Both the Jets and the Giants walked into their respective games on Sunday as heavy underdogs, with the Jets facing the undefeated Eagles and the Giants facing an AFC powerhouse in the Bills. With both teams short of their starting quarterbacks and other key contributors, a win seemed even less likely.
For the Jets, a win would not just hand the Eagles their first loss of the season, but their first loss ever to the Jets. Entering the game, the Jets and Eagles had met 12 times, each game ending in an Eagles victory. For the Giants, a win without Daniel Jones against an elite Bills team could completely shift their momentum and turn their season around.
New York Jets Upset Philadelphia Eagles in 20-14 Win
Prior to kickoff, the Eagles had not lost a regular season game since Jan. 1, 2023 and it seemed as though that would continue to be the case with the Jets having lost both Aaron Rodgers and Alijah-Vera Tucker for the season, in addition to both Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed, two of the team’s best players, being out.
The Jets did not get off to a hot start, punting the ball to the Eagles after only two minutes of possession. Upon receiving the ball, the Eagles had to fight for every yard against the Jets defense, but eventually after almost 10 minutes, Jalen Hurts managed to best them and give the Eagles a 7-0 lead with a rushing touchdown.
With some help from Garrett Wilson, Zach Wilson was able to drive the Jets into Eagles territory and helped them pick up three points from a field goal. After getting the ball back, the Eagles began to move the ball more smoothly and found themselves in Jets territory, until Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams recorded an interception to give the Jets the ball back in great field position. Unfortunately, the offense was unable to capitalize on the turnover, wasting a perfect opportunity to score.
After catching a massive break, the Eagles took no more chances and scored another touchdown to extend their lead to 14-3. Zach Wilson and the Jets responded by stringing together multiple crafty plays to get them into field goal range and add three more points to the scoreboard.
Despite there being a little over two minutes left until the first half was over, the imposing Eagles defense could very well have added another seven points to their total in addition to receiving the ball after halftime. Instead, C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams worked together to force and recover a fumble, helping the Jets tack on an additional three points before the end of the half, making a win well within reach.
The third quarter started off relatively quiet with three consecutive drives ending in punts, but the Jets would finally put points on the board again with yet another field goal to make the score 14-12. Despite clawing their way back, a Eagles touchdown would make it a two score game and stop the Jets momentum. Luckily, the Jets defense did what they do best and forced another interception, giving them a golden opportunity to take the lead.
After the defense set them up, the Jets offense recorded 0 yards and gave the ball right back to the Eagles. The Jets defense, seemingly tired from all the work they’ve had to do thus far, was unable to force another turnover, as Eagles kicker Jake Elliott attempted a 37-yard field goal. Elliott did what Jets kicker Greg Zuerelein hadn’t done all game, missed a field goal, keeping the game within reach for the Jets, who were one kick away from taking the lead.
The Jets offense once again failed to score and now an Eagles win seemed very likely. With little time left and the Jets only having two timeouts, a first down from the Eagles very well may have ended the game. On 3rd & 9, a completion would have drained all life from the Jets and all but ended the game, instead the defense came up huge again, with Tony Adams recording an interception and bringing it all the way back to the 8 yard line in Eagles territory.
The Eagles defense clearly letting the Jets score to save time on the clock, allowed Breece Hall to run the ball in for a touchdown, which paired with a successful two-point conversion, gave the Jets a 20-14 lead.
With a little under two minutes on the clock, the Eagles needed a touchdown and extra point to walk away with a win, and as each play was called, a Jets win seemed more likely, as it was now 4th down and the Eagles needed 8 yards to keep their hopes alive. On their last play, Jalen Hurts threw a deep ball to Devonta Smith, striking fear into the hearts of all Jets fans as the ball traveled in the air for what felt like hours, but yet again the defense came up clutch and sealed the win for the Jets. With that win, not only did the Eagles finally lose the zero in their loss column, but the Jets can now say that they’ve beaten every team in the NFL.
New York Giants Lose 14-9 to Buffalo Bills in Dramatic Fashion
With every gain comes a loss, and this could not have been more perfectly demonstrated by the Giants, who saw star running back Saquon Barkley return, but lost their starting quarterback Daniel Jones with a neck injury.
The Giants strolled into Highmark Stadium on Sunday night looking to make a statement by defeating one of the juggernauts of the AFC. However, with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor starting and key players such as Andrew Thomas still out, they were going to have to work extra hard for an upset victory.
The game started off quiet with a punt from each team in their first drive, but this could have been viewed as a win for the Giants, who were expected to already be behind in this game. The Bills began to show why they have made the playoffs every year since 2019 and drove down the field, but just as was the case in the Jets game, the Giants defense came up big and forced a fumble, shutting down the Bills. The Giants took advantage of the turnover and scored the first points of the game with a 29-yard field goal.
The game continued to lack offense with four straight drives resulting in punts, until the Bills eventually attempted to tie the game up with a 52-yard field goal, which would miss, preserving the Giants lead. The Giants responded with a solid drive from Tyrod Taylor and a field goal to increase their lead to 6-0.
With Josh Allen and the Bills offense starting to pick up steam, they seemed poised to at least cut the lead in half before halftime. Instead, the Giants forced another turnover, this time an interception, which gave them an opportunity to increase their lead by even more.
The Giants drove down the field, all the way to the 1 yard line, but through a combination of poor play calling and clock management, the Giants walked into halftime with the disappointment of missing out on easy points. However, they still came into halftime with a lead, which no one was expecting.
The Giants opened up the third quarter with a punt and the Bills came out swinging in the second half, recording a touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving them their first lead of the game. In a drive led by Saquon Barkley, the Giants managed to get into field goal range and take a 9-7 lead. The Bills responded with yet another touchdown, however, meaning that the Giants would need to score a touchdown to take the lead. The Giants had no response to the Bills touchdown, having a turnover on downs with less than two minutes left in the game.
The turnover on downs gave Buffalo an easy chance to score, but another missed field goal from Bills kicker Tyler Bass made a Giants win much easier. With a little over a minute left in the game, the Giants quickly pushed up the field, all the way to the 15 yard line, where they would have two plays to score a touchdown and take the lead. Taylor scrambled for 6 yards on the first play, meaning they now had one shot to gain 9 yards. On the last play, Taylor threw the ball to Darren Waller, who was unable to come down with it, but a piece of yellow cloth signified that the game was not yet over. A pass interference call gave the Giants the ball at the one-yard line, with a touchdown guaranteeing a win. Taylor targeted Waller again but he was once again unable to come down with it, ending the game in heart-breaking fashion.
What This Means Heading Into Week 7
The Jets will have their bye week next week, but now on a two-game win streak and finally past the toughest stretch in their schedule, the Jets are looking poised to make a shot at contending for the playoffs.
The Giants have now moved to 1-5, sharing ownership of the second-worst record in the league with several other teams. Next week, the Giants will take on the Commanders, a team significantly more beatable than the Bills. If they continue to play like they did on Sunday night, then a win is very likely.