After both coming off of unfortunate losses in Week 1, both teams from the Meadowlands looked to avenge themselves this past week. The Jets took on the Tennessee Titans in a favorable matchup, while the Giants took on a division rival in the Washington Commanders. While only one of the hometown teams was able to walk away with a victory, both teams showed much improvement from their performances in Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers Picks Up First Jets Win in 24-17 Victory Over Titans
After dropping their first game to the 49ers, this game seemed like a must-win for the Jets, even if it was just the second week of the NFL season. The Titans, who are one of the more lackluster teams in the league, looked to be a good way for the Jets to pick up momentum, as the team from the Meadowlands was favored to win the game.
Despite being favorites, the game did not start well for the Jets, who gave up a touchdown to Calvin Ridley and could not capitalize on turnovers forced by their defense. The Jets eventually found the endzone, however, before the end of the first half on a 12-yard receiving touchdown from rookie Braelon Allen to tie the game. A Titans field goal on the last drive of the half, allowed them to reclaim a 10-7 lead at halftime, however.
Not playing up to their standards, the Jets came out swinging in the second half, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive off a Breece Hall reception. After back-to-back punts, the third one was blocked by the Jets special teams unit, which put the team in scoring position to start their drive. While they weren’t able to score a touchdown, their position alone allowed them to score a field goal, extending the team’s lead to 7.
The Titans had the perfect response, however, as a miraculous 40-yard touchdown from Calvin Ridley tied the game back up. After four punts, with the clock winding down, it seemed that the next team to find the endzone may end up winning the game. So Aaron Rodgers did what he has done best throughout his career and drove the team down the field when they needed it the most. The drive was capped off by a 20-yard rushing touchdown from Braelon Allen, his second of the game. Allen’s numbers are made even more impressive when seeing his age, as he is the youngest active player in the NFL.
As the Titans took the field needing a touchdown to keep any hopes of winning alive, they seemed to have found their rhythm, as they were at the Jets 10-yard line with a minute and a half left and 4 attempts to score. Though, just as they had done last season, the Jets’ defense showed up and got 4 huge stops to secure the team’s first victory.
NY Giants Fall 21-18 to Commanders in Last-Second Loss
The Giants, whose offense was unable to click last week, seemed to have found their rhythm, scoring two touchdowns in their three drives throughout the first half. Included in one of their touchdown drives was rookie Malik Nabers’ first touchdown of his career, only adding on to the growing potential that he has. However, despite these optimistic drives, the Giants suffered a difficult loss early on, losing their kicker Graham Gano on the game’s opening kickoff.
Due to this loss, the Giants only had 12 points instead of 14, but still led the Commanders at halftime, who had 9 points, all courtesy of field goals from Austin Siebert. In the second half, the Giants recorded another touchdown thanks to another passing touchdown from Daniel Jones, but the Commanders were relentless with their field goals. Three more field goals from Austin Siebert in the second half made it an 18-18 game. The Giants had three attempts to go for a two-point conversion but failed all three times, putting them in a difficult position.
In their final drive of the game, the Commanders charged down the field, all the way to the Giants’ 12-yard line, where Austin Siebert was able to easily make his 7th field goal of the game, to earn the 21-18 victory.
While the Giants may have lost the game, the loss of their kicker shifted the game’s momentum and ultimately led to them losing, most likely. While the injury was out of their control, there were still many bright spots to come out of this game, especially Malik Nabers and his potential.
What to Look For Next Week
The Jets will be playing their second primetime game of the season this week on Thursday, as they take on the divisional rival Patriots. The Jets are in a good position to move to a winning record, as they currently sit as significant favorites going into the game. However, the Patriots have been playing good football to start the season, so any result is possible.
For the Giants, they will be playing away against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at 1 p.m. in a game that could go both ways. The Browns currently hold a 1-1 record, but the Giants showed that they are able to build from their mistakes in the past week’s matchup.