New York’s NFL Teams Continue to Struggle
Now that the dust has settled on what was a chaotic start to the National Football League season, fans can catch their breath and review the results of their favorite teams. The 2023 NFL regular season is now approaching double-figures in games played, and with the various divisions beginning to take shape, we get a glimpse of how the playoffs might look when the action resumes in the new year. But there’s plenty of football still to play between now and the end of the year.
The usual suspects have started in style, forcing their way to the front of the queue and strengthening their bid for playoff football. No team held onto their unbeaten record in the opening nine games, with the Philadelphia Eagles coming closest with stats showing eight wins, one defeat, and no draws. The Eagles’ impressive start put them on top of the NFC East and within touching distance of an extended season. Other teams with impressive stats include the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, and you can back them to make the playoffs at MyTopSportsbooks .
Then we have the teams that have been less than convincing in their opening nine regular season games. Those include the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, who have just one win each to show for their efforts in the first nine weeks of play. Both the Panthers and Cardinals are likely out of the running for a playoff finish, but they will only stop pushing and working once an extended season is mathematically impossible.
Fans expect more
A few teams have struggled to keep pace with the leaders in the opening exchanges of the season, and it appears some have already accepted their fate and are looking at damage limitation. But few areas of the country have been as disappointing as New York so far in the NFL season, with both teams suffering slow starts. The New York Giants and New York Jets are already in a world of trouble.
Followers of both the Giants and the Jets held high expectations when the season began. They hoped to see their chosen team from the New York divide blaze a trail of glory to the Super Bowl, starting with a strong regular season campaign. Lovers of the Giants imagined their team would make light work of the Eagles, Cowboys, and Washington, topping the NFC East with room to spare. But that’s not the case, and the NY Giants are currently at the bottom of the pool.
Across the city, the NY Jets fans haven’t had things any better than their neighbors. Those loyal to the Jets’ cause would certainly have a difficult time taking the moral high ground or looking down on their rivals from across NYC. The Jets are third in the AFC East and have lost as many games as they’ve won. A lack of consistency threatens their season, even at this stage, and fans know they need a grandstand finish to reel in the likes of Miami and Buffalo.
Giants cut down to size
What’s gone wrong at both New York teams in the opening nine rounds of the season? The Giants were cut down to size, while the Jets have proven to be little more than a damp squib. Let’s dissect the season so far and begin with the New York Giants, who are staring elimination in the face. Everyone connected to the team knows time is running out to save their campaign, and if they are to turn things around, it must be sooner rather than later.
Let’s start by focusing on the stats from the Giants’ season to date. In the NFC East, they are in fourth place of the four teams involved. They have won just two games so far, losing the other seven while scoring only 101 points and conceding 217. To make matters worse, no team in the NFL this season has registered fewer points, and the NY Giants defense needs to be better to pick up the slack and fix the problems created by a shot-shy offense.
Where do you start with the Giants’ season? They are 1-3 at home and 1-4 on the road, meaning their suffering fans have seen them win just once on their patch. Gone are the days when New York was a fortress and a city even the biggest and best football teams feared. So far this season, many good teams see a trip to NYC to face the Giants as a winnable game and a chance to put big numbers on the scoreboard.
Jets prove a damp squib
Moving across the city, we catch up on recent developments at the New York Jets, where things are just as poor. The Jets are third of four in the AFC East, sitting behind current leaders Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. They’ve played eight at the time of writing, with their stats showing four wins against four defeats. The Jets have scored 132 points and conceded 156, but that may give fans hope when digging deeper into the stats.
The Jets may be second from the bottom of the pool, but followers are a little more optimistic than those with a soft spot for the Giants. The Jets, despite their current position, have played fewer games than the other three teams in the AFC East, and their defensive record is the best on show. They’ve leaked 16 points while the Dolphins allowed 225, Buffalo 160, and New England 228.
Why is the team with the safest defensive record in the pool closer to the bottom than the top? The scoring stats make it easier to understand as the Jets have notched just 132 points while Miami has 285, Buffalo 240, and current bottom club New England 135 points.
The Jets coaching team is running low on time, but there is still a chance to turn things around. If they can inspire the form of their offense while keeping the defense in good shape, the Jets could make things interesting in the last few games.
