With both teams carrying losing streaks, they looked to snap them heading into this week, as the Jets faced a struggling Jaguars team who were without their starting quarterback. The Giants, on the other hand, faced a much more daunting opponent, a Ravens team that is fighting for a spot in the playoffs and led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is in contention to win MVP. The games went as expected with the matchups, as the Jets defeated the Jaguars and the Ravens defeated the Giants.
Jets Take Down Jaguars in 32-25 Win As Offense Explodes
Having not recorded a win since Oct. 31, the Jets were in dire need of a return to the win column to keep the morale of the team up and build momentum. The Jets were going up against the Jaguars, who had struggled mightily this season and were without their starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence on top of that.
The Jets were favored to win the game, as a result, though the Jaguars showed that the game was going to be a battle, scoring a touchdown on their first drive. The Jets responded right back with a touchdown drive of their own, finding the endzone on a 22-yard receiving touchdown by Garrett Wilson. The Jets defense then recorded an interception to stop the Jaguars’ momentum, though the offense struggled for the rest of the first half. The Jaguars added on two field goals before the half came to a close, holding a 13-7 lead.
The Jets and Jaguars both exchanged field goals in their first drives of the second half to make it 16-10, though, the Jets were able to take the lead on their next drive thanks to a touchdown from Davante Adams. In their first drive of the 4th quarter, however, the Jaguars took the lead back with a touchdown of their own.
Losing many games late in the 4th quarter over the course of this season, the Jets were destined to not suffer the same fate for this game as they had in previous games. A 71-yard touchdown from Davante Adams, his second of the game in a historic performance gave the Jets a 25-22 lead. The Jaguars responded with a field goal to make it 25-25 with just under two minutes remaining in the game.
The Jets pushed down the field and another big play from Davante Adams set the Jets up for a Breece Hall rushing touchdown to help them retake the lead over the Jaguars. With less than a minute remaining and the game on the line, Sauce Gardner was able to record his first interception of the season to secure the Jets’ first win in December.
Giants Fall to Ravens 35-14 at MetLife Stadium
Despite entering the game as favorable underdogs, the Giants got off to a good start, recovering a fumble on just the Raven’s second play of the game, providing optimism. However, the Giants offense was unable to capitalize and while the defense held the Ravens offense for another drive, Lamar Jackson has proven that he is one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the league and could only be stopped for a certain amount of time.
The Ravens scored three touchdowns on three consecutive drives to close out the first half, though, the Giants also scored a touchdown, carrying a 21-7 deficit heading into halftime. While the result may not have seemed ideal for the Giants or the start they had hoped for, it still provided them the opportunity to put up a fight against the Ravens.
The Ravens scored two more touchdowns on their next two drives, showing that their offense was too powerful for the Giants defense to stop at that moment. The Giants were able to add on another touchdown this time to Malik Nabers, the rookie sensation.
Despite the Giants second touchdown of the game, with a score of 35-14, it was too far out of reach for them to stage a comeback. The 4th quarter ran until the end of the game with little action taking place as the game came to a close in East Rutherford, signalling a win for the Ravens.
What to Look Out for This Week
This week, the Jets will return to MetLife Stadium, where they will be taking on the Rams. The Jets will hope to keep the momentum going that they were able to earn in their victory during this past week. The Giants will be heading to Atlanta, where they will be taking on the Falcons, looking to get themselves back into the win column after a rough stretch. After suffering another injury, Tommy DeVito will likely be the backup heading into this game, offering yet another obstacle for the team to overcome.