It was a rough week for football in the Meadowlands, with both the Jets and Giants suffering losses. The losses on the week bring both teams to 1-2 on the year, which is not where teams want to find themselves this early into the year.
For the Jets, their loss came at the hands of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots who have now defeated the Jets in 15 straight games, with New York’s last win coming in 2015. The Giants, who played the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football, put up a lackluster performance without their star running back and seemed completely outmatched against an elite 49ers team.
Jets Still Unable to Find a Way to Beat the Patriots in 15-10 Loss
The New York Jets walked into MetLife Stadium this Sunday looking to make a statement against the New England Patriots by picking up their first win against their division rivals since 2015. The anticipation from the fans was evident, who hoped that they would finally get to see the Jets beat the Patriots once again.
In the first drive of the game, the Jets recorded -5 yards and were unable to record a first down, giving fans a sneak peek into what the rest of the game would look like. The Patriots struck not too long after on a field goal, taking a 3-0 lead over the Jets, which they would add on to with a 58 yard touchdown. The Jets would finally put points on the board with a field goal from Greg Zuerlein, making the score 10-3 going into halftime.
The Patriots would start the second half just as they did the first, with a field goal to extend the lead to 13-3, but that was just about all that would happen for them offensively for the rest of the game. A Jets offense led by Zach Wilson, given opportunity after opportunity by their defense, was unable to score, until it finally clicked in an 84 yard touchdown drive with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter.
The Jets, who were now right back in the game, just needed one more drive like that from Zach Wilson to pick up their first win against the Patriots in 7 years, but instead they got a safety and were now down 15-10. Yet the game was still not over, as the Jets had 16 seconds to make a miracle happen and they almost did, but a dropped hail mary pass would signify the end of the game and another Jets loss to the Patriots.
Giants Outplayed by 49ers in 30-12 Defeat
The expectations of many Giants fans going into this matchup was bleak, as the 49ers had established themselves as a powerhouse in the NFC and the Giants were without their star running back, Saquon Barkley. However, the Giants managed to hold their own in the first quarter, as it was tied 3-3 at the end of the quarter.
The pieces would soon begin to unravel, unfortunately, as two straight touchdown drives from the 49ers would make the deficit 17-3, but the Giants were able to get a few more points on the board before halftime with another field goal.
A Matt Breida touchdown in the third quarter gave some fans hope, as the deficit was cut down to just 7 points, but New York was unable to maintain any momentum after that drive and would end up losing to the 49ers by a score of 30-12.
What to Expect Heading Into Week 4
Two of the three primetime NFL games next week will be at MetLife Stadium, as the Jets will take on the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, while the Giants will battle the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
The Jets will need to play their absolute best if they want a chance at defeating the reigning Super Bowl champs, because a performance similar to the one from this Sunday will not do the job. While the Jets head into this game as significant underdogs, it doesn’t mean that a win is impossible. If the defense plays to their potential and the Jets offense can manage to finally gain some traction don’t be surprised if the Jets pull off the upset victory.
The Giants will also be taking on a worthy opponent next week, while not the Super Bowl champs, the Seahawks are 2-1 on the season and have been playing very well as of late. Saquon Barkley could return by next week, but there are no guarantees, so the Giants will need to be prepared for that very real possibility. Regardless, this Giants team has severely underperformed and there is no better time to make a statement than on the national stage.