The Jets and the Giants both had rather underwhelming seasons for what was expected of them, but that did not stop them from giving their full effort to the very end, even if the game’s held no meaning. The Jets took on the New England Patriots, a longtime rival, who they had not beaten since 2015, while the Giants took on the Eagles in a game that had massive playoff implications for Philadelphia.
New York Jets Defeat Patriots 17-3 in Snowy Conditions
The Jets past few matchups against the Patriots have been defensive shootouts and with the conditions anticipated to hit Gillette Stadium, points seemed as though they would be impossible to come by. The temperature in Foxborough clocked in at under 30° with several inches of snow accumulating on the field.
This weather forced the Jets to rely heavily on their running back, Breece Hall, in addition to their defense, to secure a win. The first half of the game had gone as expected, with the Jets holding a 6-3 lead, all points coming from field goals.
As the game continued, the Jets used Breece Hall more and more, but were unable to get anything going. Another field goal from Greg Zuerlein made it a 9-3, but the Patriots were still just a touchdown away from taking the lead.
On what would most likely be their last drive of the game, the Patriots threw an interception to Ashtyn Davis, effectively ending the game. However, the wet conditions caused the ball to slip from Davis’ grasp, giving New England the ball back. Luckily, the Jets picked up another interception just 2 plays later, this time from Tony Adams, to all but end the game.
To put the icing on the cake and make the loss just a bit more sour for Patriots fans, Breece Hall ran for a 50-yard touchdown, the first of the game, to put the Jets up 17-3. The defense got a stop yet again, officially ending the game and the Jets’ 15-game losing streak against New England.
New York Giants Cruise to Victory Over Philadelphia Eagles, Spoiling Division Clinch
The Eagles were one of the most dominant and feared teams just a few weeks ago, sitting at 10-1 with the NFC East title seemingly locked up. However, their season had taken a drastic turn following their matchup with the Bills. The Eagles had gone 1-4 in that span, losing their grip on the division title in the process. Now, with just one game left, the Eagles would need to beat the Giants and rely on the Commanders to upset the Cowboys to win the division. The Giants, looking to play spoiler on a division rival, saw this as a perfect opportunity to avenge their Christmas Day loss against the Eagles.
Both teams played rather poor in the 1st quarter, with the Giants taking a 3-0 lead off of a Mason Crosby field goal. However, this outcome was far more hopeful for the Giants than the Eagles, who were expected to win the game easily.
The second quarter is where the Giants pushed too far ahead for the Eagles to catch up, scoring a touchdown on three straight drives, two coming from Saquon Barkely, putting the Giants up 24-0 entering halftime.
At this point, the Eagles had already benched Jalen Hurts, not wanting to risk injury for the playoffs, effectively forfeiting the game. The Eagles would go on to score 10 points, while the Giants made another field goal, giving them a 27-10 victory.
Ultimately, the Cowboys ended up defeating the Commanders so the game would have been meaningless for the Eagles, but the Giants’ effortless win surely drained the momentum of their rivals entering the playoffs.