleb Williams and after a sloppy 14-7 win suddenly they have a season again? I’m not buying it.
The Jets are just better, man, and they’ve had two weeks to prepare for this. I know this is not a franchise that has done well coming off of bye weeks in recent years, by Robert Saleh and this coaching staff have done a good job with holding this team together. Perhaps with the two full weeks of prep thanks to the bye week, they’ve been able to shift their playbook around on offense even more. It’s worth noting that Saleh mentioned in an interview during the bye week that once Aaron Rodgers went down, Nathaniel Hackett and the offensive coaches weren’t able to make wholesale changes to their game plans in the middle of the season. With extra time, maybe that has changed.
It’s going to probably be uncomfortably close at times – Tyrod Taylor has played mostly mistake-free since coming in over the last two weeks – and the Giants defense has showed more of a pulse lately with lots and lots of blitzing, but this is a game the Jets have to win, and should win.
Jets 20, Giants 10.